Is anyone here using thier wood stove yet?!

[silkiechicken]

Burning wood is a good way to heat things up! We're all on electric everything up here though. It's cheap for people in the country, but I see 8 foot long pick up truck loads of wood go for about 150-250 each.

 

[Rosalind]

We got a new Vermont Castings stove in the parlor for Xmas. I installed slate tile around it to bring it up to code, and DH did the woodwork adjustments and some structural stuff. My office, which has a pull-out couch, is right above the parlor and gets nice and warm.

We had about two cords of pine and other softwood from last year, so we're burning that--which is kind of lame, because one big pine log only lasts about 2 hours, even when we turn it all the way down. We had to cut down two ash trees that were badly located just before the nasty weather hit, and we have a windfall hickory that no one ever tidied up. In the spring, we'll cut them up for firewood. There's a bunch of other little weedy trees around the property too, I'd like to cut them all up and put in some other stuff so that the wooded part has a nice diverse, healthy canopy.

Oil heat takes over when the stove isn't on.

Later this year, we are retrofitting a bunch of insulation--my house has almost none, it's an energy pig.

 

[bjcoop]

We like wood stoves too. My DH built one out of an old barrel, and wow, that thing really burns! Can open the door and watch the wood. Mind you it's not like a nice fireplace, but it's our version. It's in our basement and it warms up the floor really nice. We cut wood in the Spring when it's nice to finally get out in the woods.
--bjcoop

 

[MissPrissy]

I have posted here previously on my wood burning stoves. We have been burning them daily since just after Thanksgiving when the temps have really begun to cool. Although we have had strectches of days when it was just to warm to need heat (lucky us!). Our wood use is slow and steady most times. Over the last couple of years I have managed to figure out how to regulate these two stoves without running us out from the over heating that can quickly happen. I have found once a raging fire has burned down to red hot coals and loading the stove only when those coals are left I can extend the burn time in the Quadra to nearly 8 hours and notice no temp change in the house. Wood heat is the more satisfying heat for me. Electric heat jut isn't the same and neither is forced air heat from a fuel oil or gas furnace. Wood heat soaks into your bones - and mine are getting old LOL

 

[hoosierhen]

I knew I would get jealous if I read this post! I used to have a wood stove, and really miss it! I'm going to start saving for one again! They are just so cozy! I have a fireplace, but the chimney happens to be a bat sanctuary right now. I haveen't used it because of this. I have the name of a chimney cleaner, but haven't called him yet. As I recall, when I was a kid, my dad used to complain that the fireplace we had, pulled more heat out than it gave off. Is that usually the case?

 

[MissPrissy]

An open fireplace is lovely to look at but they aren't energy efficient. The first year in this old house of ours we nearly froze to death trying to stay warm huddled around that thing. The next year we got the wood stove!

 

[hoosierhen]

That's good info. Maybe I can have my woodstove installed on the hearth, and the brick fireplace will absorb heat as well as offer fire protection. Just need to extend the hearth a bit. I wonder if I could use the same chimney?

 

[MissPrissy]

We had our chimney lined with stainless steel insert as it needed some repair. The wood stove pipe does vent through the chimney.

In the kitchen I have a free standing wood stove. It vents out a pipe to the exterior then up through a chimney pipe, smoke stack style type stainless steel outdoor chimney.

Have your brick chimney inspect, cleaned, repaired if needed. Safety with a wood stove is always important. Chimney fires can start easily and rage out of control in seconds.

 

[TransplantedTexan]

Some of you wood burners may find this usefull.
It is a chart showing BTU's/cord, and other burning characteristics of various types of wood.
http://www.demesne.info/Garden-Help/Trees-Shrubs/Firewood-hard.htm

 

[buc]

Quote:
Wow,
It's hard to believe that some lumphead would actually take the hardwood that he cut down, and pay some one like the dump ecetera to take it off his hands. If they don't burn wood themselves and did not want to split it you would think they would at least place an ad in the paper offering discounted wood for sale. discounted for not being split.
Do these people not realize what a face cord of hard wood goes for?

I do not understand it either, I did an internet search and found my area's in the US have these collection points for dropping off wood.

The Federal gov't also has a program for allowing private citizens to cut wood on public lands.