wood stove ? for a beginner

Good point.

Yes, we used double walled pipe all the way from the thimble to the cap.

I should have been more specific.

dixdoodle, was that includeing something behind the stove on the wall for safe guarding against fires? did it include insulation? we could probably install ourselves, but it might be a good idea to read up on it first. tamsam, yes, that is what i was thinking, but i saw somewhere you still had to put the concrete sheetingn down first. and then a hearth, so i dont know what to believe. how safe do i need to be? do i need to just put a concrete floor in, or what? and a hearth wall as well?? i dont know this may be more than i can afford. i thought, stove, pipe, easy peasy, and affordable. but now im reading and it seems so complicated.

but, i do so yearn for a woodstove. i love the feel of them, the look, the smell, i just think it adds something special and foundational to a home. plus we have ice often in winter so it would be nice to have a backup powere source, plus i just read where the dollar wont be used for currancy with oil as of 2018, so now im thinking even more about the wood stove being the best bet for reasonable heating.

If you have the woodstove far enough from the wall it doesn't need to be covered with anything. Of course the distance is usually 30" to 36" so it takes up a bit of floor space if you don't protect the wall. No one mentioned that a stovepipe that runs out the wall and up doesn't draft as well as one that runs up through the roof. Also the top of the pipe has to be high enough to avoid a backdraft of air running down the roof. I picked up an old Fisher woodstove for only a hundred bucks they are great old stoves. My little one is 500lb of iron and steel they don't make them like that anymore. Be aware if you install an old stove some locations have restrictions and some insurance co. won't allow stoves that predate UL approval.

The cost of the chimney pipe will dwarf the cost of wood, and even the cost of the stove. Do yourself a favor and stop by Lowe's to price class A chimney pipe kits. You're looking at no less than $1600, and it could run as high as $2500 depending on your needs. And that's just for parts.

__________________
Ask Me About Linux System Administration

You mentioned that this is a rental house--have you gotten the owner's written permission to install a woodstove or to make alterations to their wall or window ie running your piping out? Whether you are on a lease or a tenancy at will you will need that permission in writing (at least in any state I know of,) in advance.

BTW a Cord of wood is a legal measurement. With the wood stacked neatly and tightly it is 4' wide by 4' high by 8' long. That is 128 cubic feet of wood Lots of people get short changed. There is no way a Cord of wood will ever fit on the back of a pickup truck.

Hey Mama of three!
I am a Mama of four! Oh I do so love my woodstove and the cozy warmth it provides! All of the advice is great above! I would add that if money is your great concern for heating, get all of your wood free. That means you have to be creative sometimes but you should see my woodshed. It has five sections of different wood. One section is the split wood, did that about 2 years ago. The next section are the rounds, hurt my back so they had to wait. The 3rd section are small logs, nicely seasoned, picked up free already cut into logs. The 4th section are wood flats or ends, cleaned up under my neighbors wood milling bench, great size for my woodstove. The last section is wood scraps from construction on a new home. The nice neighbor told me to pick up the scraps for kindling. Every bit of this wood has been free. All my heat for going on 3 years from my woodstove has been free! If you have help with a truck, (I used a ratty old station wagon with the seats down and plywood over that) and a strong individual willing to help you, wood can be free if you search for it. Craigslist will list it different ways but better yet, place your own ad in your own area, offering to pick up scraps at a construction site and cut up already downed trees on properties where they don't burn wood. Here in this area of the Pacific Northwest, you only buy wood if you don't want to get it yourself. Be sure and read all of the above suggestions for safety, installation and types of woodstoves. It is essential if you are renting to get the owner on board with your idea prior to getting the stove.

If your children are young or you have pets, getting something to go around it like a fireplace guard will be a good plan as well.

My best to you!
Romy
Island Girl
www.romysrealm.blogspot.com/

thanks you guys, farmerrob, yes the landlords and i are discussing all the details and they are more like family, so this isnt the same as a normal renting situation. and you are excatly right on the chord of wood.

nevada, thanks for telling me, i better get that priced.

romysbaskets, i know that we can get the wood for free, but if we did it this year, it wouldnt be seasoned, so im figuring the first year will be bought wood the next will be cutting our own.

make sure the new stove you buy is and approved stove and if you can get an energy star energy star energey efficient stove..we have a wood boiler that is energy efficient..

if you buy it this year you can get a huge tax rebate

If you suffer from sticker-shock from the chimney, you might consider a pellet stove. The chimney is much smaller diameter and doesn't need to be class A, since pellets don't deposit creosote the way wood can. You may find that a pellet stove purchase & installation is actually less than a wood stove.

__________________
Ask Me About Linux System Administration

ok, how much are pellets?L

Around here they are about $7 for a 50 # bag. It's a lot less than propane, is self-feeding, and has a thermostat.

__________________
Ask Me About Linux System Administration

Please get a new, well sealed stove for your house. It isn't healthy for anyone, but especially for children to have a poorly sealed stove heating a house.

I know it is different in other parts of the country, but around here you can get lots of pallets for free. There is lots of hardware in them so you have "lumpy" ash, but they are hardwood and burn well. It is easy to set up a little stand to put them in and cut them up too. A cheap electric chainsaw will do the job quickly and easily.

Pellets will NEVER be free, so if you have the chance for free wood I would pass on the pellets.

Good luck and I hope that a stove works out for you. We LOVE ours and completely heat with it.

Peace-Cathryn