AAAAhhhhhh the damn shoulder season.....

[Kyle19]

So.....hear i am the other night.....sitting on my couch....1t's 55-60 degrees at around 8PM.......i look at my brand new wood shed loaded with about 6 cords of BTU's ready to go........i got everything in order...newspapers piled up....kindling all ready.....but the problem is that its too damn warm so i decide to not have a fire. Fast forward to the next morning......around 6AM....i go outside and walk the dogs and its 42 Degrees My wife looks at me and says "How could You?????".........My kids walk by me chattering their teeth saying "Thanks alot Dad".....my two dogs even look at me in disgust as they lay down in front of the cold wood floor in front of the stove...... All because i didn't light the fire the night before..... I hate the shoulder season......so hard to figure out!

 

[jeff_t]

88 here yesterday.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

After you experience many "shoulder seasons" you'll adjust. I've gone many nights without a fire when it gets down to 40 but then some other nights you need a fire at that temperature. It usually depends upon how much sun you've had during the day. More sun = more warmup inside the house. More warmup from sun = less firewood you need to burn. Around here, if it is still comfortable when we are ready to hit the sack, the stove stays cold.

Save that firewood for when it is really needed. And what's this about chattering teeth at 42 degrees?! That is chilly but certainly not cold.

 

[Flatbedford]

Tell them its gonna be 80 °F or more the next few days. I just noticed you are in Westchester County too. I'm just outside Croton on Hudson. Where are you?

 

[Danno77]

well, there it is, the only time a horribly undersized stove is a benefit. Since I just supplement my gas furnace with the wood stove it means that shoulder season is about the only time of the year that the stove is cranked on high and can heat the whole place.

So, maybe that's your solution swap in a tiny woodstove and let her rip late at night. perfect if you were looking for a reason to buy another stove and have two in your house.

 

[Steve M]

Save that firewood for when it is really needed. And what's this about chattering teeth at 42 degrees?! That is chilly but certainly not cold.

Cant speak for Kyle but for me 42F. does seem cold in September. Move onto Feb. and I would be in a T-shirt enjoying the heat wave.

 

[firefighterjake]

Ah, I don't know . . . I don't mind shoulder season . . . I get to light a single fire every day and enjoy the novelty of lighting a fire and getting some heat . . . but I don't have to empty the ash pan as frequently, deal with the real bitter cold and snow or have to keep the stove going 24/7.

Sure, starting it up every day from scratch can get old . . . although I think of it as practice.

As for the heat . . . well 42 degrees F is a bit cool here . . . my wife and I tend to like the house 66-72 degrees F . . . and that's pretty much where I keep it by just doing a single fire in the morning or evening . . . warms the place up to temp and then with the warmer temps in the day and decent insulation the house stays that temp for close to 24 hours before dropping a bit . . . and then I do another fire and we're back up and running.

 

[ansehnlich1]

Ain't no where near temps for woodburnin round here!

 

[Kyle19]

I should clarify that it really wasn't that cold....is was just my loving family making me feel as if it was in the morning...sweatshirts will do them just fine....we don't need a fire every night...not yet anyway

 

[maplewood]

Ah, I don't know . . . I don't mind shoulder season . . . I get to light a single fire every day and enjoy the novelty of lighting a fire and getting some heat . . . but I don't have to empty the ash pan as frequently, deal with the real bitter cold and snow or have to keep the stove going 24/7.

Sure, starting it up every day from scratch can get old . . . although I think of it as practice.

As for the heat . . . well 42 degrees F is a bit cool here . . . my wife and I tend to like the house 66-72 degrees F . . . and that's pretty much where I keep it by just doing a single fire in the morning or evening . . . warms the place up to temp and then with the warmer temps in the day and decent insulation the house stays that temp for close to 24 hours before dropping a bit . . . and then I do another fire and we're back up and running.

+1.
I tell my wife and kids, "I'd rather have a small fire on, and be too warm, and you open a window to cool off, than to have you cold and walking around with a blanket wrapped around your shoulders". I'll admit that if we managed our windows (when to open and when to close them) better, we'd probably keep the house at a more temperate level, but I too like to light a small fire. I've got some softwood ready just for this time of year, so it's no surprise or hardship to use it.

 

[John_M]

During the shoulder season I don't worry too much about daytime temperatures when it is sunny, dry and chilly. However, when it is raining or cloudy and windy and chilly I'll light a small fire around 4:40 or 5:00 PM just to take the chill off. I usually burn four of the smaller splits and/or some of the cookies and chunks. That, and a hooded sweat shirt work conveniently and comfortably for me.
John_M

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I wish it was cooler its 90 here right now. It was 65 when I started splitting and was 86 when I was done with the last of what I have here.

Billy

 

[Uper]

[quote author="Cowboy Billy" date="1285281450"]I wish it was cooler its 90 here right now. It was 65 when I started splitting and was 86 when I was done with the last of what I have here.

Over at your 120 acres it's about 56 and raining right now!

 

[Cowboy Billy]

Thanks Uper

I knew I should have covered my lumber pile! Looks like I need to get the woodstove built for the barn so I can stay in there and dry out my wood and watch the rain.

Billy

 

[ckarotka]

84 here today. Overnight it's suposed to drop to 60 and stay there all week with nights in the mid to upper 40's. If it's wet and cloudy or the house drops below 65 I'll light a fire. One load will do for 24 hours if I light it around 6-7 once the sun goes down.