Getting talked down to because of wood heat?

My dentist heats exclusively with a Lopi insert. Gives his kids some responsibility, he says. One of the hygenists in the office uses a Blaze King, as well.

That's a good point. My BIL is a surgery resident and he has to be super careful with his hands. He wears mechanic's gloves (with anti-knuckle buster padding) for a lot of things and flat out won't do other things. I don't blame him for it...

Same here, most people see the benefit of heating with wood up here since most houses have oil furnaces, people I know who do not burn wood typically want to, but it just doesnt make as much sense when they have natural gas and small city lots, the upfront cost of installing the stove takes way too longto re-coup the costs when your heating small square footage with natural gas and have to pay for seasoned cord wood. The only person who actually thought the wood stove was a terrible idea was my father, he told me over and over again I would get sick of hauling all the wood and cleaning up the constant mess. Sure maybe when im 75!

I hear that! (I just turned 30) i find I have more in commen with the 40-50 year old crowd at work about wood burning, gardening, lawn upkeep, house upkeep, etc etc. The guys my age are more intersted in having babies and playing video games.

This has always been a point for me.
I've worked with my brother (HVAC, plumbing) for over 17 years, and people pay 2-3-4-5,000 for a furnace install, but think paying for a stove is too expensive.
Just has me baffled.

Nate, the conversation hasn't come up too much for me, but when it does, people are confused by someone who won't just flip a switch.
I don't tell most folks I heat exclusively with wood......any more, unless there's an interest. They don't get it, and I don't feel like trying to educate them.

Up in our area if you don't heat with wood they look at you funny. I told a couple of people at the country store I was burning pine, you get a crazy look!

We got that from my brother in law..mr "green". I think he remember the old cone fireplace at my father in laws-which did put out respectible heat btw. Whatever. He looks down on us anyway, because we have a truck (gasp...he has a volt) and don't think wind energy is the end all an be all because Obama said it was. The funny thing is, I kinda look down on HIM for being a phoney.

Mostly I think it's disbelief (people think we have the stove but still have a furnace hiding somewhere), meh/whatever (yeah, people do that..ok, what else is new kinda think) and those that pity us because we must either be really hard up for money or cold-or both. Most everyone we know is used to it now though.

the best reaction so far was from the guy that came and picked up our monster propane tank. He saw our wood stacks and asked DH.."so, you heat with wood". DH said yup...propane guy said "smart man".

Why harvest wood when you can spend 14 hours a day playing Xbox. LOL> Thats the overall consensus of guys in my generation, not all but a great percentage. Heck, I'd rather spend 5 hours messing with wood than 20 minutes sitting inside playing games, i spend enough time in front of a computer for work. Any chance I get, i am outback messing with wood.

Same here. My interest level is a -6 on a scale of 1-10 when it comes to a discussion about Call of Duty or Halo...or really any video game.

Im totally with you on that, Im 27 and love wood cutting, gardening, and canning. I get a lot of looks like "people still do that stuff?" But as onetracker said ther just isnt anything as satisfying to me as feeling the warmth from that stove, and eating the food I grow all year round. I LOVE it. Too bad its becoming so rare, people these days have so much instant gratification they have lost appreciation for hard work. But if anything ever happens where we have a nationwide crisis guess who all those people will turn to?

Same here, no cable at this house and I couldnt be happier!

Oh, the pine thing.
EVERYBODY that I tell about burning pine has the usual response(s).
Last 2 winters, it's gotten me through late Sept., Oct., and at least May burning. Over 2.5 months out of 7.5 that I don't need to use Oak.

That's what B.I.L. are for eclecticcottage! We know who the smarter of the two of you are. And who has more common sense.

I'm reluctant to mention this, but there is a movement out there claiming that burning wood is wrecking the atmosphere and spewing toxins, etc. (No of course I dont agree). Maybe the naysayers you talk of were referring to that mis-guided movement?

In what way, Nate? Some misguided environmentalist that hasn't thought it through? A snooty jackwagon that calls you a redneck?

People can think whatever they want. I guess that my lifestyle is relatively strange for my circumstances. I don't feel the need to impress anyone though- so they can think what they want about my adoration of compost and chainsaws.

Well then we better stop all that lightning burning up the forest since..........., well since it was there

I havent looked recently but there is websites dedicated to shutting down wood burning. Things like you had mentioned of pollution, and another thing they preach is that wood is no cheaper than gas if you are buying wood.

I dont know that Ive ever been talked down to... but definately most people think of it more as a glorified fireplace than a way to heat the entire house..

I tend to get more odd reactions about doing all my own car repair or my own electrical. "Why dont you just pay somebody to do that dirty work?" "wont you get hurt" "isn't it too complicated and hard to figure out?"

A lot of folks have been programmed by the media to think DIY anything is too difficult and manual labor is somethign you pay others for. Sad

You are correct with that point that people pay more for a gas stove then a wood stove. The way they look at it though is most of those people have purchased a home with a gas furnace already installed. So at that point the wood stove would simply be an extra cost.

During conversation with a coworker, it came up that she was looking for a nice TV and XBox for Black Friday. Turns out her boyfriend rarely comes over since he's got the TV and Xbox. Darn kids sure are tough to please these days.

I'll explain better when I get on a computer, takes way too long to type on the phone.

Hmmm . . . around here it sometimes seems as though if you aren't heating with wood -- either full time or to supplement the woodstove -- you're the odd man out.

Hey, I have an Xbox as well as about 15 cords of wood stacked out back and haven't used any other form of heat for many years. I live in an area where it is dark when I leave for work and dark when I return. Gotta have something to do in the darkness other than drink beer.

In the summer, when I'm processing wood I do get the neighbors and friends that think I spend too much time with it.

@Highbeam, Im sure you are and it shows that you are very hardworking. I was basing my comments on what I see with coworkers and friends. Perhaps it was too general of a comment but I still say Id rather play with firewood than xbox. lol. Im 39 married and two kids, not much time to play xbox nowadays.