Time to replace all the bricks

[Highbeam]

My oh my. Cleaned out both stoves and swept the chimneys. This year was 100% shed cured Douglas fir on a relatively old cat and the chimney was pretty clean. Thinking the use of the new mini split helped avoid some of those extra long and low burns that tend to build up chimney deposits.

I only had to clean ash twice this year. At the ash line most of my bricks are broken and the bottom bricks have eroded significantly. I counted 24 new bricks to get it all but will double check. TSC doesn’t stock firebricks until November! I definitely do not recommend the soft pumice bricks. The standard hard bricks in the barn stove look like new.

This stove was installed 11 years ago and sees 4-5 full cords per season running 95% low and slow.

 

[bholler]

My oh my. Cleaned out both stoves and swept the chimneys. This year was 100% shed cured Douglas fir on a relatively old cat and the chimney was pretty clean. Thinking the use of the new mini split helped avoid some of those extra long and low burns that tend to build up chimney deposits.

I only had to clean ash twice this year. At the ash line most of my bricks are broken and the bottom bricks have eroded significantly. I counted 24 new bricks to get it all but will double check. TSC doesn’t stock firebricks until November! I definitely do not recommend the soft pumice bricks. The standard hard bricks in the barn stove look like new.

This stove was installed 11 years ago and sees 4-5 full cords per season running 95% low and slow.

View attachment 313648 View attachment 313649

I actually find the pumice brick last longer in most cases. They don't crack nearly as easily. But I guess it doesn't matter in the princess either one is approved.

I would look for higher quality ones from a brick yard though. Plus they will probably cost much less there even for the higher grade ones

 

[coaly]

Masonry supply stores are usually half the cost. Ace Hardware sells them by the case. That’s the next best thing around here.

 

[Highbeam]

Out west masonry yards are rare. I’ll see what I can find.

I suppose that’s one benefit of a soapstone stove, no firebricks to crack in my last heritage stove.

 

[bholler]

Out west masonry yards are rare. I’ll see what I can find.

I suppose that’s one benefit of a soapstone stove, no firebricks to crack in my last heritage stove.

No instead the stone of the stove body does.

 

[Highbeam]

No instead the stone of the stove body does.

I kinda left that out there like bait. My stone stove didn’t crack but had other failures.

These firebrick aren’t supposed to last forever. The side bricks are only supported at the top and bottom so are really easy to crack.

 

[qwee]

Mutual Materials https://www.mutualmaterials.com/branches/tacoma-parkland-wa/ dominates the west in terms of firebrick. I'm into masonry heaters, and I've noticed the heater builders will use these Mutual Material brick, but they prefer others. These Mutual bricks are probably what is sold at most masonry stores here in the west.

Firebrick can in general be graded into 3 categories, 1) light duty, 2) medium duty, and 3) super duty. As the duty status goes up so does the price (usually). Light & medium duty are what are usually bought for wood stoves (and masonry heaters). The super duties would be something that might go in a kiln to melt metal.

This company https://www.alsey.com/ makes good firebrick (medium duty) but they are in Illinois.
And so does this company https://www.wgpaver.com/ but they are in Ohio (light duty brick).
Harbison-Walker Refractories https://thinkhwi.com/ is a company I have worked with (in Salt Lake City, Utah). They have good bricks but $$. They are national (based out of PA). Maybe some dealer in your area (?).

 

[Highbeam]

I used mutual materials for my cultured stone hearth slabs. It’s been about a decade though so I forget the details. Not a cheAp memory.

 

[bholler]

I kinda left that out there like bait. My stone stove didn’t crack but had other failures.

These firebrick aren’t supposed to last forever. The side bricks are only supported at the top and bottom so are really easy to crack.

I know most don't crack it was just laid out there so perfectly i couldn't resist lol