It depends where you are, what you winter outdoor design temperature is, insulation, window quality, infiltration, and as mentioned layout. A 1,600 ft2 house could be a challenge for air distribution without a wood furnace and duct distribution system.
You want to get the highest efficiency wood stove or furnace you can. You will burn less wood and it will last longer.
We have 560 ft2 log cabin, two floors, 1060 ft2 total. Our outdoor temperatures can be forty-below for awhile in the winter.
We have, and love, our
Blaze King 82.5% catalytic wood stove, with dual air distribution fans (which we rarely use – mainly for start up.) The room temperature is thermostatically controlled [a bimetallic adjustable knob controls the inlet air for up to 47 hours (on warmer days/nights) of continuous burn time on wood load. Speaking of start up, literally start up is once a year. Depending on wood quality, clean the ash into the ash drawer only every two or three months.
Flue needs to extend 2' above roof.
This package shows all the things you need to be safe.
An insulated flue, and double wall Stainless steel is a type A flue, and what is required for wood heat, we used an 8" ID flue, with 2-1/2" high temperature insulation all around.
The double wall air insulated steel flue is below the ceiling flue support thimble at the top. Our wood stove is a catalytic Blaze King, 82.5% efficient (you will burn 17.9% less wood, and longer than with a standared air tight)
Finally you need to protect the floor from all those sparks.
Enjoy your wood stove, talk to a supplier about your exact situation (re heat distribution, size of unit and placement),
Alex
BTW
The soapstone will work, if your instantaneous heat loss is less than the continuous output of the rock mass. This means, in mild climates, or in buildings with excellent (LOW overall heat loss) exterior envelopes, and with properly sized rock, soapstone, or any other mass-heat-storage heaters them will work. However, once the outdoor temperature gets low enough, and heat loss high enough, you must put more wood into these units at regular intervals to maintain the desired indoor temperature -- the same amount of wood you will use in any other wood stove of the same efficiency. You must size this unit carefully, and be willing to accept possible variations in the indoor temperature, or supply it with wood same as any other wood stove.
