any suggestions for installing a wood stove?

[Mom2Seven]

We started remodeling an old farmhouse about 3 years ago. It's solid, but has needed a lot of work. We're ready to take the next big step and plan on installing a wood burning stove this spring. I've done a lot of looking at stoves, but we'd appreciate any suggestions you have as far as stove type and/or installation suggestions!

We currently plan on taking out an exterior door, walling it in with brick or stone, and building a removable hearth for the stove to sit on. (We plan on adding on to the house in about 3 years, and at that point the stove will move. We have hardwood floors, and want to be able to still use them after moving the stove!)

I'd like to be able to use the stove primarily for heat, and then for cooking should the power go out. Our main level, where the stove will be, is very open and probably about 1200 square feet. Ideally, the stove could provide most of the heat for the main level.

Any suggestions? We have several months to think this through ... and I really don't want to finish our project and then realize next winter that we should have done something differently. Any thoughts are appreciated!

[Beeman]

What are you going to use for a chimney?

[Itilley]

I would check with the fire department so they could let you know the codes in your area. Also you can get information from the local Cooperative Extension. They are a great scource of info and most anything. I grew up in the city and knew nothing about wood stoves. When we built our house we wanted a wood stove. I read every book I could find about installation and use. I was nervous the first year and now I am pretty well content with the use of them. But be sure you know how to install it and like the previous answer chimney is very important. Old farm house tend to have chimney's but condition is a concern.

RenieB

[haypoint]

Bricking up an exterior door? That's a lot of weight. What are the bricks going to sit on? Most bricck areas requiire special footings that can take the weight. Is this going to stay bricked up after you move the stove in a few years? Is there a place closer to ther center of the house?
The wood stoves from China and older wood stoves are not air tight. Spend more in an air tight model. With an airtight wood stove you can better control the heat and they save a lot of wood.

[Drew Cutter]

1. insurance company - depending on where you live you will need a furnace as your primary heat. Insurance companies don't like you to use wood to heat your house (fireplaces, stoves)
2. the foundation , have a chimney inspection (required by your insurance company)
3. how do you plan to circulate the heat (this depends on your house - back in the day stove were in the center of house , which allow them to heat the house) . think about putting a fan above the stove ( not knowing if have pipes available , to reach into the other rooms with the heat from the stove)
4. getting rid of the heat in the summer from the stove.

[Drew Cutter]

Take a look at Lehman stoves or my favorite except for the size (wood cooking stove are huge ) . Then their the issue of airtight vs non airtight . Cooking by wood is another issue . Do you want to heat water with your cooking stove .A whole new skill has to be learn . Where to place your pots and pans to do your cooking . For baking you have hand turn your pies , etc every few minutes. http://marginstoves.com/

[Jennifer L.]

So you are going to put the stove in front of where the door was and vent out the side of the house through the place the door was and have an exterior chimney? Why use bricks on the door for this? Sounds more difficult than necessary (although pretty).

Other than that, make sure you get a big enough stove. You can always cool the house by opening windows, but you can't make a too small stove produce more heat.

Good luck, you will love the stove.

Jennifer

[plantinthings]

H. I'm new to this forum.
I'm glad this topic come up (sorry to butt in here Mom2Seven) cuz were tryig to decide on another heat source come this spring also. We live in an old farmhouse 1870's, only floor grates for the upstairs bedrooms (which is fine by me) the temps. upstairs will usually stay around 50F even with outside temps. being -4F today (we sleep better in cooler temps.) and that is with the upstairs being closed off from the downstairs.

I'm kinda' ol' fashioned and I'm leaning towards a wood cook stove but my son (22, and this is his house) is thinking more on the lines of an outdoor wood burning stove.
We just purchased this house and moved in October, there is a propane furnance 6 yrs. old and the previous owners left us a small wood stove, which I thought we'd use along with another stove, (on the other side of the house, and try not to use the propane furnance). The house is 1500 sq. ft. and has a slab hearth already where I'd like to install the wood cookstove (I told you I really want one), it would need a chimney tho.

But were thinking in the way of I'm getting older, wood stoves are messy, there is cutting and splitting to be done and my son is gone 9 days at a time with his job (don't get wrong I'm healthy and hard work doesn't scare me any.....but using a chainsaw/axe does).
But I seen that wood cook stoves can also use coal with an adaptable grate (or something like that). If we do the smaller wood stove (on the opposite side of the house) the chimney that is still there, will have to be replaced also. So if I get another stove besides the one we already have that will mean 2 chimneys/stovepipe installed....$$$$, plus the wood (cook) stove $$$$......would it be better to do outside wood stove? Would that require baseboard heating also?

Someone mentioned to my son about a outdoor stove that burns corn, pellets or something like that, that comes with a hopper that only needs to be filled once a week and self feeds (I think he said). Anyone ever hear of that?

Any suggestions/comments would greatly be appreciated. Again sorry I butted in Mom2Seven.

[Beeman]

Plantinthings,
Most wood cook stoves have a very small firebox and are not meant to heat a house, the heat is meant to cook and bake with. If you got enough heat you would still have to fill the firebox very frequently, they also usually use smaller split wood.

[Ramblin Wreck]

Hard to say on on the install without more info/specifics, but as to the type of stove, I think one that is multifuctional (heat/cook/bake/hot water) would provide the most value.

[NEOhioSmiths]

Go to www.hearth.com and check out the forums there - you'll find a bunch of very knowledgeable and helpful people.

Safety must be the number one priority when installing a stove. There are requirements (NFPA 411) regarding the size of the hearth the stove sits on, materials, clearance to combustibles, etc. Same goes for the stove pipe (pipe that runs from the stove to whatever type of pass-through you use to go through the wall or ceiling) and chimney pipe (pipe that runs from pass-through out either the wall and roof. More requirements on the height of the chimney, clearance, etc. All chimney pipe now must be double-walled, class A pipe. No exceptions. Further, the manufacturer of the stove you decide on might have additional requirments above and beyond what 411 states.

I just installed a new stove this past year (and built the hearth it sits on). I interviewed four potential installers. All were "certified" sweeps with the chimney sweep guild. NONE were competent in my opinion so I learned all I could and did it myself. You'll likely want to do the same, as you'll save yourself at least $1k in installation costs.

Materials will be expensive (I spent over $1k on pipe) but don't compromise on quality. The safety of your family depends on it.

As for specific stove recommendations, decide on the look of the stove first and size. Then I'd narrow down to a few different brands and compare the specifics. hearth.com has a reviews section which is great. Personally, we have a Pacific Energy insert (which has been fantastic) and a Napolean 1150 free-standing stove. This is our first year burning the Napolean - so far so good.

Let us know what you decide on and how things progress. Good luck burning!!

[Mom2Seven]

Thanks, guys, this helps a lot.

We do have a working furnace, and a seperate heat system for the basement. We also have access to a lot of free firewood, and I love a good fire, so a wood stove seemed like a great addition.

We do plan on doing an outside chimney; I have plenty of old brick, or lots of limestone rock, if that would work. I guess I thought that by bricking or putting stone behind the fireplace, it would help radiate heat better. The old door is a bit drafty, we would be replacing it anyway, and it's got a set of concrete steps (outside) going up to the door, so I thought building an outside chimney from the door up would be pretty simple. Well ... maybe not simple, but it would kill two birds with one stone.

I'm not really planning on doing much cooking on the stove, but if the power goes out for a few days, it would be helpful. We have cast iron cookware that I already use, so I guess I just assumed it wouldn't be too hard to get a stove with a flat surface and cook eggs or stew on top the stove.

Thanks again! Great ideas

[Beeman]

If the steps are built soundly enough with a good footer I don't see why it wouldn't work. Does sound like an incredible amount of work for a temp setup. A masonry chimney will need a clay liner and be sure to build it tall enough to draft well. Any steel stove with a flat top would work fine, flat top for cooking. You could build a small hearth to raise the stove and cover it with cement board and rock or just put the cement board down on the floor and rock or brick over it.

[Jolly]

Somebody already mentioned about your insurance company, which is where I would start. Some companies are pretty ticky when it comes to wood stoves.

After determining whether your company will let you have one, you then have to install it according to the parameters the insurance company will allow...x number of inches from combustibles, allowable hearth type, etc., along with the manuafcturer's directions.

As for the chimney...unless you've built one before, you may wish to consider stove pipe with or without a chimney "facade" around it.

Lastly, as for the stove itself...I have a soapstone stove I'm quite fond of, but I don't think that is what you need. Nor do you need cast iron. Both of those type stoves are heavy, and you're talking about moving this one...If it were me, I'd go with a decent airtight steel model. Not quite as expensive, they throw heat pretty quickly and they are not nearly as hard to move.

[BTO]

I would use this stove to cook and heat my home in a heart beat if I had the room. It's an efficient all night burner and suitable for a 1500 square foot home.:banana02:

http://www.woodstoves.net/pioneer2.htm

[Alex]

The ideas listed here are required for ANY wood stove installation, in ANY type of dwelling, no exceptions. Follow the wood stove manufacture's installation instructions exactly, along with ALL Code requirements -- NO exceptions. This is from another post.

We have an 82.5% efficient catalytic wood stove which seems to burn most of the creosote before it gets to the flue. And we burn full hot every so often, and have 2-1/2" high-temperature insulated double stainless steel modern flue. Just in case someone was going to comment about how pine and spruce produce creosote.

Just love the smell of Pine burning!


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 standard air tight.) We had the factory install, their optional, side and rear clearance-reduction panels so we could safely install our wood stove as close as shown. Each stove manufacture lists the minimum clearances to combustibles.


Finally you need to protect the floor from all those sparks.

Alex

[farmerscotty]

Check your insurance as they will follow the national code. I.E. uninsulated pipe must have 18 inches clearance and chimney must go at least 2 foot above the point it goes out on the roof. Many companies are getting to where they will not insure inside heaters. Make sure you have a new smoke alarm and SEVERAL fire extinguishers thru out the house.
Have a warm safe home

[Drew Cutter]

check this book out on amazon. Rocket Mass Heaters: Superefficient Woodstoves YOU Can Build (Paperback) , by Ianto Evans (Author), Leslie Jackson (Author)