How a stove works
Firebox, flues, damper, brick and clay: the parts that make up a stove and what each one is for, without drawings or calculations.
the stove-maker's craft: a journal on the history and workings of stoves
Stendstroy — the stove-maker's craft
For generations the stove was the heart of the home: it kept the family warm, cooked their meals, dried their clothes and drew everyone around it. We write about how a stove works, what stoves were like in the history of the home, how people decorated them, and how to live with a stove today so that its warmth stays cozy and safe. We don't build stoves or sell anything — we tell their story.
A stove likes attention without fuss: a calm start, someone keeping an eye on the fire, and a stove-maker who comes before the cold sets in, not after the first mishap.
Where to start
Stoves in the history of the home
The Russian stove, the Dutch stove, the Swedish stove, the tiled stove and the stove bench: what stoves were like in old houses and the place they held in family life.
Stove tiles and decoration
Ceramic tiles, plaster and whitewash turned the stove into the centerpiece of the room. Here is how the stove became part of the beauty of the home.
Stoves today: safety
Lighting the fire, keeping watch, the damper, carbon monoxide and regular chimney checks by a specialist — the essentials every stove owner should know.
Journal sections
- Materials
Brick, clay, stove tiles, doors and dampers, insulation and finishes. Our catalog of articles is here too.
- Stove history
The Russian stove, the Dutch stove, the Swedish stove, the tiled stove, the stove bench and the kitchen range in the history of the home.
- How-to
How to light a stove calmly, when to close the damper and how to care for the outside of a stove.
- Planning
What to do about an old stove in your house: inspection, finding a specialist, deciding on repairs and warning signs.
- Tools
Fire iron, ash shovel, hearth plate, ash bucket, carbon monoxide detector and fire extinguisher, with no brands.
- Care
Looking after a stove through the seasons, plus the safety essentials that apply all year round.
- FAQ
Answers about the journal, the history and workings of stoves, and safety in a home with a stove.
Before the heating season: five steps
Look over the outside of the stove
In daylight, walk around the stove on every side you can reach. Look at the walls and corners, at the spot where the stove meets the chimney, at the doors and at the floor in front of the firebox. Better to spot changes now than on the first freezing evening.
Look for cracks and soot
Cracks in the brickwork or plaster, dark streaks of soot, and smoke marks on the walls and ceiling are signs that smoke may be getting into the room. If you see any of them, don't light the stove until a specialist has inspected it.
Have a specialist check the chimney
Leave chimney checks and sweeping to a specialist. During the months the stove sits unused, soot and debris build up in the flue and keep smoke from escaping, and you can't see any of that from the room below.
Check the damper and doors
The damper should move freely and open all the way, and the doors should close tightly without wobbling on their hinges. If something sticks or is loose, don't try to adjust it yourself: have a stove-maker take a look.
Consider a carbon monoxide detector
Carbon monoxide has no color or smell, and there is no way to sense it. A household carbon monoxide detector in a home with a stove is a simple step that will sound the alarm in time. The manufacturer's instructions will tell you where to mount it.
Common questions in brief
Are you stove-makers?
No. Stendstroy is an independent journal on the history and workings of stoves. We don't build, repair or clean stoves, and we don't refer readers to particular craftspeople.
Can I order a stove from you?
No. We don't sell anything or take orders for work. The journal writes about stoves to make it easier for you to understand your stove-maker and ask the right questions.
Can I build a stove myself?
It's best left to a specialist. A stove works with fire and smoke right inside your home, and a mistake in the firebox or chimney can lead to a fire or carbon monoxide in the room. That's why we don't publish masonry plans or calculations.
When should I close the damper?
Only after the wood has fully burned out and no blue flames remain in the firebox. Close it earlier and carbon monoxide can get into the room — and you won't notice, because it has no color or smell.
About the project
Stendstroy is an independent journal about the stove-maker's craft, and this is its English edition. This domain used to host a different website, and later unrelated spam pages appeared here. None of that material has survived, and we don't reproduce it; the name came with the domain.
We write about how stoves work, stoves in the history of the home, stove tiles and decoration, the stove-maker's craft as a cultural tradition, and living carefully with a stove. We don't carry out any work, we don't name brands or craftspeople, and we don't invent historical details that aren't in the sources.
Related sections
- Materials
Brick, clay, stove tiles, doors and dampers, insulation and finishes. Our catalog of articles is here too.
- Stove history
The Russian stove, the Dutch stove, the Swedish stove, the tiled stove, the stove bench and the kitchen range in the history of the home.
- Care
Looking after a stove through the seasons, plus the safety essentials that apply all year round.
Sources
- Russia's Emergencies Ministry: fire-safety rules for using stoves
- Encyclopedic and ethnographic dictionaries
- Museums of wooden architecture
Information about stoves is given in general terms, based on encyclopedic and ethnographic dictionaries, materials from museums of wooden architecture and the fire-safety rules of Russia's Emergencies Ministry; fire-safety rules differ by country, so check the ones that apply where you live. Only a specialist who has inspected your stove and chimney in person can tell you what condition they are in and whether they are safe to use.