Okay, so I’ve been wanting to build a wood stove for a while now, and I finally decided to tackle it. The biggest question I had was: what about the bricks? Do I need special firebricks, or can I get away with something cheaper? Here’s how it went down.
First, I did some digging online. Forums, DIY sites, you name it. I found a lot of conflicting info. Some people swore you had to use firebricks, others said regular bricks would work just fine, and a few even used stuff like concrete pavers.
I was leaning towards the “regular bricks are okay” camp because, well, I’m on a budget. So, I grabbed some standard red clay bricks from the local hardware store. They were cheap, which was the whole point.
Building the Base
- Laid out a simple rectangle on the ground where I wanted the stove.
- Made sure it was level-ish. I’m not a pro, so “close enough” was my motto.
- Started stacking the bricks. I didn’t use any mortar at first, just dry-stacked them to get a feel for the size and shape.
Constructing the Walls
Once I had the base, I started building up the walls. I staggered the bricks like you’re supposed to, you know, for strength and stuff. Again, no mortar yet – just playing around with the design.
I left a gap at the front for the door, and another smaller one at the back for the chimney pipe. It looked pretty rough, but I could see it taking shape.
The Mortar Decision
This is where I got a little nervous. I knew dry-stacking was fine for testing, but I needed something to hold it all together. I ended up mixing some regular cement with sand. It wasn’t fancy fireclay mortar, but I figured it would be better than nothing.
I started mortaring the bricks together, layer by layer. It was messy, and I definitely made some mistakes, but I just kept going. Let me tell you, mortaring is harder than it looks!
First Fire…and Cracks
After letting the mortar dry for a few days (I was impatient!), I built a small fire inside. I was so excited… and then I saw them. Cracks. Tiny ones, but definitely there, running through some of the bricks and the mortar.
My heart sank a little. I knew regular bricks weren’t ideal, but I’d hoped they’d hold up better. I let the fire burn out and inspected the damage.
Lessons Learned
So, here’s the deal: regular bricks can work, but they’re not the best choice. They’ll crack, especially with intense heat. Mine are still holding, but I’m definitely going to keep a close eye on them.
If I were to do it again, I’d probably spend the extra money on firebricks. It’s just not worth the risk of the whole thing falling apart. Or, I might try those concrete pavers – some people seem to have good luck with those.
But hey, it’s a learning experience, right? My little stove is still kicking, even with the cracks, and it throws out some decent heat. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine, and I built it myself. That’s gotta count for something!
