Confused - need sizing advice...

[ilya]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading and following this forum for quite a bit now and finding it extremely useful and informative.

Of course the more info you gather the more confused you get lol

I'm in the process of finishing the basement which will be pretty well insulated. I'm looking to get a wood stove and a through the wall chimney and need some advice on sizing.

The finished part of the basement is about 1250 sq. feet. It's primarily divided into two large open sections and the stove will be by the short wall pretty much in between the areas.

My requirements are primarily on the ambience so not sure if catalytic stoves would work or not. I really like the views of Osburn 1800 and 2200 with bay windows but Lopi Rockport appeals quite a bit as well. I've read a lot about BK's on this forum and love the idea of long burn times as well as the looks of Ashford but just not sure if the ambience of the fire would fit into my requirements. Ideally of course, I would like the stove to not only serve as ambient fire source but also to heat the basement as well as act as a supplement heating to the first floor of the house. The stove will be placed literally facing the staircase to the first floor so the heat would naturally travel to the first floor when the staircase door is open.

My concern with the sizing is that my couch will be placed a couple of feet away from the stove so I'm trying to get the golden middle of not burning myself out when watching TV and heating the space up/create the ambiance. Please find attached the sketch of the basement. Forgive me in advance as I'm no artist

When looking at specs of the stoves, should I be staying around 1200-1300 sq. foot sizing or go up to like 1800-2000 sq. foot stoves if not more?

Thanks in advance,

Ilya

 

[Dobish]

i would go with a cat stove... we sit a few feet from ours when it is cruising, and don't really have an issue. Even with a cat stove, you can still have small hot fires, or let it roll slowly.

just looked at your pictures... i would think about moving the stove location, or the tv location. You don't want to sit there and stare at the stove when you should be watching TV.

 

[ilya]

i would go with a cat stove... we sit a few feet from ours when it is cruising, and don't really have an issue. Even with a cat stove, you can still have small hot fires, or let it roll slowly.

just looked at your pictures... i would think about moving the stove location, or the tv location. You don't want to sit there and stare at the stove when you should be watching TV.

Thank you for the feedback.

Any opinion on the Rockport vs. Ashford?
Also what size should I be considering?



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[ilya]

i would go with a cat stove... we sit a few feet from ours when it is cruising, and don't really have an issue. Even with a cat stove, you can still have small hot fires, or let it roll slowly.

just looked at your pictures... i would think about moving the stove location, or the tv location. You don't want to sit there and stare at the stove when you should be watching TV.

Btw, it's a nice looking stove you have there. Which one is it?

 

[bfitz3]

i would go with a cat stove... we sit a few feet from ours when it is cruising, and don't really have an issue. Even with a cat stove, you can still have small hot fires, or let it roll slowly.

just looked at your pictures... i would think about moving the stove location, or the tv location. You don't want to sit there and stare at the stove when you should be watching TV.

I have to disagree. People shouldn't watch tv when they could be watching a nice fire with friends and conversation. ...just an opinion.

 

[Niko]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading and following this forum for quite a bit now and finding it extremely useful and informative.

Of course the more info you gather the more confused you get lol

I'm in the process of finishing the basement which will be pretty well insulated. I'm looking to get a wood stove and a through the wall chimney and need some advice on sizing.

The finished part of the basement is about 1250 sq. feet. It's primarily divided into two large open sections and the stove will be by the short wall pretty much in between the areas.

My requirements are primarily on the ambience so not sure if catalytic stoves would work or not. I really like the views of Osburn 1800 and 2200 with bay windows but Lopi Rockport appeals quite a bit as well. I've read a lot about BK's on this forum and love the idea of long burn times as well as the looks of Ashford but just not sure if the ambience of the fire would fit into my requirements. Ideally of course, I would like the stove to not only serve as ambient fire source but also to heat the basement as well as act as a supplement heating to the first floor of the house. The stove will be placed literally facing the staircase to the first floor so the heat would naturally travel to the first floor when the staircase door is open.

My concern with the sizing is that my couch will be placed a couple of feet away from the stove so I'm trying to get the golden middle of not burning myself out when watching TV and heating the space up/create the ambiance. Please find attached the sketch of the basement. Forgive me in advance as I'm no artist

When looking at specs of the stoves, should I be staying around 1200-1300 sq. foot sizing or go up to like 1800-2000 sq. foot stoves if not more?

Thanks in advance,

Ilya

any stove can be turned up to create a ambiance but then your gonna get hot. you can buy a smaller stove or bigger one just control how much wood you put in it.

putting in a stove aint cheap even if you do the work yourself a couple grand easy and up. Their are a lot of pretty stoves you can get, I liked how the Osbourne 2400 looks, but after doing research I just went into another direction.

don't rush into anything and do some homework. you might like ambiance now but later on you might want something else..

 

[ilya]

Thanks everyone for your responses!


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[mark cline]

Is your L shaped couch , sectional ? If so I would put the corner at the other end . This way you can see the fire and TV. I would not want a couch that close to a hot fire. Problem with a basement install is, the floor most likely is not insulated , so you are constantly loosing heat to the floor. It will always be cold and about 4-5 ft up hot as hell . In my log home I have my Fisher Grandma Bear in the basement (about 1200 sq ft ) that has 2" of foam board insulation under the slab . When I get the floor warmed up (usually about 10 degrees less than air temp.) I cut way back on the wood use and the temp. evens out so there isn't the hot/ cold layer. A fan at the top of the stairs , blowing down to the stove , will help to move warm air up.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I have a really big sectional placed similarly close to the stove. In fact when I mocked up the hearth extension the couch was actually over the corner of the hearth. I had a big fish tank against the wall and then the couch in front of it. I had to pull out the fish tank and slide the couch back, the fish tanks was 2' deep, so It's not like I moved the couch a lot just 2' or so. I find it fine, the sides usually don't get nearly as warm as the rest, especially on my Woodstock that has 2 layers of steel and 2 layers of soapstone along with two convective air gaps between about an inch or so. Maybe some other stoves will get much hotter on the sides.

You could rotate the couch instead of being against both walls, just have the short end against the wall at the bottom and the long end going across the room to kind block off that corner. You could then slide the stove over some and fit both stove and tv side by side that way you could watch both. Just brainstorrming, that would make it a bit more difficult to carry wood to the stove and have to go around the couch. But your proposed config does resemble mine except that my tv is on same wall as stove - above the stove above the mantle.

Just to throw it out there the Woodstock hybrids have a really nice fire show but can also be turned down to longer catalytic burns. Aesthetics are a personal thing, if you want a nice porcelain enameled cast iron gothic looking stove you'll have to look elsewhere, if you like cast iron and soapstone the Progress Hybrid is a nice looking and performing stove. I went with the Ideal Steel for the larger firebox and finer air control - it's a relatively square steel box so not the prettiest stove out of the box but for just a little more money you can customize it with some options that give it some interest, I even provided my own artwork for a mountain scene on the sides. Also even at a little over 3 cubic feet firebox I don't think I'd have any hesitation putting it in a 1250 sqft basement, especially if you are also planning on heating the upstairs, it can be run pretty low and still burn clean, but can crank it up when needed. If you're heating from basement I'd always figure more heat than you think you need.

 

[Dobish]

I have to disagree. People shouldn't watch tv when they could be watching a nice fire with friends and conversation. ...just an opinion.

that was actually what I meant to say

my stove is Vermont Castings Encore 2n1.

 

[NoobTube]

If you are looking for ambiance and a nice look, would you consider a soapstone stove? I think the Woodstock stoves look pretty nice if you are going for that kind of look. If you are looking for a more low heat but long burn times, the BK Ashford or Sirocco is a great option.

Another pretty stove that I think has great options is the Jotul F500. It can side load and comes in an array of enamels.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like cast-iron clad steel stoves would be worth considering. Their sides do not get blazing hot. Look at the Quadrafire Explorer II, PE Alderlea T5, Jotul F45 and Napoleon 1400c(or 1600)c, for examples.

 

[ilya]

Thanks to everyone for recommendations!


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[yooper08]

Having a basement install myself, I'd go larger. The actual living space is about 2200 sqft and I went with one capable of 2100. I definitely can't heat the entire house but probably close to 3/4. When I want to heat the upstairs decently, the basement will be in the 80-83 range, which in all honesty feels pretty good when it's cold out. I used to be one that felt 68 was warm in the winter. But hit the 80s in the summer and the AC is on.

There's a few ways to manage heat output if you don't want to roast one day but want to heat upstairs another.

 

[weatherguy]

How much square feet do you have upstairs.

 

[ilya]

How much square feet do you have upstairs.

Basement is 1200 sq. Feet.

I have about 1600-1800 sq. Feet on the main floor and the second floor about 1400 sq. feet. I suspect that the heat coming out of the basement will pass the 1st floor and go to the second since the door is adjacent to grand foyer.


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[Woody Stover]

Is the heating system zoned for different areas of the house?

 

[ilya]

Is the heating system zoned for different areas of the house?

Yes the main and the second floors have separate zones for forced air heating and cooling.

I'm not looking for the stove to heat to whole house.

Priorities are as following:

1. ambience for the basement
2. Supplemental or maybe become primary heat for basement (forced air heating also in place)
3. Supplemental heat for main floor of the house since the floors are not insulated and the basement door will draft the warm air up

My plan today is not to run the unit 24/7 but only when there's a desire. If course it may quickly change once I start using it and I see gas saving improvements



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[Woody Stover]

My plan today is not to run the unit 24/7 but only when there's a desire. If course it may quickly change once I start using it and I see gas saving improvements

Better go big...that way you won't be second-guessing it when you see gas savings. I might go for a non-cat...nice secondary flame action and quick heat when you decide to fire up. I'd check out begreen's suggestions of jacketed stoves in post #12, but maybe look at the bigger versions like the T6, etc. I imagine you've got a lot of stove dealers within distance so that you can see 'em close up. Try to find out about the blowers, if they are quiet. You don't want a loud blower right there next to you. I would check out ash-handling, and ask about it here...shoveling 'em out might not appeal to you, like it doesn't appeal to me. I think they say the PEs like the T6, ash system is pretty much un-usable.

 

[jeff_t]

Do you have a plan for getting wood to the basement? Just asking. Carrying it through the house and down the steps is a PITA.

 

[ilya]

Do you have a plan for getting wood to the basement? Just asking. Carrying it through the house and down the steps is a PITA.

Yeah, that's my plan as that is the only way... I don't have a dedicated entrance into the basement from the backyard.
For my living room heatilator, I usually bring in 2-3 evenings worth of seasoned wood from the outside and then repeat the process.

 

[Woody Stover]

You will have to put a wood chute in the wall, unless you think a loaded donkey can fit down the stairs.

 

[NoobTube]

You will have to put a wood chute in the wall, unless you think a loaded donkey can fit down the stairs.

Agree with this. You could make a bin in your utility room (if it has a window in it) create a chute and just chuck them in: Like this: