Is anyone here using thier wood stove yet?!

[TransplantedTexan]

Quote:
Seems wood is more expensive there. Here you can get a face cord for $60-$65. It is a little more delivered, maybe ten bucks more. Face cord is about equivalent to a heaping pick up truck load.

 

[mullers3acers]

My husband collects and cuts our wood and doesn't pay a dime for the wood. All you have to do is find properties or people who have down trees and tell them that you will clear the wood and most will give you the wood for free.

 

[Buster]

I burn wood in a woodstove downstairs and another woodstove insert upstairs, supplemented by fuel oil furnace (if I ever let the thing turn on! at $3 a gallon it's too expensive!) The insert draws air from outside and has a glass door on it so you can see the fire burn. We burned wood in our last house and knew we were moving and didn't want to move the wood twice so we waited to cut until after we moved (We have free access to more cottonwood than can ever be burned). Unfortunately, right after we moved the weather turned bad and now there is too much snow to get down to cut wood. So last week, I broke down and bought a cord of quaking aspen they were asking $135 for. They delivered it from about 75 miles away and it was a couple in their 50s and they helped me stack it where I wanted it in my garage, so I gave them $150 for it. I also ordered another cord that's coming this Saturday. I hope these tide us over until we can get more wood!

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
That's what my DH does all year round. He teaches so he spends a fair amount of time in the summers stashing wood for the winter.

 

[buc]

http://www.alaskawoodheating.com/calculator.php


I wish I could find a better on line calculator but the one above is pretty good for figuring the cost of wood heat vs, other fuels.

 

[mullers3acers]

It was 15 degrees or below that most of the day yesterday. Had both of the wood burners going and kept the house about 65 to 70 degrees without the furnis. But it took constant care for both stoves. Woke up this evening and it was cold in the house again 47 degrees so I am at it again.
Most people don't think that is a big deal but we have a old farm house that was built in 1862 and is 1800 sq. foot when we moved in there was no insulation,no storm windows and propane was the only heat. The first winter that we lived here in 1996; we went though $2000.00 worth of propane. So wood burning is the way to go for us and it is a comfort heat as well. My Grandmother lives nearby in town and has natual gas but it's not the same warmth. .

 

[justusnak]

I have to agree on the warmth of a wood stove, better than conventional heating sources. We too have propane. I try not to let the darned thing come on...when it does...all I hear is money money money!! We have our own woods, and collect wood all summer. We also have several friends with acres and acres of woods....that want us to help clear out for them. They help cut, and load our trucks. Yes DH and I both drive pickup trucks. He of course has a full size, and I drive a S10...but you can get a fair amount of wood in my S10. We are getting down to almost nothing here with the wood....guess next year we cut LOTS more! I think we went through 4 chords so far...and have about 2 left. ( we dont measure out chords, but our rows are stacked 4 ft high, and 12 feet long) I LOVE my wood stove.....they are alot of work, but well worth it in my opinion.

 

[buc]

Quote:
Try this calculator to give you a really good idea of just how much wood you have put up, and then in the coming year you will have an idea of what you might want to increase it by to have a safe amount for the next heating year.
http://www.metrology.burtini.ca/calc_fire.html

 

[TheMartianChick]

We have an Avalon fireplace insert. We have it raging from the first hint of cold weather. We usually go through 9 or 10 cords of wood each year. We get wood in small quantities from a variety of sources but we tend to check the newspaper for bargains on large quantities. (This year, we are actually using wood that we purchased for last winter at a discount!

)

Though we live in the city, we are fortunate enough to have a large carriage house-style barn in the backyard where we store the majority of our wood. We keep two large wood racks that we purchased at Home Depot stocked with wood on our front porch along with several cut down barrels to hold branches, twigs and bits of bark. We try not to waste anything. We have alot of squirrels in our yard and they like to chew on tree branches and throw the remains on the ground. I even try to go out when the weather permits to gather those twigs up.

We get some random scraps of pine from my husband's job and some small logs from my parent's and sister's house... so we are always grateful for the freebies.

We love a fire in the winter, but we burn wood to save money so that we can afford other things like music lessons and college for the kids!