Plate Steel or Cast Iron for me.?

jkazak · Jan 22, 2014

I'm a newbie to wood stoves and I'm sure this has been debated numerous times and each has its pros and cons but I want to get some of your ideas for my specific application.
We recently purchased a log home on 6-acres in Nebraska. Its a more "modern" construction but has the same flaws that most log homes do - its not very energy friendly. Add to that its right at 5000 square feet of living space.

It has an 1800 sq/ft. finished basement 1800 sq/ft partially finished main ( there are several rooms framed out and finished but the exterior walls are....well, logs. The main floor living area is quite large with 22/ft ceilings (with ceiling fans thankfully) and a loft area set back on the second story along with a large (divided)19'x33' room that is further divided into bedrooms. Its a big place that we really got into for cheap (foreclosure).

Now I'm trying to make sure we can keep the place by getting off the propane as much as possible. I have a good supply of Mulberry and Black Locust and some Walnut.

I lucked into a Lopi Liberty and installed it in the basement to tackle that issue and am very happy with it. Now I need to get something on the main level and the aesthetics issue comes into play. But its not as important as stopping that high propane bilI.

So...do I need to stick with convection (plate steel) or will radiant(cast iron) heat handle it..? Also do I need the biggest stove I can find or will a medium size (aka Lopi Leyden) handle it...? I'm looking at a used Isle Royale as well. I think Im going to need something that will really deliver like the Liberty does but prettier.....
Thanks in advance.

Wormyone · Jan 22, 2014

If I were you I wouyld go with a steel stove instead of cast. Csat iron stoves will need to have the gaskets rebuilt, But it would be a LONG time before the welds on plate steel fail IMHO

BrotherBart · Jan 22, 2014

Nothing wrong with going with a big efficient cast iron stove. It will be a lot of years before you have to do anything serious like rebuilding it. And it can be rebuilt or parts replaced unlike a steel stove. Personally I love big honkin steel stoves but cast does the job just as well. There are best of both world options these days like the Pacific Energy T-6 with a steel firebox and cast iron prom dress on it.

With that setup, go large.

mellow · Jan 22, 2014

If you can get a good deal on that Isle Royale I would jump on that, they are nice top loading stoves.

daleeper · Jan 22, 2014

I think BrotherBart said it well, get a steel stove dressed in cast iron, and do it as big as you can. I would normally say forget aesthetics, but it already has a hold on you with that log house. Might as well keep with the theme. One of those big soapstone stoves would probably look good in there too, I'm thinking.

Look that Isle Royale over good, that would probably be a good choice if it is in good shape.

Welcome to hearth.com. We like pictures.

bholler · Jan 22, 2014

I prefer plate stoves over cast ones due to the eventual maintenance problems with cast. the best option is a cast dressed plate stove but they are usually not cheap. we deal with the Hampton stoves which are the cast dressed regency stoves they are great stoves but they don't make a really large one yet. there are also a few plate stoves dressed in stone as well again not cheap but great stoves

Kool_hand_Looke · Jan 22, 2014

Not that I have a it-heats-better preference, but mild steel has much more ductility than cast. Also known a plow steel. Cast has significantly more carbon than mild steel, and it's dirty...which is where the poor castings come from. Cast has more fissures in in and is more prone to hydrogen embrittlement when it's extruded. Plus, with the fissure and "dirty" issues it has a much higher frequency of laminations and laminar tears.

Cast is welded with nickel rods. There's a serious weld procedure for qualified welds to go through with pre and post heating requirements.

Steel will take a beating much better than cast. Does cast, cast off heat better than steel? It boils down to material thickness, not necessarily that cast is such a super conductor.

jkazak · Jan 23, 2014

daleeper said:
I think BrotherBart said it well, get a steel stove dressed in cast iron, and do it as big as you can. I would normally say forget aesthetics, but it already has a hold on you with that log house. Might as well keep with the theme. One of those big soapstone stoves would probably look good in there too, I'm thinking.

Look that Isle Royale over good, that would probably be a good choice if it is in good shape.

Welcome to hearth.com. We like pictures.

Thanks for the replies. I will look hard at that Quadra-Fire - its a nice looking and large stove. I'm with you regarding looks vs function.... but your right I need to stick with the log-home theme. Next step is to start figuring out what's going to be needed to take out the "builders" "fireplace" and get a proper heating unit installed. Here's a pic of the backside of the house.... I'll try and get some interior photos up later.

firefighterjake · Jan 23, 2014

Reading some of these posts makes it sound like cast iron stoves need to be broken down and rebuilt every few years . . . or that if you hit it wrong with a split it will crack . . . and steel stoves never have a weld break.

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with either steel or cast iron stoves (or stone stoves for that matter) -- they both have great track records in terms of materials and durability. Just make sure you get the right size stove for your home and pick the one you like the look of . . . you'll be looking at it for a long time regardless of what it is made out of.

mstoelton · Jan 23, 2014

I suggest you also take a look at some of the larger soapstone stoves as well. The soapstone provides a more gentle heat and continues to rediate heat into the room after the fire is out. Soapstone has some unique qualities that make it a great material to use for a stove. My dealer heats the majority of their 10,000 square foot building with one large Hearthstone stove.

By the way - nice log house!

Sunfish · Jan 23, 2014

I like cast better than steel. Have a cast Waterford in my shop (used daily) that is 24 years old and never needed anything. Great heat real quick! Jotul in the house, love it!

jharkin · Jan 23, 2014

firefighterjake said:
Reading some of these posts makes it sound like cast iron stoves need to be broken down and rebuilt every few years . . . or that if you hit it wrong with a split it will crack . . . and steel stoves never have a weld break.

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with either steel or cast iron stoves (or stone stoves for that matter) -- they both have great track records in terms of materials and durability. Just make sure you get the right size stove for your home and pick the one you like the look of . . . you'll be looking at it for a long time regardless of what it is made out of.

+1

My own father is still to this day burning the Vermont Castings Resolute iron stove he bought in around 1980. Its never had a full tear down rebuild. ever. Its not in the best shape these days, but is still capable of heating.

I have a VC Encore Iron stove that's 16 years old, and I just did the first, partial, rebuild last summer (not a full teardown). It didn't critically need it, but i feel better having done it. In fact, once i wire brushed them off the interior cast panels looked as good as the day they came out of the foundry.

Cast iron is a little bit more maintenance intensive than steel, but just like the cat vs. noncat debate the "issues" are a bit overhyped. Door gasket maintenance is the same as for a steel box, and doing a rebuild of the gasketed or cemented panel seams is a job that has a time interval measured in decades. Don't be afraid.

Oh and another point to add for the OP... Cast iron stoves can convect as well as radiate. There are some iron stoves with optional blower kits if you want a lot of convective heat. They are just more suited to slow soft radiant heat than a steel because of the greater mass to store heat.

Kool_hand_Looke · Jan 23, 2014

jkazak said:
Thanks for the replies. I will look hard at that Quadra-Fire - its a nice looking and large stove. I'm with you regarding looks vs function.... but your right I need to stick with the log-home theme. Next step is to start figuring out what's going to be builders" "fireplace" and get a proper heating unit installed. Here's a pic of the backside of the house.... I'll try and get some interior photos up later.[quote/]

Us cabin folk need to stick together. When we bought our place the logs were about black. We tripped and stained the whole house. The lattice has since been done.

I like your digs though.

Kool_hand_Looke · Jan 23, 2014

jkazak said:
Thanks for the replies. I will look hard at that Quadra-Fire - its a nice looking and large stove. I'm with you regarding looks vs function.... but your right I need to stick with the log-home theme. Next step is to start figuring out what's going to be needed to take out the "builders" "fireplace" and get a proper heating unit installed. Here's a pic of the backside of the house.... I'll try and get some interior photos up later.

By the way, were tossing out our dumpy DutchWest for a Quad Isle Royale.

jkazak · Jan 25, 2014

Kool_hand_Looke said:
By the way, were tossing out our dumpy DutchWest for a Quad Isle Royale.

Thats a pretty good recommendation...unfortunately the used Quadra-Fire I was interested in has been sold - so I'm still on the hunt. After we got this log house we had to invest quite a bit of money to get it to suit our family needs so money IS a consideration right now. So I'm probably going to have to luck into something that's "just right".

Here's another pic of the the front of the house.... you can see the chase I'm working with. This was before the Lopi install and the pipe you see is for the crappy Comfort -Glow zero-clearance that was in the house when we got it. This will have to be removed to do the wood stove install so I'm going to have to learn what I can and can't do in that regard. I HOPE it will be an easy transition.

Kool_hand_Looke · Jan 25, 2014

Money is ALWAYS a consideration with us, which hs been able to afford a few of the nicer things in life. Idk if we got a deal on our IR or ot. Best I can see, we did. We got the enamel coated mahogany IR for $2467. It was left over after an order since tey dnt keep the IR enamel in stock. Apparently the MSRP is around $2700-$2800 for the matte black. But...I think after the order ws made and the original purchaser backed they were charged shipping and restocking fees. No one wanted the mahogany. So it's been sitting in the back still in the box unopened.

If I'm reading that correct, you've got to remove he chase because of the ZC fireplace?

Also, if you restain in the future or are planning it soon...look me up. I've got some good pointers. Or if you decide to stain deck posts.

Kool_hand_Looke · Jan 25, 2014

jkazak said:
Thats a pretty good recommendation...unfortunately the used Quadra-Fire I was interested in has been sold - so I'm still on the hunt. After we got this log house we had to invest quite a bit of money to get it to suit our family needs so money IS a consideration right now. So I'm probably going to have to luck into something that's "just right".

Here's another pic of the the front of the house.... you can see the chase I'm working with. This was before the Lopi install and the pipe you see is for the crappy Comfort -Glow zero-clearance that was in the house when we got it. This will have to be removed to do the wood stove install so I'm going to have to learn what I can and can't do in that regard. I HOPE it will be an easy transition.

It amazes me that when people build they'll spend big $$$ on some beautiful stone work like that, only for it to not be practical at all. It's sad.

jkazak · Jan 25, 2014

Kool_hand_Looke said:
Money is ALWAYS a consideration with us, which hs been able to afford a few of the nicer things in life. Idk if we got a deal on our IR or ot. Best I can see, we did. We got the enamel coated mahogany IR for $2467. It was left over after an order since tey dnt keep the IR enamel in stock. Apparently the MSRP is around $2700-$2800 for the matte black. But...I think after the order ws made and the original purchaser backed they were charged shipping and restocking fees. No one wanted the mahogany. So it's been sitting in the back still in the box unopened.

If I'm reading that correct, you've got to remove he chase because of the ZC fireplace?

Also, if you restain in the future or are planning it soon...look me up. I've got some good pointers. Or if you decide to stain deck posts.

Thanks for the reply.

Actually that front photo of the house was taken before we signed the papers. If you look at the first (backside) photo you can see that the house has been re-stained. Found a local fellow who power-washed the whole thing and stained every piece of exterior wood (including decks) with (3) coats of stain all for VERY reasonable. That first pic shows how beautiful it turned out. I did a LOT of research to pick the right stain and am very happy with my choice. And it was the BEST and least expensive on the market (according to a 3-year study done by the University of Texas A&M). VERY good stuff. I'll try and get a current photo posted. The deck and everything turned out beautiful......

Also a nice place you have there.... log home are definitely unique.

I don't believe we have to REMOVE the chase to do the install - just have to pull the fireplace and build-in using what's there. Its a dual-pipe chase (if that's correct terminology) and both chimney pipes run through it. I HOPE that's the case... here's an interior photo of the fireplace / chase. My wife didn't like the looks of the stone on the interior so it has been removed and is now a flat painted wall. It did clean it up a lot but on occasion I miss the stone - but Happy Wife + Happy Life and all of that......

Here's what I'll be dealing with...

We have been very fortunate in finding many things at flea-markets / thrift-stores / yard sales / etc and have furnished with 90% second hand. Not everything has been cheap but everything is very handsome / beautiful I'm currently restoring a 1940's copy of an 1800's Victorian sofa that is going to be a centerpiece. Picked up the couch (in excellent condition) for $500 and it's the prettiest damn thing I've come across (if you like that sort of thing). All it needs is re-covered to match the rest of her decor - but the wood is near mint condition....

begreen · Jan 25, 2014

Plate Steel or Cast Iron for me.?

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