April 12, 2007

How to build a mud/brick stove

Last Wednesday we built a stove for a family in a mountain town about an hour from La Paz. The stoves we learned how to build are much more efficient in that they use less wood and burn much cleaner (smoke does not fill the house). You make a mixture of dirt and water for the mud and really all the other materials you need are clay bricks, 4 pieces of about 12-in rebar, the metal stove top, and the chimney.
Here I am getting started by putting a layer of mud on the cement table where the stove will be built.
We've added the first layer of bricks around the outside and are now starting to cover them with mud. Second layer of bricks is done. You can see the small hole in front (we used a big tin can cut in half) to put the small pieces of firewood in the stove.

The finised stove. The mud needs time to harden and once is has, the family will paint it white. The stove can be used immediately. (Soon after this picture was taken, the woman who lives in the house cleaned the area to the right of the stove.)


3 comments:

Moose said...

Your hands remind me of when you use to do finger painting with choclate pudding!!

Looks like you are doing GOOD THINGS!!

MOM

Dory said...

Cool!!! It's amazing that's all it takes!
I don't see any mud on your clothes...

Anonymous said...

Tres intiresno, gracias