Complete novice here

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
If it were me, I might think about removing the top and just keeping a portion of the stonework on the bottom as a hearth, and putting a free-standing stove on it...
may not be a bad idea. Honestly I doubt it is solid masonry. But who knows people have done stranger things.
 
When you say solid masonry, what exactly do you mean? It is blocks of stone laid in courses with mortar.
Yes but what is behind them? I can see the face is masonry but is that entire mass masonry or is that veneer stove over a framed structure?
 
Ah, I see. I don't think it is a solid block.
well you have to find that out. That is why I said that you may have clearance issues if that is built over combustible framing it could be very dangerous if you don't know that. Just because it is covered in masonry does not mean it is a non combustible wall. enough heat can still transfer through to cause a fire.
 
Yes, good to know.
Knowing that could also change your choice of stoves greatly. Newer stoves have much smaller clearance requirements. If that is built over wood an old stove probably cannot be safely used there without some major modifications.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Woody Stover
How about this an option?

http://stockton.craigslist.org/for/5889520656.html

I'm thinking that removing the masonry isn't completely out of the question. Maybe the front wall and the top leaving an alcove.
I looked at this Craig's List ad and I myself wouldn't buy a stove made in Taiwan just for the fact that it may be hard to find new tubes etc. plus I don't think it had glass and I like to watch the fire from time to time and it makes it easy to see if a log is off to the side and not burning well during low fire times when it's not real cold out. I do like how they state on the label that when this sucker is red hot, you may be over firing it! Lol! Yes indeed then maybe you should cut back on the thin pieces of very dry pallet wood and cut back on the air! Haha lol.

Also, I didn't see a efficiency spec on this stove , cuz it wasn't tested in North America and who knows if it's catalytic or advanced burn tuune type. Do not get a smoke dragon from the old days. And.... some times home owners insurance will ask for proof that your stove be UL listed. They did for me and a neighbor cabin stove a few houses down so he had to buy a new stove that was UL listed. Maybe something to think about? Chow!
 
Last edited:
1.8 cu ft firebox on that one. Next size up is 3.5 cu ft firebox for a little more. Which one would be better? Because you kind of already know you have a lot of thermal mass in an open house design with a cathedral ceiling, I wonder if the bigger one would be better? Maybe someone can give you some advice.
 
I don't have anywhere close to the experience of most of the posters here, but I did just go through the process of choosing a new stove and getting it installed. One thing I will say that others will probably echo is to get more stove than you think you will need if your goal is to heat with wood. Newer stoves are easy to dial back, but if you are out and about and come home to a cold house it would be awfully nice to have the ability to heat it up faster. You also won't have to load the stove or fool with it as much and you can come home to a warm house.

Better to have extra BTU's available and not use it than to need it and not have it.

Just my 02 and best of luck!
 
I have a chance to get this

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Englander-1-800-sq-ft-Wood-Burning-Stove-13-NCH/100157775

with the blower for a decent price. Somebody had mentioned Englander earlier in the thread. Do you think this could be a good solution?
The Englander 13NC is almost the same size as the Lopi Answer. A good heater, but I would go larger.
The larger Englander (Summer's Heat) Madison 50 SSW01 would be a better choice.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Summers-Heat-2-000-sq-ft-Wood-Stove/999918844
 
I have a chance to get this

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Englander-1-800-sq-ft-Wood-Burning-Stove-13-NCH/100157775

with the blower for a decent price. Somebody had mentioned Englander earlier in the thread. Do you think this could be a good solution?
A 3.5 CF fire box might seem big for your climate but it's nice to have the room to place logs in it easier and you don't need to have a big fire in it if it's mild out. And if it doesn't have a blower with it and you can't swing getting both right away then use the stove without it for the first season then get the blower the next winter. I'd go bigger than what your looking at...
 
Last edited:
I got the summers heat 2000. Really only use the auto set back if I reload while I'm doing something else so if I get side tracked it's there for a backup. You do only need spark and ember protection not r value with it. Not sure if yours is all stone or what's under the stone so that maybe something to think about. If it's just a veneer over wood you probably don't have the R value for some stoves. So definitely make that a factor in your decision and do some investigating. But I must admit if I get my barn up this summer the englander/summers heat might move out there and new blaze king move in the house. Burn times are nice. While I don't mind cutting and splitting wood I don't have access to it like some of these gentlemen
 
The main thing I'm worried about is the stove being able to push hot air all around the cabin. Would the HD one which says it can heat 2,400 sq ft be better at that then the Lowes which heats 2,000 sq ft?

I've redone all of the windows and have brand new insulation in the walls so I'm pretty confident that the house is locked down...other than the open fire which I'll be taking care of.
 
IMG_1034.JPG
The main thing I'm worried about is the stove being able to push hot air all around the cabin. Would the HD one which says it can heat 2,400 sq ft be better at that then the Lowes which heats 2,000 sq ft?

I've redone all of the windows and have brand new insulation in the walls so I'm pretty confident that the house is locked down...other than the open fire which I'll be taking care of.
How cold does it get there during the winter? Up here it gets very cold at times, it depends on how bad the winter is but at times it gets as cold as -20 to -40f but right now it's 12 out and more typical... My medium 2.7 cf stove heats the place fairly well but the furnace will have to kick in if it gets very cold. The great room where my stove is, I like to keep it at 65-68. With that the back bedrooms will be around 60-62 but that's fine as I sleep better when it's cool and if I need more warmth I turn on the heated mattress pad.

PS, my place is well insulated and tight. It is 3400 sq ft but the full 1300 sq foot basement isn't actively heated and stays around 55 during the winter.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The main thing I'm worried about is the stove being able to push hot air all around the cabin. Would the HD one which says it can heat 2,400 sq ft be better at that then the Lowes which heats 2,000 sq ft?

I've redone all of the windows and have brand new insulation in the walls so I'm pretty confident that the house is locked down...other than the open fire which I'll be taking care of.

Look at the btu's & the fire-box size, not the "sq.ft" figure (which is a totally relative figure).
As others have mentioned, do pay attention to the "R" requirement for the hearth. I like the stoves that just require spark protection, as that pretty much means that more attention was paid to the design of the stove.
 
Last edited:
https://m.lowes.com/pd/Summers-Heat-2-400-sq-ft-Wood-Stove/999918850
Lowe's has a summers heat that's 2400 Sq ft but may have to order. Ship to store is usually free. While they are both made by englander stove and both good stoves but the englander 30 needs a r-value of 1.5 which I'm not sure you have

For one of the more inexpensive (less than $1000) wood stoves, this one has a lot going for it
--fan
--reasonable clearances
--spark & ember protection only for the hearth
 
It won't be long and the wood stoves will be on sale or on clearance for the end of the season. I'd guess within the next 6-8 weeks. But yes the Summers Heat stove above looks like a winner.
 
Last edited: