The Unique Qualities
of Soapstone
"Tulikivi", translated from Finnish,
literally means "fire stone". This is
an apt name since every Tulikivi is made of high
quality soapstone
quarried in Finland. Soapstone is unique in the
world of masonry because of its natural refractory,
heat storage, and heat transfer aspects. It is
naturally able to withstand the high combustion
temperatures inside a masonry heater. Thus even
the firebox and other inside portions of a Tulikivi
are solid soapstone. This unique natural stone
stores 10-20% more heat than any other masonry
material and transfers heat about six times faster.
This means that the heat of a fire gets absorbed
faster, gets into your living space faster, and
lasts longer than it would with a heater built
of any other stone or brick.
What's more, soapstone has a luxurious feel and color. Polished soapstone has
a silky smooth feel, a result of the natural talc content of the material. It's
coloring is typically bluish grey to silver grey. Because it is a natural product,
every piece is unique with outstanding marble-like grain patterns on many pieces.
Tulikivi also offers accent stones in a deep green serpentine, silvery Kianta
sky and Kianta Blue.
In addition to the finely polished pieces, every Tulikivi can also be built with
the addition of rough faced, split soapstone, which we call rockface stone. This
allows you to choose between the clean straight lines of polished stone or the
more rustic and natural look given by the rockface.
Standard and Custom Tulikivis
Tulikivi creates masonry stoves of many sizes and shapes. There are heaters designed
to heat just a few hundred square feet and heaters designed to heat all of your
primary living space. There are some that are meant to be room dividers and others
meant to fit into a corner. Many can have the chimney exit the top of the fireplace
while most were originally designed to have the flue exit at the base. Most of
these are shown in our online
60
Page Brochure. We are also happy to mail you a catalog at
no charge!
Yet, you may not find just what you want in the pages of a catalog. Fortunately,
any Tulikivi model can be modified to suit your desires. Add a mantel of a special
shape. Or add a carved stone above a mantel. Perhaps you would like a bench,
or shelves, or wood storage, or. . . . Dare to dream. We are happy to assist
you in designing a custom Tulikivi that is perfect for your tastes and home.
