I figured I needed a mason chimney, but then when I was reading reviews on some stoves, someone mentioned something about a pipe instead of a mason chimney. What exactly do I need done if I am having a woodstove? And do I need special supports under my floor? I will have a two story home and I plan on putting the wood stove on the first level of the home. I know some put them in the basement, but I read that it won't heat the 2nd floor if we do that. Any advice is appreciated, thank you!
Building a new house, chimney or pipe?
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where does the pipe vent out, through the roof or through the wall or what? Not sure on the hearth... I was originally planning on a masonry heater, but I decided last minute that I can't justify the cost. They are starting excavating on wednesday and I am starting to panic with last minute decisions. what should I do? Do you have any pictures of how things should be set up?
I'm starting a house soon with a corner woodstove, mounted on a raised hearth. I'm reinforcing the floor. My pipe is going straight up through a chase in a corner of a second floor bedroom and attic, and out the roof. All pipe, no masonry.
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I went to our new land today and found out that it has been logged and there are no good trees left for burning, hence not being able to justify the masonry heater cost. But, I do want to make sure I have an alternative heat source when the power goes out.
so, do I have my general contractor put this in, or do I need to find someone else to put this pipe in? I'm sorry, this is all new to me and I don't really know how it all works.
as for a hearth, could I put in a rectangle of bricks on the floor and place the stove on that?
so, do I have my general contractor put this in, or do I need to find someone else to put this pipe in? I'm sorry, this is all new to me and I don't really know how it all works.
as for a hearth, could I put in a rectangle of bricks on the floor and place the stove on that?
where should I look for a specialist? should I go to a wood stove place or is there specific words I should plug into google? my contractor rarely ever builds a house with a chimney. all his houses are modern houses, so I am the odd one out 
as for a stove, I"ve noticed most stoves have a blower. if the power goes out, will the stove still work with the blower not getting electricity? or is there a specific type of stove I should get that will work great without the power going out?
as for a stove, I"ve noticed most stoves have a blower. if the power goes out, will the stove still work with the blower not getting electricity? or is there a specific type of stove I should get that will work great without the power going out?
Also, as for the trees on the land.... they apparently cut all the good ones, however there are tons of dead trees that need to be cut down. can these be used at all, or are they for the bonfire only?
After much research, I decided on a Woodstock ideal hybrid steel soapstone stove. They are built in West Lebanon, NH. I took factory tour there in July. Very friendly & helpful folks.
The stove needs only wood & a match. My intention is the woodstove does most of the work, with forced air propane heat supplementing on the coldest days. And if the power fails, I won't freeze to death.
I'm in the White Mountains, but the way.
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The stove needs only wood & a match. My intention is the woodstove does most of the work, with forced air propane heat supplementing on the coldest days. And if the power fails, I won't freeze to death.
I'm in the White Mountains, but the way.
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firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Many people associate traditional block/brick chimneys with wood burning . . . probably due to all the pictures and paintings we've seen over the years showing the traditional block/brick chimney with smoke curling out of the top . . . or due to our past experiences with older homes and wood burning stoves. But yes . . . Class A I would guess is the preferred method here due to its durability.
Special supports for the flooring . . . most woodstoves will not need any special support, unless a) the stove is especially heavy or b) the home was built with sub-standard flooring (I had a co-worker who was living in a home with a floor built out of 2 x 4s for example). The hearth pad you will need to buy or build will re-distribute quite a bit of the weight of the stove.
"Heat where you spend most of your time" is my mantra when it comes to placing a stove . . . if possible of course. The most direct benefit is having the bulk of the heat warm up the space where you spend most of your time . . . but being able to watch the fire, easily know when to re-load, etc. is definitely another benefit of having a woodstove in the living space vs. in the basement.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Either way . . . roof or through the wall. If I was building new I would give some serious consideration to a straight shot up through the roof for the best draft . . . but you can also go out through the wall as I have with no ill effects.
No need to panic if they are just beginning to excavate . . . you will not have to make a decision on the chimney until you decide where the woodstove will be and even then you will not have to worry until they get ready to do the second floor and roof (if you go straight up and out vs. out and up).
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
where should I look for a specialist? should I go to a wood stove place or is there specific words I should plug into google? my contractor rarely ever builds a house with a chimney. all his houses are modern houses, so I am the odd one out
as for a stove, I"ve noticed most stoves have a blower. if the power goes out, will the stove still work with the blower not getting electricity? or is there a specific type of stove I should get that will work great without the power going out?
Your contractor may or may not be able to do the install . . . many chimney sweeps and most reputable woodstove shops however would be a better bet. If you opt to go straight up and out though you may want to involve them early on in the building process so the general contractor can make allowances for the chimney passing through the second floor and roof.
Actually, I wouldn't say most stoves have blowers. Some stoves have blowers. All pellet stoves have blowers. But many stoves do not come with a blower or sell it as an add on. In my case I considered a blower, but the dealer actually suggested I wait and see if I needed one to save some money. I use a cheap table top fan set on the floor to move the heated air through the home. When we lose power we just have to let the heat move about naturally.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Dead trees -- as long as they are not punky -- are good for wood. One needs to be especially careful when cutting them down though as they sometimes tend to break or drop large branches which can be dangerous.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Yes . . . there are several brands sold there that folks have had good experiences with . . . you may wish to expand your search as well and look at other manufacturers as well though to see what you like . . . and remember to size the stove to your home. In general I advise figuring out the size of your home and then going one stove size larger . . . but depending on your new home's insulation and design you may be fine with matching the size of the stove to the home.
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
As mentioned earlier you could possibly use the wood on your lot -- the dead wood. If this is just for an alternative heat source you could also buy firewood as there are all kinds of firewood dealers ranging from the professional to the unemployed guy down the street who tacks up an index card at the local general store selling firewood.
As for the hearth . . . you need to match the hearth to the stove. Some stoves only require ember protection meaning that technically you could put down some sheet metal, granite or even tempered glass and it would be fine . . . other stoves have strict insulation (R value) requirements which may mean using special materials to achieve the needed R value. In any case, just putting down a rectangle of bricks on the floor would not meet either requirement unless the floor underneath was cement or the bricks were mortared together . . . and even then it would meet any stoves with ember protection requirements but may or may not meet the R value requirement of other stoves -- again it depends on the stove.
a lot of very helpful advice, thank you so much. The floor plan has a place for where a chimney would go, which would put it in the living room, which is fine by me. Once I figure out what stove we want, then I will look into what hearth to build. I will call the stove shops to find out if they do the chimney installs.
I originally wanted wood heat as my primary heat source, however now that there isn't much usable wood on the lot, I can't imagine paying to buy wood. maybe I can find people getting rid of stuff. my dad cut down a tree a few weeks ago, he said I could take it with me when we move out of here. so that's one tree! haha. as for the standing dead trees, I didn't look to see what kind they were. I pushed one down for fun when I was walking through, it was dead in the ground. I don't know if a fire went through there at some point or what, but the trees aren't big at all and they are all dead. it is kind of a bummer, however it will be very easy to make that sledding hill I promised my kids.
As for me, I hate winters because I am always freezing and can't warm up. the idea of being able to burn wood when I am frozen, is a big bonus to me
I originally wanted wood heat as my primary heat source, however now that there isn't much usable wood on the lot, I can't imagine paying to buy wood. maybe I can find people getting rid of stuff. my dad cut down a tree a few weeks ago, he said I could take it with me when we move out of here. so that's one tree! haha. as for the standing dead trees, I didn't look to see what kind they were. I pushed one down for fun when I was walking through, it was dead in the ground. I don't know if a fire went through there at some point or what, but the trees aren't big at all and they are all dead. it is kind of a bummer, however it will be very easy to make that sledding hill I promised my kids.
As for me, I hate winters because I am always freezing and can't warm up. the idea of being able to burn wood when I am frozen, is a big bonus to me
sportbikerider78
Minister of Fire
A bit aside the point, but I hope you got a very good deal on the land as it was freshly logged. Logging right before sale can be a common practice.
Just understand that if you have hardwoods and selective logging, you can easily pull $300-500 per acre. All I'm saying is that you should know your new properties logging value and how much it was diminished by logging before buying the property.
You hate winter and you live in Maine? I don't mind the cold, but I really was cold in Maine. Big difference between 10F and -10F. LOL
Just understand that if you have hardwoods and selective logging, you can easily pull $300-500 per acre. All I'm saying is that you should know your new properties logging value and how much it was diminished by logging before buying the property.
You hate winter and you live in Maine? I don't mind the cold, but I really was cold in Maine. Big difference between 10F and -10F. LOL
I have a problem with my thyroid, so I get chilled very easily and then can't warm up. I do love maine though, just can't tolerate the cold well.
As for the land, we had chosen a different property which we were supposed to close on in July. there was a problem with the title and it had to go through the appeals board in the town. however, the appeals board would not review it until the end of september. we sold our house and have been living in a camper at my parents house since the beginning of july. winter is coming and we need to get into a home stat. so, we had to choose an alternative piece of property. my friend needed to sell a piece of property stat so they wouldn't foreclose on it, so they did give us a good deal... however I didn't realize that they had it logged prior to selling it. I didn't walk the entire property at the time, because we were buying it either way, we had to buy something and the price and location was right. It wasn't until yesterday that I went out there to mark where I wanted the house to go, that I decided to walk out back to find the brook. that's when I realized the tree problem.
As for the land, we had chosen a different property which we were supposed to close on in July. there was a problem with the title and it had to go through the appeals board in the town. however, the appeals board would not review it until the end of september. we sold our house and have been living in a camper at my parents house since the beginning of july. winter is coming and we need to get into a home stat. so, we had to choose an alternative piece of property. my friend needed to sell a piece of property stat so they wouldn't foreclose on it, so they did give us a good deal... however I didn't realize that they had it logged prior to selling it. I didn't walk the entire property at the time, because we were buying it either way, we had to buy something and the price and location was right. It wasn't until yesterday that I went out there to mark where I wanted the house to go, that I decided to walk out back to find the brook. that's when I realized the tree problem.
sportbikerider78
Minister of Fire
Sounds like you got a great deal in a stressful situation. That rarely happens..so thats a great thing.
Also, as for the trees on the land.... they apparently cut all the good ones, however there are tons of dead trees that need to be cut down. can these be used at all, or are they for the bonfire only?
Sounds like the owner "high graded" the lot before selling it. The best thing for the property is to make sure it grows back properly. Unfortunately most folks don't have the patience to work with the land as its long term effort. If the trees are standing dead and are not white birches, you have a couple of years to deal with them. If they are fallen over but up off the ground they can wait for a bit. Anything on the ground is going to rot quicker so that's the priority. You didn't say the size of the lot but there may be free resources to help you plan on how to improve your lot. The cooperative extension https://extension.umaine.edu/ is the place to start.
If you are in southern Maine it is important to make sure that your lot doesn't get impacted by invasive plants, they are more of an issue in more urban areas and unfortunately if they are in the area they are sometimes the first to move in.
With respect to masonry versus SS flue, no contest go with the SS.
Sounds like the owner "high graded" the lot before selling it. The best thing for the property is to make sure it grows back properly. Unfortunately most folks don't have the patience to work with the land as its long term effort. If the trees are standing dead and are not white birches, you have a couple of years to deal with them. If they are fallen over but up off the ground they can wait for a bit. Anything on the ground is going to rot quicker so that's the priority. You didn't say the size of the lot but there may be free resources to help you plan on how to improve your lot. The cooperative extension https://extension.umaine.edu/ is the place to start.
If you are in southern Maine it is important to make sure that your lot doesn't get impacted by invasive plants, they are more of an issue in more urban areas and unfortunately if they are in the area they are sometimes the first to move in.
With respect to masonry versus SS flue, no contest go with the SS.
One of the multitude of things I learned on this forum is to go with double-wall, insulated stainless steel chimney pipe.
Other materials seem to eventually cause problems. Also, counter intuitively, double-wall, insulated pipe is better than triple-wall pipe.
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Other materials seem to eventually cause problems. Also, counter intuitively, double-wall, insulated pipe is better than triple-wall pipe.
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I went and talked to one stove place today. they want 3500 to put in a steel chimney and install the stove, does that sound right? I would have to buy a stove and the hearth on top of that price.
As for the land, it is 6 acres with a brook on the back of the lot. What invasive plants other than japanese knotweed, do you think could set up shop here? I thought about turning a good size of it into pasture and getting some animals at some point, but I am not 100% on that yet.
As for the land, it is 6 acres with a brook on the back of the lot. What invasive plants other than japanese knotweed, do you think could set up shop here? I thought about turning a good size of it into pasture and getting some animals at some point, but I am not 100% on that yet.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
Oh boy, sounds like you really do NEED a wood stove! You may be surprised how much wood you can scrounge up if you put the word out and keep your eyes n ears open...many here do not own the land they cut from, or rely completely on people wanting rid of a tree here n there. If you have any tree services nearby, you may be able to get friendly with them, many of them are lookin for a place to get rid of wood without having to pay...easy access for them to back in and dump is the key to keeping them happy, well, that and taking whatever they bring you, even if it is not always premium firewood fuel. An occasional case of their favorite libations can "grease the wheels" too.
Even if you have to buy some wood, it is generally cheaper then heating with fossil fuel (even though NG is unusually low right now) Quite a few people here like to buy a log truck full of logs delivered to your property to cut/split at your leisure. Prices vary but it seems $750-$900 per load is common, that buys you 8-10 cords of wood which should last you ~2 years with a stove...especially if you use the stove for supplement heat to the furnace.
Sound a lil high for a new construction install...unless that includes everything, labor, materials, stove, everything. Then that sounds like a deal.
Oh, and I'd run the pipe straight up through the roof, easy to clean and offers the best draft too.
Agreed. With new construction, most of the work is assembly, as long as they get in there at the right time.
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Well for new construction class a chimney is definitely the cheapest fastest and easiest to do and it preforms very well also. But as long as you are not in an area where earthquakes are an issue I feel a stainless lined masonry chimney is more durable and will preform just as well. All that being said if I was building from scratch I would probably go class a. $3500 could be a good price or could be really high it all depends on the details like type of pipe height of chimney ect ect.
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