Great stoves and very informative! One question about it that might also interest the OP: Due to the high weight, should such a masonry heater have been taken into account in the structural analysis?
Firewood is not much cheaper than, for example, gas, unless you have inexpensive sources.
We own the forest behind the house :p
Even with very cheap firewood, you would recoup the purchase price, if at all, only after decades.
The decision was not economically motivated, but mainly because of the type of heat. For those who have difficulties with their mood in winter, a lot of light and the feeling of radiant warmth on the skin are beneficial. Exactly that is offered either by a stove or an infrared heater, but not by heat pump systems. For us, the choice is an economically and ecologically justifiable investment in quality of life.
Great stoves and very informative! One question about this, which might also interest the OP: Would such a masonry stove already have had to be taken into account structurally because of its high weight?
Yes, definitely, especially since they are usually placed in the middle of the building where the highest bending stress occurs. For example, in my case, the ceiling and walls alone weigh 150 tons. Reinforced concrete and sand-lime brick. So it doesn’t really matter that much then.
Great stoves and very informative! One question about this, which might also interest the OP: Because of the high weight, would such a masonry stove have had to be taken into account in the structural analysis?
Yes, in our case, the area of the ground floor where the masonry stove is located is not cellar below and at this spot we left out the screed. Since a stove is usually placed directly against a wall, it is generally sufficient to remove the screed and set the stove directly on the concrete slab. Possibly, a stove fitter also drills through the screed and installs "supports" on which the stove then stands. It only becomes somewhat more complicated if there is underfloor heating installed there.
Thank you for the answers, I had unfortunately already suspected that. Although a fireplace was planned from the beginning (construction starts in autumn), the structural engineering is already finalized and we unfortunately did not discuss special requirements due to the higher weight with the architect...