The Kiva or Bee Hive fireplace with their distinctive arched firebox door is typical
of southwestern design and most often placed in a corner. Historically these Kiva
Fireplaces were constructed of the same adobe material used to construct the home.
Custom bee hive fireplaces can be found in almost limitless styles and must be installed
by a mason and required a solid foundation to hold the great weight of the entire
fireplace and chimney all the way through the roof. Today we have more options available
to us. All kiva fireplaces should be installed only by a qualified contractor.
A modern option to a mason built kiva fireplace is a prefabricated masonry firebox
with double wall chimney pipe which creates a relatively lightweight fireplace weighing
about 650 pounds and can even be installed on the second floor of a wood constructed
home. The traditional kiva shape is formed using a metal mesh lath facade covered
with stucco or plaster.
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Grand
River Supply is one company that not only sells these prefabricated kiva fireplaces
throughout the American Southwest, but can ship them almost anywhere. I was surprised
to learn that it is not unusual for them to ship these fireplaces to New York or
Hawaii. Their kiva fireplace kits are available in four traditional styles that
can be installed indoors or out. The smallest is the Laguna Kiva which is a no frills
basic kiva fireplace. The Sandia Kiva (below
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right) and Hopi Kiva add a stylistic face frame and are slightly larger. The largest
and most elaborate is the Shalako Kiva (below left).
I have included links to Grand River Supply's information kiva fireplace information
guides below. These guides are Adobe Acrobat documents and require Adobe Reader
5.0 or later.
Outdoor living has become very popular and has led to creating comfortable living
and cooking areas outside the home. Kiva fireplaces are a popular outdoors addition
throughout the southwest. Some examples of outdoor kivas have been included in the
photos on this page.
In response to the overwhelming demand, Grand River Supply has recently added the
El Patio Kiva Fireplace kit to their collection.
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Additions that add Charm and Distinction
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The benches extending outward from the kiva fireplaces above are called bancos and
can be styled as the builder desires. It is however a permanently installed bench.
Often the home owner will place cushions on the banco for greater comfort. It is
common for boncos to extend the hearth of a kiva fireplace. A banco can be placed
on either or both sides of the kiva fireplace.
Another common feature added to a kiva fireplace is one or more nichos. A nicho
is a recessed shelf commonly cut out of an adobe wall. Traditionally the nichos
were added for placing religious icons throughout the home. Of course any small
decorative item may be placed in a nicho. |
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Information Guides require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later. |
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