Winter heating plans

An extra space between the entry door and the room you enter in the house, on older homes/farmhouses and such there is a small extension on the house, just big enough to walk into, close the door behind you, then open the actual door into the house.
A breezeway, between the garage and house, usually looks like a glass hallway with a roof, was another popular method.

Hope that helps.


We heat with a wood fired furnace 24/7 November thru April,almost 7cords of hardwood last winter, and take the edge off the other months with the F/A LP furnace. 10cords stacked since september, I'm ready.
Last winter I made large panels from 6mil plastic sheeting, to cover the openings in the front porch, what a difference, the dog was panting when it was -10* out while the sun was shining, and there was no door, just an opening to walk thru, measured 75* in it a few times, south facing really helps. The wife brought home some white aluminum triple tracs from the roadside last year, so I'll be using storm/screens instead of sheet plastic, that will make a nice airlock and greenhouse.

I've enough wood stockpiled but yeah i was just thinkign about oil.

__________________
Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup........

I have had more people contacted me the last two weeks asking questions.......Wood heat and or lowering the heating bill is on EVERYones mind I think.........Everyone looking and figuring now is way ahead of the game if you ask me........I already have 3 pickup bed trailers loaded and covered to start the winter for me..........I sure don't see gas prices coming down any......deregulation of electric in IL. has also hurt alot of folks......some have said bill doubled.......from one month to next..........OUCH!

Scott

__________________
Lower your heating costs!
www.outsidewoodheater.com

How do you like your Boiler?. We heat with wood and I am tossing around the idea of another wood stove in the bacement or going to a boiler. I have a shop, barn and greenhouse to heat also and the boiler will do it all.

We had a letter last week from our REA telling us that our electrical power is going up 17% starting in September. I'm going into town tomorrow to lock in our propane contract at $1.67/gal. Yep, that wood stove is going to get a workout this winter.

I love my boiler. Before I got it, I was running a wood furnace in the basement, and a woodstove in the livingroom, and heating the shop with kerosene. The boiler simplified things tremendously. 1st I have one fire to deal with, and it only burns when it calls for heat, otherwise it sits dormant. Its really a blast furnace. 2nd, the electric bill is down $100 a month, all the hot water comes from the boiler. 3rd, my shop is the warmest its ever been. All summer long the boiler has been running on scraps from my shop, milling slabs, and brush from yard clean up. Lastly all the mess, bugs, dust, ashes, are outside, not on my livingroom floor. Lifes good with the boiler, I won't go back to a regular wood stove.

I think it's interesting how we are recognizing that in years gone by, their ideas worked! the vestibule (we call them a porch) is a perfect example. I remember when I was a girl living in town, there were porches on eveyone's front door... and people would sit on their porch in the evening and talk to neighbours going by .... now most people don't know the name of their city neighbour much less talk to them!
I think you idea is a good one ... it will certianly help to keep the cold out

We have airlocks and use them both summer and winter. It's amazing how much difference there is in air temp between the outside, airlocked area and inside. We also use sheets of blue insulation board cut to fit the windows and that helps a lot as well. In the summer we put them on the south and west windows to help block out the sun and reduce direct gain. In the winter they help keep in the heat. They are light weight and easily moved. The ultimate plan is to cover them in fabric, one side light the other dark and use the dark side as an inside trombe wall for additional heat.

We'll just need to prop them so there is air space between the blue board and window and tilt them so the air can circulate bottom to top.

We heat with wood and have a Lopi Liberty. It takes 2 1/2 cord to make it through the winter. Right now we're set for this winter but have some trees that must come down soon so we'll season those for next year.

I just came in from picking the garden and saw several VERY WOOLY catapillars (all white-unusual). Can't help but wonder about the coming winter.