Planning a new home from the ground up - Let's talk 'wood'!

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A cold air intake setup for the stove's combustion air? Ok, where do I start with that? Would it be a kit the mfg sells or something I would have to fabricate?
Its called an Outdoor Air Kit (or OAK).
If your house is buttoned up enough, you will need it or have to crack open a window for combustion air.
In really well sealed houses one issue is fresh air exchange for the occupants.
But your house, with proper sealing and insulation won't be hard to heat at all. Put an insulated basement in keep the cows and goats there you can heat it medieval style.

Looks like you got a good bit of window exposure in those plans, situated S, SW with some nice windows you could get a lot of solar heat too. If you have some sun in winter.

As far as placement of the stove is concerned, I was thinking that I could have the plans altered and have a little alcove, ~12-18" deep pushed out on one of the walls and set the stove up (including all it's clearances of course) pushed into that so it takes up less of the already limited floor space. I've also been imagining that alcove lined with either stone or brick.
To reduce creosote formation placing as much of the flue in conditioned space as possible is helpful. Exterior wall chimneys need good insulation.

It's a bit harder 'off the grid' to make your own wood pellets. But it can be done with: wood chipper, hammer mill and pellet press. People also make pellets out of many agricultural wastes.
The one thing I do like about pellet stoves is easy venting and heat when needed. But they are very drafty if not installed with OAK. I really notice a difference in the draftiness of the house between a ~30-120 cfm blower (intake - outtake) and the natural draft of the stove.
Of course pellet stove would up your electrical needs.
But may require less alteration of plans and the convection blowers move that heat pretty well.
A good one costs more than an similar quality EPA stove.
I like wood stoves, but pellet stoves have their merits.
I think in a 440 ftsq/ floor house in mild climate they'd do well.
 
I'm hesitant to recommend removing the closet. In a small home like this storage space is at a premium. If the alcove is to clearances spec and is insulated I don't have a big problem with taking that approach. This is not a big room so conserving floor space seems like a good plan. As long as you meet clearance requirements you can slope the ceiling of the alcove up into the room. That will help heat convect better.
 
Agree with BG here, removing the closet does not sound like a really good idea. That wall may also be there to support the upper floor.

I would actually prefer the blue location and I am wondering whether you are a bit ambitious with your tiny house approach. If the thought of losing 10 sqft to a stove is already that concerning, why not extend the great room a bit towards the porch? Anyway, just my 2 ct.
 
Ok, so taking out the closet might be a little over zealous to get the heater towards the center of the house.

I still prefer red to blue because it opens up some more floor space and puts the heater in it's own little specially designed setup. It would still be as insulated as the rest of the house- stick built from 2x6's- just stone, brick, or tile lined and a hole for the chimney. I like the idea of having the alcove curve/slant inwards towards the ceiling to help move the air towards the rest of the great room and house.

Out of curiosity... how effective are those little TEC or Stirling engine stove top fans?
 
Got my dad 1 for christmas for his gas stove and he says it works fantastic. Depending on what stove you end up with the built in fans might be nice. I know the fans for my stove are fully adjustable from barely running to kicking it.
 
LOL. I think a pallet jack might be a little overkill in terms of using it to move wood into the house from the porch.
 
LOL. I think a pallet jack might be a little overkill in terms of using it to move wood into the house from the porch.
Agreed. A conveyor belt would be more elegant. ;)
 
Since we plan on having a basement under the house, what are thoughts for setting up the stove down there? How would be the best way to then distribute the heat?

I imagine it would be counter productive to use the basement as cold storage with canned items and food stored down there...
 
Since we plan on having a basement under the house, what are thoughts for setting up the stove down there? How would be the best way to then distribute the heat?

Placing a stove in the basement to heat the house form there gets mixed reviews here. Some people are really happy, others have trouble getting the heat to the higher levels. A lot depends on where the stove is placed and how open the stairwell is. Also, it seems that relatively airtight houses have problems as the warm air cannot displace the cold air upstairs. In older houses the warm air leaks out of the top level creating a stack effect that draws more air from the basement. Definitively, insulating the basement is a must in any case. How about a wood furnace as part of a central heating system?

I imagine it would be counter productive to use the basement as cold storage with canned items and food stored down there...

Make another room at the other end with just cinder-block walls but well insulated against the room with the stove. That should keep it cool.
 
Placing a stove in the basement to heat the house form there gets mixed reviews here. Some people are really happy, others have trouble getting the heat to the higher levels. A lot depends on where the stove is placed and how open the stairwell is. Also, it seems that relatively airtight houses have problems as the warm air cannot displace the cold air upstairs. In older houses the warm air leaks out of the top level creating a stack effect that draws more air from the basement. Definitively, insulating the basement is a must in any case. How about a wood furnace as part of a central heating system?



Make another room at the other end with just cinder-block walls but well insulated against the room with the stove. That should keep it cool.
Placing a stove in the basement to heat the house form there gets mixed reviews here. Some people are really happy, others have trouble getting the heat to the higher levels. A lot depends on where the stove is placed and how open the stairwell is. Also, it seems that relatively airtight houses have problems as the warm air cannot displace the cold air upstairs. In older houses the warm air leaks out of the top level creating a stack effect that draws more air from the basement. Definitively, insulating the basement is a must in any case. How about a wood furnace as part of a central heating system?



Make another room at the other end with just cinder-block walls but well insulated against the room with the stove. That should keep it cool.

1: It's going to be a pretty tightly constructed home with good levels of insulation. To save space, the basement accessibility from within the house will most likely be a trap door- so leaving it open is not an option. I'll have those classic slanted double door access from the side of the house to get under to move big stuff in and out. For a central heating system, what would have to be done for that? Would I get a specific wood stove which is designed to be run as part of a centralized system, or would I just put one of the returns very close to the stove, or above it?

2: Possible, sure. We'll have to work out just how much storage for what kind of items we're talking about. Remember, we're trying to go off grid- which for us also means a large garden and tons of canning, drying, and who knows what else right now. But hey, we're still in the early planning. I'm trying to get as much good info as possible.
 
1: It's going to be a pretty tightly constructed home with good levels of insulation. To save space, the basement accessibility from within the house will most likely be a trap door- so leaving it open is not an option. I'll have those classic slanted double door access from the side of the house to get under to move big stuff in and out. For a central heating system, what would have to be done for that? Would I get a specific wood stove which is designed to be run as part of a centralized system, or would I just put one of the returns very close to the stove, or above it?

A trap door won't really work I fear. With wood furnace I mean something like this: http://www.econoburn.com/index.php/products/interior-ebw-100 Think of a central gas or oil furnace but powered by wood. How well that meshes with going off-grid I am not sure as you will need forced hot air to distribute the heat. On the other hand, the double doors to the outside will make feeding the furnace simple and keep the mess downstairs. At least some furnaces are designed to be added to a natural gas central system so you can burn wood if you want to and rely on the gas when needed.
 
If you are going off grid I would stick with a good convective stove on the main floor. The goal should be to eliminate the stove or furnace blower as a required power load.
 
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We are currently building a 1250 square foot home for a family of five. We decided to put the wood stove in the basement for several reasons. My wife does not like cold floors. I figured insulating the basement and heating from below would make the floors more comfortable. When working on the floor plan we could not find the space needed for a hearth in the main living area. It takes lots of space when building small. The last reason is to keep the mess in the basement. I plan to put a woodstock ideal steel in the basement. I will not know how well this setup works until next winter.
 
It can be done, particularly if you don't mind the basement being extra warm in order to have the main floor comfortable. Try to keep the stove centrally located near the open, wide staircase and have a 3 ft door at the top of the stairs.
 
Oh, I for sure see the benefits regarding in-basement heat, but with trap-door-only access to the basement, it's going to have to be incorporated into some kind of ventilation's return system if it's going to be down there at all.
 
Being a new house the efficiency should be good if not great. It should retain the heat without having an overnight burn. 4-5 burn should do fine. Agree with a small soapstone. Something with low clearances and small hearth.
 
Oh, I for sure see the benefits regarding in-basement heat, but with trap-door-only access to the basement, it's going to have to be incorporated into some kind of ventilation's return system if it's going to be down there at all.
This was in response to needshave. I'm not a big advocate of stoves in basements to heat upstairs, but for some folks it works.
 
If we have trouble getting the heat where it needs to go my backup plan is to put in a stove with a forced hot air system. For now I want to try it without the fans and sheet metal. We went with SIP paneled walls because of the great insulation properties everyone told us about. Hopefully it pays off.
 
You mean a wood furnace? That could be a challenge as your heating needs may be low. Your best bet would be to set up a convective flow. Start another thread on your setup and questions so that this one doesn't get hijacked.
 
I have a strong interest in "Tiny Houses" and also have a boat. I would suggest that you also look in the marine marketplace for small stoves. There has been quite a revival of wood stoves for the marine market (and probably helped by the smaller house market).

I have a friend with a 43 foot aluminum boat in Washington State that he heats with a Davy stove and finds Presto logs convenient. He has never lived in a house without wood heat, so he didn't know what else to do!!

http://marinestore.co.uk/Davey_Hot_Pot_Solid_Fuel_Stove.html

The are other small (and beautiful) wood stoves made in the San Juan Islands in Washington, too. http://www.marinestove.com

And here is a link to a small cooking stove: http://www.shipmatestove.com I had one of these years ago on another boat. Classic.

If you have a source of coal or even charcoal, this can extend burn time.

I would also recommend the book "The Warm Dry Boat." Lots on ventilation to keep things, well, dry.

http://www.captainsnautical.com/101...Warm-Dry-Boat-A-Handbook-for-Liveaboards.html

Here is a blog review of the book and includes lots of details about living in a cold, damp environment like the PNWest where I live.

Here is a blog post about keeping a boat dry in the arctic where this couple spend most of their time cruising:

http://www.morganscloud.com/2005/01/01/keeping-the-boat-interior-dry/
 
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There are nice small boat stoves, but I wouldn't want to heat their place with one. There aren't too many boats with a two story 880 ft interior.
 
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2: Possible, sure. We'll have to work out just how much storage for what kind of items we're talking about. Remember, we're trying to go off grid- which for us also means a large garden and tons of canning, drying, and who knows what else right now. But hey, we're still in the early planning. I'm trying to get as much good info as possible.

When digging the foundation, excavate a second smaller area near the house for food storage. No reason to have to store a winters worth of food in your economy size house. You could drop a shipping container in there for 3-5 grand and cover it with dirt. Kinda like the show 'Preppers'.

I don't know how much space I would want to devote to food storage in a 900 sqft house? That is the reason I suggest a dedicated granary. Make rotating/accessing foods easier, I would think.
Or the basement is in addition to the ~900 sqft? I guess it does just depend on how much stuff you're talking about and what stuff (some foods consolidate easier). And the other stuff in the basement to make the house 'civilized'.
 
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When digging the foundation, excavate a second smaller area near the house for food storage. No reason to have to store a winters worth of food in your economy size house. You could drop a shipping container in there for 3-5 grand and cover it with dirt. Kinda like the show 'Preppers'.

I don't know how much space I would want to devote to food storage in a 900 sqft house? That is the reason I suggest a dedicated granary. Make rotating/accessing foods easier, I would think.
Or the basement is in addition to the ~900 sqft? I guess it does just depend on how much stuff you're talking about and what stuff (some foods consolidate easier). And the other stuff in the basement to make the house 'civilized'.

shipping containers are engineered for stacking not side compression, forces, nor waterproofed for it.
 
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