Although nowadays people seek convenience and do not want to bother cleaning ashes and chopping firewood every day, the craft of stove makers is still in demand. Orders have especially increased after the last cold winter. Some want to repair their old stoves, others want to build a new one. After consulting with an experienced craftsman, even in a modern house, a place for a stove can be designed.
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Repair or build a new one?
Lukas Rimeika, who has been building stoves for a decade, remembers his grandfather, who was a stove maker: “In the village, his built stoves still stand, I can touch the fruits of my family roots’ work. Probably that is what encouraged me to take up stove making. After trying my hand in various fields, I realized that I fit a job without a large team, creative, unique, durable, and most importantly, needed by people.”
Most often L. Rimeika receives orders to build a new stove, rarely does anyone ask to repair an old one. Especially since such repair is similar to rebuilding the stove, almost everything has to be changed.
“I leave only the tiled walls if they are in good condition, and then I change everything inside. But if the wall is brick or plastered, I usually rebuild it from scratch,” the craftsman says.
Lukas says that it is best to replace an old stove if a major renovation is planned in the house: “Many old stoves were built by local craftsmen who built for themselves, neighbors, and then the whole neighborhood, but a good old stove is rarely found. If the stove is 40 years old, it should be planned for reconstruction.”
Wanting a stove is not enough
To install a stove at home, you first need to assess its need and possibilities. “Often people want a stove but do not consider its operational properties and technical parameters,” says Lukas.
According to the craftsman, the place and size of the stove are determined by whether it will be used as the main heat source or just an additional one.
“If the house is not occupied constantly, it is better to choose a heated wall with a stove. If you plan to build a new house, include a place for a metal fireplace in the project. If an A+ class house is already built, with underfloor heating installed, no air intake from outside in the foundation, and the foundation is too small, installing a stove can be problematic,” states L. Rimeika.
Mistakes – improper fuel and unclean chimney
When operating stoves, people make many mistakes. According to Lukas, the first is choosing the wrong fuel – burning plastic packaging and furniture boards.
Stoves are also harmed by too intense burning – it wears out faster, and too weak – low temperature clogs the stove channels and chimney. If the stove is rarely cleaned – soot-covered channels reduce its efficiency and draft.
It is especially important to maintain the chimney, which is responsible for expelling burnt fuel from the system. “It is wrong to say that ‘there is no draft in the stove,’ because the chimney creates the draft – it cannot pull smoke from the stove due to problems inside the stove: uncleaned openings, broken dampers, or fallen internal structures in the channels,” says the craftsman.
The chimney is also responsible for fire: soot ignites in the chimney, spreads through leaks into the attic, igniting dry wood. If the stove is not maintained, dampers are not closed on time, harmful or even life-threatening carbon monoxide forms.
“In summary, it can be said that this is a high-risk structure; the stove and chimney must be properly built to serve long and be safe to operate,” states L. Rimeika.
Price depends on craftsman’s qualification and material quality
Speaking about the cost of installing a stove, L. Rimeika says it depends on the craftsman’s work and material quality: “Some craftsmen work cheaply and can build a stove for 2500 euros. My materials alone cost that much. There are many different materials and several stove-building methods on the market. If you build with quality materials, the stove will be much more expensive. Another part of the stove price is the craftsman himself and his reliability – half the cost is materials, the other half is labor.”
According to Lukas, stove makers strongly feel competition from other heating alternatives: “Heating with a stove requires a lot of work – preparing firewood, daily stoking, cleaning ashes. This kind of heat-making ritual is not always attractive to people used to modern conveniences. I think those who feel nostalgia for childhood memories, people who want to preserve authenticity or choose a healthier lifestyle, choose stoves. Of course, a stove is indispensable when living in a remote area where electricity can go out and there is no other heating source.”
Stove makers use new technologies
According to L. Rimeika, new technologies are changing the work of stove craftsmen: instead of a simple hammer or angle grinder, water cutting machines are used, laser replaced levels, mortar no longer requires sifting gravel and digging clay, it is enough to buy a ready-made mix.
“There are many materials on the market for stove construction, new technical solutions, and opportunities to implement a unique project,” says the craftsman.
Speaking about the future, L. Rimeika thinks a handmade solid fuel appliance standard may be introduced, and buildings will have to be certified. On the other hand, fireplaces or stoves are tested under ideal conditions without considering that operating conditions are violated, wet firewood or furniture boards are burned.
“Demand for stove makers increases after a cold winter when people realize that heat pumps or metal stoves do not heat enough, depending on the house’s energy class. It is remembered that there are heat-retaining stoves that ensure independence from electricity suppliers. Time will tell how many stove makers will remain in the future and whether the younger generation will take it up. It is important to nurture this craft, share it, publicize it – maybe it will catch a young heart, attract hard but interesting work,” reflects L. Rimeika.
Became director of the stove makers’ guild
Stove maker Marius Babraitis has gained work experience in various fields: he made wooden windows, built a yacht, worked in metal and wood restoration workshops, led children’s camps, and made kebabs in England.
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“I can learn to do any technical work, I like to create something new or dismantle and understand how one or another device is made,” says Marius.
Marius became interested in stove making 19 years ago when a sauna, cooking, and heating stoves needed to be installed at a homestead.
“My uncle is engaged in this craft and agreed to take me as an apprentice. After building several stoves with him, I started working independently – at first it was difficult, lacking knowledge and information,” recalls Marius.
M. Babraitis graduated from the Vilnius Jerusalem Vocational Training Center and obtained stove maker qualification. Marius also deepened his knowledge in a stove building seminar and led the Stove Makers’ Guild for 6 years.
“I studied the work and craftsmanship of old masters, preserved old traditions, and at the same time adapted the latest technologies. Every stove is different, so I like this craft that combines precision and creativity,” says Marius.
Rebuilding can cost more than a new stove
Clients usually ask to build a new stove or repair an old one. According to Marius, if the stove’s “age” is 40 years, nothing is left inside, so stove reconstruction is needed. If the stove walls are not cracked or crumbling, only the inside needs to be replaced.
“Repair or restoration often turns into stove rebuilding, which can be more expensive than building a new one. Also, building a new stove causes less dirt and dust, but I always consider the client’s needs and possibilities,” says the craftsman.
A stove can be built from any material that accumulates heat: bricks, tiles, stone, or thermoconcrete. “All materials are suitable, only the price differs – people usually choose bricks,” says Marius.
According to M. Babraitis, the main types of stoves are three: sauna, heating, and cooking, but they can be combined – everything depends on the unlimited imagination of the craftsman and client.
The house project must include a place for the heating source
According to M. Babraitis, architects often mislead clients by saying that a stove cannot be installed in a modern house: “It definitely can, but when planning house construction, the space for stove building must be properly designed. Stove makers can help adjust the project.”
If the stove’s purpose is to heat the house, it must be of appropriate size and shape to provide enough heat for all rooms. “If a stove is built too small, it will have to be stoked a lot. It’s like driving a car in first gear at high speed – the stove will wear out quickly and won’t be able to heat the house,” says the craftsman.
When choosing a stove, the house’s energy class characteristics are also important. Only by knowing the answers to all questions is the stove size chosen, and only then is the appearance and materials decided.
For those who already have a stove, Marius reminds not to forget to regularly maintain and clean it. If ashes are not cleaned for several months, they start to accumulate near the cast iron grates, causing a temperature rise that can even melt the grate. “Stove channels and chimney must be cleaned at least once a year; otherwise, the risk of fire increases,” warns the stove maker.
Plans work 4-5 months ahead
M. Babraitis says clients first ask about the price: “It is hard to specify an exact amount until you know the stove size and materials. The bigger the stove, the more materials are needed – it will cost more. The price also depends on what it is built from – bricks or tiles. For example, the price is about 5000 EUR with labor, but if from tiles, you also need to add the cost of their set, which depends on the manufacturer and decorative elements.”
Marius has no shortage of orders, especially after the last cold winter – he plans work 4-5 months ahead, so if a client wants a stove immediately, they have to be disappointed.
Although demand for stoves is decreasing, they are still needed
“Before geothermal heating methods, the only competitor to the stove was central heating. Geothermal heating requires electricity, so those living farther from the city install stoves to not lose their heat source if electricity goes out,” says M. Babraitis.
Recently, Marius notices that interest in stoves is decreasing – he more often builds outdoor stoves for cooking or sauna stoves. “But when last winter, due to severe cold, air pumps started to fail, people heated with electric radiators, and stove popularity soared again,” says the craftsman.
According to M. Babraitis, stoves will not disappear, they will always be needed as a heat source, especially in regions – after all, they only need a chimney and firewood.
“The taste of food cooked on fire is special, completely different from cooking on an electric or gas stove – for many, it nostalgically awakens childhood memories from grandmother’s village,” says stove maker M. Babraitis.
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