When the Tulikivi Corporation revived the building of soapstone fireplaces almost 20 years ago, we had no idea that we might actually be reviving our customers! After reviewing reams of research it dawned on us. Our Tulikivi heat is actually a source of health and happiness.
And the best news is that all you have to do to benefit from its healing powers is to sit back and relax.
Tulikivi wouldn't suggest that a soapstone fireplace is good for you unless there was a lot of evidence. Examples of its healthy side effects can be found everywhere from ancient civilizations to modern medicine. Radiant heat has been used to stabilize blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the "tepidariums" of ancient Rome as well as in the infrared saunas of modern Europe.
The ancient Chinese used glowing "moxa sticks" together with acupuncture. Radiant heat is used today to treat scar tissue, relieve sore muscles and joints and to counter reduced vitality and resistance at the end of winter.
 When warm air rises, it leaves a cold draft at floor-level. |
 Radiant heat travels horizontally. The warmest area is by the fireplace. |
 The rather cold walls in an air heated room absorb moisture from the air. |
Radiant heat also seems to be effective in helping your body ward off a variety of infectious diseases, including the flu. 2000 years ago the physician Paemendides said, "Let me induce fever and I will cure every disease." That may have been exaggerating, but fevers do help the body fight infections.
Regular radiant heat produces a similar effect. When winter sets in and the nights get longer, we get less and less radiant heat from the sun. Many people get listless or even depressed. That's because a lack of radiant heat can result in reduced vitality and resistance, although that might also be caused by lack of light.
Radiant heat in your home can provide relief from chronic fatigue by stimulating blood circulation, increasing your metabolism, and helping the body eliminate toxins more efficiently.
As mentioned earlier, cold radiation leads to a narrowing of the blood vessels, and radiant heat helps widen them. Wider blood vessels means the skin ages more slowly, blood pressure is lower, there are fewer varicose veins and a lower incidence of heart and circulatory diseases. In fact, infrared saunas have been found more effective in reducing blood pressure than medications.
Soapstone heating can provide relief for people with respiratory problems. The cooler air produced by radiant heat allows us to breathe more deeply and more calmly. With forced-air heating, air is constantly circulated, along with dust and allergens. Dust and allergens, which have come into contact with hot metal surfaces, are more irritating to people who already have problems breathing.
Forced-air heating also dries out the air, by causing condensation on cold floors and walls. The condensation encourages the proliferation of household mites and fungus.
But with a Tulikivi fireplace the air isn't forced out. Dust and allergens do not circulate that much. And because the Tulikivi fireplaces' radiant heat is stored in walls, condensation doesn't occur under normal conditions. The air is easy to breathe and air humidity is not disturbed.
The air in your house must be renewed every one or two hours. And since forced air heating systems store heat in the air, you basically reheat your house over and over.
With soapstone radiant heat more heat is stored in the walls, so healthy ventilation means less heat loss and more efficient heating.
It's clear that radiant heat has a positive effect on your health. It promotes better circulation, more efficient respiration, better metabolism and a stronger immune system. It remains unclear, however, how strong these positive effects may be. So while it's a healthy idea to have a Tulikivi, never use it instead of advice or medications prescribed by your doctor.
More and more fireplaces are becoming like good television. They offer soothing programming we can't stop watching. But do we still need more than the look of flames? Will we look beyond the dancing fire to feel the many effects of warm, radiant heat?
Tulikivi Introduction
How Heat Retaining Works
Ecology of Wood Heating
Frequently Asked Questions
Tulikivi.com
Tulikivi is confident that you'll feel the difference. We know that history and research support our claims, and we will continue to support research on the effects of radiant heat.
Flexible heat is essential to our modern lifestyles. The rapid heat conduction of Tulikivi soapstone already provides you with the most flexible radiant heating system available today. And even though radiant heat has been around for over a million years, we continue to study and apply the latest technology and breakthrough designs. Because at Tulikivi we want to use radiant heat to make the next million years even more efficient, warm and healthy.
