Stoking a wood-burning stove is a skill which you’ll have to master: every stove is different and proper use depends on many different factors. 

The best way to light your stove is on an insulating layer, 2-3 cm, of ashes. This will retain the heat so the fire’ll burn better.

There are two ways to regulate the air supply, that influences the combustion:  the primary air supply can be controlled with the valve underneath the window en with the  knob above the combustion chamber (less-more) you can manage the secondary air supply. 

A lot of air is needed when starting the fire so de secondary air supply can be fully opened and if necessary the primairy air supply can be used as well, or leave the door of the combustion chamber ajar.  If the fire is burning properly you only need to use the secondary air supply: this will provide a constant draught, making the fire burn calmly and with optimum efficiency.   

The best fuel for the Stonestove is dried firewood with a moisture content of less then 20%. Ideally the wood would have a humidity of 15%. You can easily order firewood online. You can also fuel the Stonestove with dry waste wood. 

When first lighting the Stonestove you can stoke it up high to heat up the stove: after that the accumulating ability of the concrete will start to work and the stove will only need 1 or 2 logs to heat the room. For lighting the fire and the first 1,5 hours you need about 6-8 logs, after that the Stonestove will use about 3-4 logs an hour. 10 Kilos of firewood will get you through an evening. (These quantities are an indication, the amount of needed firewood depends on different factors like the size of the room, the ambient temperature, the humidity and quality of the firewood and the way of stoking.)   

We advice you to install a single-walled flue pipe in the room, preferably 2 mm thick steel. This way you keep as much rest heat of the flue pipe in the room as possible. If you can choose between a long or a short pipe: a longer pipe is more effcient for the heat transmission in the room. 

We install the Stonestove itself but not the flue pipe or flue pipe bushing. We are not specialized in installing flue pipes,  and because of liability we prefer to let professionals take care of this. For the pipe itself we refer to your local specialist as well. We can, if  desired, share our experience and provide you with contact information of an installer. 

When placing the Stonestove, a flue pipe and flue pipe bushing need to be present. You can have your installer contact us directly to discuss the technical specifications. 

You can install the Stonestove yourself, we provide an extensive installation manual. 

The concrete shell of the Stonestove gradually emits the heat to its surroundings: this makes the Stonestove a much friendlier heat source then a steel stove or example. 

Because of the accumulating capacity of the concrete, the Stonestove keeps its warmth even after the fire has died: depending on the size and temperature of the room the Stonestove stays warm for another 1,5-2 hours. When the firewood is burned but there are still some hot ashes in the combustion chamber its better to close all the air supplies, so there’s no draught of cold air and the stove keeps it heat. 

 

The floor plate that we deliver with the Stonestove protects your (wooden) floor from burn marks from particles that can fall from the combustion chamber when opening the door. In addition the plate prevents imprints from the legs of the stove. 

But the floor plate is not essential: the bottom of the Stonestove will never get any hotter then lukewarm because of the built-in insulation blocks,  so there is no risk of burning or searing the floor beneath the stove. 

The sides of the Stonestove reach a maximum of 180° C, the top a maximum of 160° C. Hot concrete doesn’t ‘stick’, so there is no risk of burn blisters. But there is always a risk of burning with these temperatures! 

The window and steel window-frame get a lot hotter then the concrete, use an oven mitt or potholder for operating the door or valve.  

With a normal draught the Stonestove will not smoke.  An insufficient draught caused by a too short or too small flue pipe or during certain weather conditions like a thunder storm can be solved with a chimney fan to generate more draught or regulate the draught. 

For a long time there was no European quality mark. From january 2014 a general mark will apply to all stoves, and the Stonestove is being tested for this one.

We advice you to get the chimney swept once a year by a professional, before the winter season.

You’ll get a better firing if you build the fire on a insulating layer of ashes, so there’s no need to clean out the combustion chamber after every use. We advice you to empty the combustion chamber once every 3 months when the stove is in use. Incomplete combustion of inferior fuel like wet wood or paper may result in more ashes and means emptying the stove more often.  
The Stonestove doesn’t have an ashpan: without the draft from an ashpan the fire burns more calmly and more efficient. The combustion chamber can be emptied with a fireproof shovel.
Watch out for smoldering embers
Furthermore we advice you to vacuum the labyrinth (the loop above the combustion chamber) once every 2 years, to remove the soot. To do so, the stove has to partially deconstructed, so we recommend this is be done be a professional chimney sweep. If necessary, Weltevree can provide cleaning instructions.

The concrete doesn’t need any treatment or maintenance. Any stains can usually be removed by placing a clean, wet tea towel on the burning stove; the stain will be steamed out. 

When the chimney has a sufficient draught, there will be no built up of soot on the window: the secondary air supply (the spoiler on the inside, above the window) blows the air partly past the window into the stove, thus creating a buffer between the fire and the window and keeping the window clean. If, beacause of an insufficient draught or extreme smoke, there’s a built up of soot on the window, this can be removed by polishing the window with a ball of moist paper and some ashes. There are also special cleaning products available for stove windows. 

 

The inner body of the  Stonestove is made of  Corten steel, an extreme heat resistant type of steel. This type of steel oxidises, but the rust forms a protective layer. The steel will not rust-through. 

The outer layer is made from heat resistant concrete: this type of concrete is for example used for aluminium ovens, that can reach temperatures of 3000° C. The material is chosen because of the freedom to cast it in any shape or form, its ability to accumulate heat and its durability. 

The window is made of Robax glass, a type of glass especially used in stoves beause of its heat resistant qualities. 

All in all it is safe to say the Stonestove can be included in your will to pass on to the next generation.

Since 3 years Weltevree produces and supplies the Stonestove. During the first product development phase, designer Dick van Hoff produced 10 stoves in-house for friends and family. After another development phase Weltevree decided to produce the Stonestove. Nevertheless, it is still a handmade product and will never be mass-produced. By the end of 2010 we placed 60-70 Stonestoves, from Groningen till Paris and from England till Italy. 

The Stonestove was  purchased by the Boijmans-van Beuningen in 1999 as part of the  Dutch industrial heritage. We’re very proud to be able to offer you such a highly appreciated product.