The Benefits of Soapstone Masonry Heater

The Benefits of Soapstone Masonry Heater

why-soapstoneSoapstone (steatite) is a magnesium silicate that was formed under great pressure and intense heat millions of years ago. There is nothing quite like soapstone as it possesses extraordinary heat retention and transfer properties. Unlike other natural stones such as granite and marble, which can also store and radiate heat, soapstone has such an unusually stable composition that it can withstand direct flames indefinitely and be subjected to great fluctuation in temperature with little expansion or contraction. Simply put, it stores and transfers heat better.Although soapstone is a soft rock, it is not porous and has a solid structure that has amazing heat-retention properties. The practice of heating stone for its warmth retention qualities has been known for thousands of years. Stretching back to ancient times, man used heated stones to keep warm and to cook food. Now, Greenstoneheat combines this long-known practice with state of the art engineering, technology and design to bring you the finest heating source in the world… a soapstone masonry heater.

Many of our customers ask what makes a Greenstoneheat soapstone masonry heater so special and so different from traditional wood stoves, even those wood stoves wrapped in soapstone. The answer is in the soapstone masonry heater’s mass, or weight. Soapstone holds twice as much heat per pound as iron or steel. An iron wood stove weighs a couple hundred pounds, more or less. A soap stone masonry heater weighs thousands of pounds, generally more than less. In it, a brisk, hot fire is burned once or twice a day. The heat from the fire is transferred to soapstone itself where it is gradually released into the surrounding area, a steady radiant heat. Instead of heating the air directly, the radiation warms the solid surfaces in the room and will even pass through walls and warm adjacent rooms. Long after your fire has died down the soapstone masonry heater keeps on radiating heat. Following is a chart that compares the properties of different materials which can be incorporated into masonry heater installations.
Chart Materials

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Masonry Heat

A masonry heater is a vented heating system of largely masonry materials (soapstone and fire brick are common) weighing at least 1760 pounds excluding the chimney and masonry heater base. A masonry heater is designed to capture and store a substantial portion of the heat produced by a fire, which burns rapidly and rather completely at high temperatures in order to reduce unburned emissions. It is constructed of sufficient mass (i.e. weight) and surface area that under normal operating conditions, the external surface temperature of the masonry heater does not exceed 110 degrees except in the immediate area surrounding the fuel loading door(s).

Unique Heat

A masonry heater allows you to heat your home with wood in a unique way. Its main distinction is the ability to store a large amount of heat. This means that you can rapidly burn a large amount of wood without overheating your house. The heat is stored in the masonry thermal mass (the weight of the stone), and then slowly radiates into your house for the next 12 to 18 hours.

Why Soapstone?

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Soapstone (steatite) is a magnesium silicate that was formed under great pressure and intense heat millions of years ago. There is nothing quite like soapstone as it possesses extraordinary heat retention and transfer properties. Unlike other natural stones such as granite and marble, which can also store and radiate heat, soapstone has such an unusually stable composition that it can withstand direct flames indefinitely and be subjected to great fluctuation in temperature with little expansion or contraction. Simply put, it stores and transfers heat better.

Why Greenstone Heat?

Design Process
Greenstone Heat is an American company with a material source and manufacturing capability in North America. In other words, we’re local.
• Custom Design
• Highest quality fit and finish
• Shorter lead times
• Quality customer service
• Your design is fabricated, assembled and installed by highly trained local masons
• Made in the USA

Made in America

Made In the USA
We are a Colorado based and owned company and all of our heaters are designed, manufactured, packaged and shipped from our factory in Denver. We install masonry heaters throughout the United States and Canada. Virtually all of our suppliers are American companies. We are proud to create jobs in sales, engineering, design and manufacturing right here in America.We purchase only the best soapstone from North America and around the world… including the United States, Canada, Brazil and India. We invite you to join us in bringing jobs back to America

Renewable Fuel

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A Greenstone Heat soapstone masonry heater may enhance the environment, safety and comfort of your home, as well as your health. They are safe, efficient and comfortable to live with. Also, the warm grain and color of soapstone masonry heaters make them beautiful “pieces of furniture” you can build a room around. Or in the present-day vernacular, they add architectural detail. Masonry heaters are gaining popularity among people who prefer using renewable resources. Wood fuel is also cost effective from an economic stand point. A recent price comparison using energy prices in the Northeast shows that wood is half the cost of fuel oil and natural gas, one-third the price of propane, and one-quarter the cost of electric heat. And because they use up to one-third less wood than conventional wood stoves, the case for masonry heaters is convincing. The following graph compares the costs of different types of energy:

Chart Renewable Fuel

World Class Quality

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At Greenstone, we pride ourselves on being an organization able to consistently deliver world-class quality. This obsession with quality permeates everything we do and who we are as people. From the design and sales process to the manufacturing and installation we insist on a world-class experience and quality product.Finally, we strive to ensure your consistent satisfaction and pride of ownership, for as long as you have your masonry heater. We are here to educate and assist with any operational, maintenance or warranty concerns.

Please contact us today for your copy of our educational brochure. info@greenstoneco.com or 855-826-9246

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