Masonry
Heater Store, LLC grew out of a timber frame house
building company, Fountainhead Natural Homes, LLC,
which was founded in 1990. Fountainhead Natural
Homes began installing masonry heaters in 1995.
Masonry Heater Store, LLC has been exclusively
providing masonry heaters, bakeovens and cookstoves
since 2001. We strongly believe the masonry stove
is the single most significant contribution we
can make to a home, a family, and the environment
all in one construction. No other aspect of any
home will have the same impact. We have been so
impressed by the value, beauty, comfort, convenience,
healthfulness, and safety of masonry heaters that
we now devote all of our efforts to promoting,
selling, and installing these wonderful appliances.
Ken Matesz
Ken Matesz (last name pronounced maw'tes) started
the Masonry Heater Store, LLC in a spirit of energy
efficiency, unusual comfort, healthy living, and
environmental care. His intention is to introduce
more people to a high-quality, finely crafted product
that can change lives for the better in sometimes
unexpected ways. A true craftsman, Ken puts his
mind firmly on each task, always seeking to better
each one. If he is to cut a brick, it is cut as
exactly as possible. If something is to be level,
he works until it is. In a world of "hurry
up and get it done", Ken paces himself, enjoys
the moment, and seeks that illusive perfection.
Detail oriented and conscientious to a fault,
our clients routinely notice a difference in
the way Ken works in their homes. Perhaps most
obvious is the quiet, methodical approach he
takes to each job. Never will you find a blaring
radio in his work area. No cuss words. No crude
jokes. No smoking. Just quiet concentration.
For, to Ken, it is not about making the day's
work bearable so he can get paid and go home,
it is about doing the job right, it's about right
diligence. Some say, "Don't sweat the small
stuff." But Ken realizes that the small
stuff, all done right, makes the big stuff the
best it can be.
Another
difference one notices is his cleanliness and
sense of order. Ken considers this a matter of
respect: Respect for his craft and teachers,
respect for his clients and their home, and respect
for the magical fire destined to burn on the
hearths he builds. So with that respect, he sponges
the firebrick, cleans his tools, and straightens
and sweeps the work area. When his tools are
clean and his work is neat and organized, he
honors his craft. When he sweeps the work area,
he honors his hosts. And when the flue channels
are clean, he honors the spirit of the fire.
The result of such respect is yet another kind
of warmth.
Ken is a man of commitment and action. Thoughtful
and resourceful, he listens to his clients with
incredible patience. Then he digs into his experience
and imagination to suggest new ways of meeting
his customer's needs. Contentment only arrives
when, again, the details are in place and the
client is ready to forge ahead. Ken takes his
commitments very seriously and takes serious
action to fulfill his end of the promise. Clients
notice that he always returns calls and e-mails,
always shows up when he says he will, calls if
he can't, and always works until the job is done.
Commitment, respect, right action, right diligence,
and a quiet striving to make his work the best
it can be. These are the marks of a true craftsman
and these are the qualities you will find in
Ken Matesz. He has been a heater mason since
1995, a certified heater mason with the Masonry
Heater Association of North America since 2001,
a timber framer since 1987, and a certified Bau-biologist
since 1991. Ken lives with his wife Nancy and
their two homeschooled children, Sarah and Aaron,
in a rural area of northwest Ohio.
