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dndweeks · #21 01/07/14, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne02

A couple of other things to consider when selecting a wood stove.

We have an insert in the house and a free-standing unit in my shop.

I'm a big fan of glass doors as I think it makes the wood heating experience more pleasant and it's more convenient when checking the status of the fire. The insert in the house has a really nice frosted snow/mountain/wolf scene on the doors which looks really cool when back-lite by the fire. The shop stove has a plain glass front and when I'm working from just about any part of the shop building I can look over and see if the fire needs another chunk of wood without having to walk over there and check the fire each time.

Both the stoves have some sort of glass-wash feature where some of the intake air is washed over the glass which helps to keep it clean. I figured this was a gimmick but after many years of use I think it does actually help.

There are of course drawbacks to glass fronts, one them being if you burn smoldering fires with less than desirable wood the glass gets dirty fast.

Also I prefer the double glass doors on our house stove vs the single glass door on the shop unit. Double doors seems more convenient.

When shopping for wood stoves that have you load the wood sideways watch the door opening size very carefully. The spec sheet will say what the door opening width is and what size log the stove supposedly takes but take a tape measure and check it for yourself. Better yet take a chunk of the actual firewood you will be using and see how easily it fits through the door opening and inside of the stove.

When I bought my shop stove I didn't do this and found that the door opening width was indeed just barely 17" wide as the spec sheet stated, but the interior stove width was not much wider than the door opening. This meant as a practical matter getting a 17" chunk through the door and properly placed into the stove while the fire was going was more difficult than it should have been.

If you are going to purchase your firewood check your local suppliers for the length of firewood they offer so you can make sure you size the stove appropriately.

Good advice.

Also, when talking about your wood stove in the shop, I suddenly realized that part of our plan is to have a basement foundation. While a portion of the space will be for storage, the remainder will be living space which will need heat in the winter months. I assume a small wood stove can be put in a basement for heat as well?

logbuilder · #22 01/07/14, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dndweeks

Good advice.

Also, when talking about your wood stove in the shop, I suddenly realized that part of our plan is to have a basement foundation. While a portion of the space will be for storage, the remainder will be living space which will need heat in the winter months. I assume a small wood stove can be put in a basement for heat as well?

Sure a wood stove can be in a basement. It needs to draw its air from outside and have a good airtight stovepipe. Lugging logs down stairs would not be my favorite chore. I'd probably go with gas. Easier to control the temp.

Nimrod · #23 01/07/14, 11:42 PM

There are so many variables like floor plan, insulation, and the outside air temp that the ratings for heating square footage don't mean anything.

I suggest you get an airtight stove that is too big for your needs normally. If you have a stove that is too big, you can build a smaller fire in it. Put in less wood and shut down the air so it doesn't all go up at once. When you need the heat, put in more wood and open the damper to get more heat. For overnight you can fill the firebox and adjust the damper so the stove puts out enough heat and lasts all night long.

The recent cold snap should give you an idea of the worst conditions that can happen in your area.

I bought the biggest stove I could find (3.5 cubic feet firebox) and put it in my old, not well insulated, mobile home. It is doing a good job. When we had the -40 overnight I loaded the firebox with split and cured oak and opened the damper some. It heated the house fairly well and lasted more than all night. You can't ask for more.

pheasantplucker · #24 01/08/14, 05:29 AM

My wife and I have a 24 x 28 log cabin...two bedrooms and a small bath are partitioned, but the rest is open. There is an upstairs loft. We heat with a Jotul "Oslo" stove. We're in Ohio and it gets very cold...just -9, two days ago. This stove cranks out the heat, with just an armful of firewood (usually a mix of ash and oak or ash and hickory). Very pretty stove, with glass front so you can watch the fire. I love this stove, and have no regrets. I know my heating a mere 700 square feet is measley compared to the size you're wanting, but I honestly think this stove could handle heating a much larger area. Good luck.

Wanda · #25 01/08/14, 09:15 AM

When looking at wood for heat always consider a second heat source. It is like having a milk cow that you must milk twice a day without fail. If you have to leave overnight in cold weather you will need someone to stoke the fire for you. The same goes with an illness. Make a plan before you have the need and things will go smoother. Many have family or friends nearby but a lot do not have that luxury.

simi-steading · #26 01/08/14, 09:22 AM

One other nice feature to look for in a wood stove.. an ash try.. If you have a stove where the ashes fall through the grate into a tray, you won't need to let the fire die down near as often to clean the stove.

Also, a catalytic stove will usually put out a lot more heat too since it's burning the gases from the wood and getting a more complete burn. It also keeps your stove and chimney a lot cleaner.

dndweeks · #27 01/08/14, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanda

When looking at wood for heat always consider a second heat source. It is like having a milk cow that you must milk twice a day without fail. If you have to leave overnight in cold weather you will need someone to stoke the fire for you. The same goes with an illness. Make a plan before you have the need and things will go smoother. Many have family or friends nearby but a lot do not have that luxury.

While our desire is to have wood as our primary heat source, we will definitely have a back-up plan.

haypoint · #28 01/08/14, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dndweeks

Good advice.

Also, when talking about your wood stove in the shop, I suddenly realized that part of our plan is to have a basement foundation. While a portion of the space will be for storage, the remainder will be living space which will need heat in the winter months. I assume a small wood stove can be put in a basement for heat as well?

I would think about getting a wood fired boiler (hot water) furnace and set it in the house. Then run radiant heat pipes under the basement floor and under the first floor wood floor, between the floor joists. Each zone can have its own thermostat and keep the heat more even. .

Mrs.Swirtz · #29 01/08/14, 07:49 PM

A lot has do do with how well your house is insulated and what kind of windows you have. Is it tight or drafty? What kind of wood will you be burning? Do you have lots of nooks and crannies? We bought a tiny old wood stove when we built our house. Somebody laughed at the size of it saying that it would never heat our 700 sq ft cabin in such cold winters as we have. But we have triple pane windows and double thick 2x4 walls with staggered studs. So the only place that cold can come directly through the wall via the studs is around the windows and doors. That tiny stove can burn us out with very little wood at -20 or even -30. I even after it goes out at night when I wake up it is rarely under 60 degrees. On the other hand someone I know just bought an older house and went to remodel the kitchen. Turns out there was no insulation in the walls at all!! No wonder it wouldn't stay warm. So you kind of have to know your house. Is it hard to keep warm with your current mode of heat? If so it might not be any easier with a woodstove. Make sure your house is ready for it.

Mrs.Swirtz · #30 01/08/14, 07:54 PM

I only have two small fires a day. Our stove doesn't have an ash tray. I normally don't clean the ashes out but once every week or two. An inch or two of ashes shouldn't hinder your fire.If you can't let your stove go out at all because you will freeze out then you have some other kind of problem besides the wood stove not being big enough.

Bubbas Boys · #31 01/08/14, 08:07 PM

I am hoping the Pioneer Princess we plan to buy will do it for us. We built our home this summer 2x6 walls and lots of cellulose in the attic. House is bout 2000 sq ft single story. Only 3 interior dividing walls in whole thing, very open floor plan. We hope it will do it. Our boys and us get hot when our house now get over 65 degrees.