New stove owner hopelessly confused

Ditchmonkey said:

I wonder if anyone has a comment on my #3 above about the rock pad alignment?

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For any stove you are seriously considering, get online and download their owner's manual. It will give you exact clearances (front, back, sides, and how much protection is needed beneath the stove). Almost every stove is different, so general answers won't help you.

begreen said:

Don't rely too heavily on sq ftg numbers.

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THIS. Our stove is rated for way more sq than our house size.

Ditchmonkey said:

Thanks for all the advice. Given that we live in a climate that is often mild, and we don't want to be blasted out of our family room by a hot stove, would the milder heat of a soapstone stove be a good choice? Do soapstone owners find the stoves more comfortable to be near?

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You're unlikely to be blasted out of the room by by a soapstone stove. With average wood (ie, not as dry as some but better than most), I find the usual cruising temp for a fully loaded Hearthstone Heritage to be around 500. My cats lounge around on the hearth right next to it. I throw off a sweater or two and relax in an easy chair 6 or 8 feet away with a glass 'o something in the evenings.

One thing to keep in mind about cat versus non-cat is the non-cat always gives a terrific visual show, whereas I gather from reading here that when the cat stoves are cranking, the flames basically disappear.