A few months ago, the wife and I decided we wanted a wood stove again having had a couple before in our old house. We always enjoyed the warmth they put out and where we were located we found that the power would go out a few times in the winter leaving things cold as can be. This was twenty five years ago and where we live now (Boise Idaho) we have less of the power loss problem. We still worry about losing the power especially with the state of the World. We found that stoves have changed a lot and we had to reeducate ourselves on what to buy. I set down and started looking at every stove made and with so many choices I had to build a spread sheet to put all of the data down and to remember what I had looked at. I asked for opinions on this website which was a great asset. I found out about stoves, their quality, their weaknesses and company history. No place else provided this kind of information. I thank you all for your help.
Our needs were to have a stove in our daylight basement that would heat the whole 3100 sq ft. home. We decided that being it would be downstairs in the basement family room we didn't need a fancy cast iron stove and the extra cost. I didn't want anything that required electricity like a pellet stove or a fan on a wood stove. I didn't want a catalytic element as keeping everything as simple but still efficient as possible and not the cost of replacing the element every few years. I wanted a stove made in a country like the U.S, Canada, Norway, but not China. I wanted something somewhat nice looking and had to keep backing up on the looks department due to price benefit. It became apparent that a steel stove would fit the bill and our budget. There were some close 2nds and 3rd places but we ended up purchasing an Osburn 2400 with gold cast door. There are not Osburn dealers in Boise so I started chasing down a reputable dealer ending up with Woodland Direct who could also advise me on what I needed as far as the stove model and interior and exterior pipe. Price was consistent with local pipe dealers but they have reps that can figure out what parts you need being that is their only business.
We ordered the stove and meantime I got busy and installed the tile on the walls around the stove (glass type copper colored one inch squares in one foot square pieces. The hearth we picked out a terracotta orangish copper looking 16 inch squares. We wanted to physically see the choices and ended up going to Home Depot for the tile, grout and mortar. It took me about a week to get it all installed and cured enough for the stove arrival. We set the stove on the hearth and located how we wanted it setting and made some measurements to give to Woodland Direct so it would comply with safety setbacks etc.
I called the Woodland Direct rep back and gave him the measurements and the next morning I had a quote listing all of the parts of the inside and outside piping, brackets, braces etc that I would need and how it would all go together. I had a fair idea what I needed but there were some parts that I didn't know
about or what they are called.
About a week later the parts all showed up with fairly good instructions. I started cutting holes in the basement walls, doing some easy framing for the piping to exit, and installed 21 feet of stainless double wall pipe up the side of the house with the supporting brackets. I stuck the pipe through the wall and hooked it all up together which went quite well thanks to a good knowledge of the piping by the rep.
Come Monday I will call the building permit office and schedule a final inspection. Without a signed off building permit your insurance company may not cover a loss due to the stove. I will crank up a fire Monday afternoon and hopefully I won't burn the house down. This whole install has taken me about three weeks to complete. I am half ass handy and work pretty slow and meticulously.
The stove cost me $2100, the tile, grout, mortar, all piping, touch up paint and a few incidentals cost me about $2900 for a grand total of about $5,000. My labor isn't worth much but I figure if I had hired it all out it would have cost at least another $2,700 to $3000. I like doing this kind of stuff and it is worth it to me to save a buck or two and know how it went together with no corners cut.
I hope this helps someone on their choosing a stove and installation.
Our needs were to have a stove in our daylight basement that would heat the whole 3100 sq ft. home. We decided that being it would be downstairs in the basement family room we didn't need a fancy cast iron stove and the extra cost. I didn't want anything that required electricity like a pellet stove or a fan on a wood stove. I didn't want a catalytic element as keeping everything as simple but still efficient as possible and not the cost of replacing the element every few years. I wanted a stove made in a country like the U.S, Canada, Norway, but not China. I wanted something somewhat nice looking and had to keep backing up on the looks department due to price benefit. It became apparent that a steel stove would fit the bill and our budget. There were some close 2nds and 3rd places but we ended up purchasing an Osburn 2400 with gold cast door. There are not Osburn dealers in Boise so I started chasing down a reputable dealer ending up with Woodland Direct who could also advise me on what I needed as far as the stove model and interior and exterior pipe. Price was consistent with local pipe dealers but they have reps that can figure out what parts you need being that is their only business.
We ordered the stove and meantime I got busy and installed the tile on the walls around the stove (glass type copper colored one inch squares in one foot square pieces. The hearth we picked out a terracotta orangish copper looking 16 inch squares. We wanted to physically see the choices and ended up going to Home Depot for the tile, grout and mortar. It took me about a week to get it all installed and cured enough for the stove arrival. We set the stove on the hearth and located how we wanted it setting and made some measurements to give to Woodland Direct so it would comply with safety setbacks etc.
I called the Woodland Direct rep back and gave him the measurements and the next morning I had a quote listing all of the parts of the inside and outside piping, brackets, braces etc that I would need and how it would all go together. I had a fair idea what I needed but there were some parts that I didn't know
about or what they are called.
About a week later the parts all showed up with fairly good instructions. I started cutting holes in the basement walls, doing some easy framing for the piping to exit, and installed 21 feet of stainless double wall pipe up the side of the house with the supporting brackets. I stuck the pipe through the wall and hooked it all up together which went quite well thanks to a good knowledge of the piping by the rep.
Come Monday I will call the building permit office and schedule a final inspection. Without a signed off building permit your insurance company may not cover a loss due to the stove. I will crank up a fire Monday afternoon and hopefully I won't burn the house down. This whole install has taken me about three weeks to complete. I am half ass handy and work pretty slow and meticulously.
The stove cost me $2100, the tile, grout, mortar, all piping, touch up paint and a few incidentals cost me about $2900 for a grand total of about $5,000. My labor isn't worth much but I figure if I had hired it all out it would have cost at least another $2,700 to $3000. I like doing this kind of stuff and it is worth it to me to save a buck or two and know how it went together with no corners cut.
I hope this helps someone on their choosing a stove and installation.
