I would like a little advice from my friends

[wendell]

I was hoping to get at least that so it could be an even up swap. The only problem is where I would put another 12 cords of wood!

How in the hell are you burning through 12 cords of wood in the Fireview? Last year I was burning the Vigilant hard and had far more 24 hour burns and I only went through 4.5 cords. I know my weather isn't as cold as yours, but 12 cords in one stove is brutal.

I always stay 3 years ahead so that is 4 cords x 3 years x 2 stoves = 24.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I was hoping to get at least that so it could be an even up swap. The only problem is where I would put another 12 cords of wood!

How in the hell are you burning through 12 cords of wood in the Fireview? Last year I was burning the Vigilant hard and had far more 24 hour burns and I only went through 4.5 cords. I know my weather isn't as cold as yours, but 12 cords in one stove is brutal.

I always stay 3 years ahead so that is 4 cords x 3 years x 2 stoves = 24.

Good! I was concerned for a moment that the Fireview was a wood hog. The Vigilant is bad enough.

 

[Slow1]

Then again, 8 cords/year is still a lot of BTUs to pump into a house even if done with two stoves - I'd imagine that if you did go with the two stove option you should not have to run them quite as much and hopefully would find your annual wood consumption to be less than that. Then again, perhaps not - back to the "value of insulating" discussion eh?

 

[wendell]

And it wouldn't actually be that much as the upstairs stove would probably only run December through February so probably only need 6-7 cords/year.

 

[BrowningBAR]

And it wouldn't actually be that much as the upstairs stove would probably only run December through February so probably only need 6-7 cords/year.

Besides, when will you have another opportunity to by a $2,800 stove for $1,200?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Wendell, you have a definite problem but I don't know the answer. I will say that what Chris wrote is good with one exception. One house we had we tried to heat the basement but it was all in vain even after insulating the walls. We did seal the cement, insulate and then plywood on top of 2 x 4's, eventually to tiled floor. Doing the floor was the answer for us there. I was amazed at the difference in comfort level. I don't know if this is part of your answer or not though.

I see why you don't want to move the Fireview. It is a rock and you state that taking wood to the upstairs is not so convenient. So perhaps your answer is to get a bigger stove. It is too bad Woodstock doesn't have theirs ready but we have to live with it for now.

In that style home, perhaps a furnace is the answer and ducting the heat to the separate rooms will keep a more even heat too.

Keep us posted.

 

[VCBurner]

Chris, thanks for the advice. To insulate the other half of the basement, can I just glue some foam insulation boards to the walls? In the 5 years I have been in this house I have not seen any leaking through those walls but would be concerned some condensation could occur leading to mildew and mold.

"1" rigid insul. is fine but I would recommend covering with fire rated sheeting such as 1/2" moisture resistant sheet rock. Code would call for any foam to be covered by a firerated panel. Also tape the edges of the foam with duct tape to create a vapor barrier. Leave a 1/2" gap between the bottom of the drywall and the floor to prevent any moisture from climbing up the sheets.

You know the layout of the house and what works as far as stove placement. I'm heating 700 ft. of the basement with my little Surdiac. It's said to heat up to 13,200 cubic feet with a 1.3 cubic foot firebox and it does!! It also heats a better part of 1000 ft. upstairs. I also have the antique box stove in the fireplaced living room (I want to put the fireview in there.) We have another unheated room upstairs that'll become a dinning room. I added a slider leading to a trex deck, a bow window in the front, and will add a new front door with two sidelights in the spring. It will be a spring project to complete the room with new sheetrock and refinish the oak floor. I was pleasently surprised to uncover well insulated 2x4 walls complete with a reflective face on the outside and a plastic vapor barrier on the interior. The entire house is vynil sided over cedar shakes, so it's pretty well insulated. I need more insul in the attic and basement and better windows throughout the house. All things that will get done eventually. How much space is the Morso rated to heat? I like the guys' idea about the other Fireview... sound great! That grey color looks great on it. Well, is your basement ceiling insulated?"

 

[wendell]

Thanks, guys. I am in a bit of a pickle. The basement ceiling is not insulated as I was trying to get more heat upstairs. If I put in a stove upstairs, I will insulate the ceiling. The wife has vetoed the second Fireview.

So, I'm about back where I started.

Option 1: Leave the Fireview and install the Morso upstairs and hope it is enough heat.
Option 2: Return the Fireview, buy a really big stove and still have the option of installing the Morso upstairs.
Option 3: Return the Fireview, put in an add on wood furnace (or possibly a gasification boiler but probably way out of my price range) and still have the option of installing the Morso upstairs.

 

[rdust]

I think the easiest solution is a big stove steel stove in the basement. Maybe a 30, Liberty, Summit or a King? I think the best solution is a properly sized stove on the main level of the house.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Thanks, guys. I am in a bit of a pickle. The basement ceiling is not insulated as I was trying to get more heat upstairs. If I put in a stove upstairs, I will insulate the ceiling. The wife has vetoed the second Fireview.

So, I'm about back where I started.

Option 1: Leave the Fireview and install the Morso upstairs and hope it is enough heat.
Option 2: Return the Fireview, buy a really big stove and still have the option of installing the Morso upstairs.
Option 3: Return the Fireview, put in an add on wood furnace (or possibly a gasification boiler but probably way out of my price range) and still have the option of installing the Morso upstairs.

I would do option 1 immediately so you still have wiggle room on the Fireview return.

Option 3 would probable solve your problem, but wood furnaces aren't as much fun from my point of view.

 

[wendell]

I'm actually now leaning toward option 4 and I hate that it also includes returning the Fireview. It really is a great stove from a great company and it is a joy to run.

Option 4: Install a bigger stove upstairs and reinstall the Morso downstairs. At the moment, I am leaning towards the Jotul Firelight as it rear vents and with a heat shield only has an 8" rear clearance.

I agree the furnace is probably the best solution but I'm a wood stove junkie. I love watching the fire!

 

[BrowningBAR]

I'm actually now leaning toward option 4 and I hate that it also includes returning the Fireview. It really is a great stove from a great company and it is a joy to run.

Option 4: Install a bigger stove upstairs and reinstall the Morso downstairs. At the moment, I am leaning towards the Jotul Firelight as it rear vents and with a heat shield only has an 8" rear clearance.

I agree the furnace is probably the best solution but I'm a wood stove junkie. I love watching the fire!

Cool. Not many people have the Firelight. Almost everyone has the Oslo.

I'm still confused as to why the second Fireview for $1200 is out of the question. If you return the current one you get about $2600 back. I have seen the Firelight go for as high as $3600. Add in the selling of the Morso and the Second Fireview makes the most sense to me.

 

[wendell]

Cool. Not many people have the Firelight. Almost everyone has the Oslo.

I'm still confused as to why the second Fireview for $1200 is out of the question. If you return the current one you get about $2600 back. I have seen the Firelight go for as high as $3600. Add in the selling of the Morso and the Second Fireview makes the most sense to me.

See post #32. If the wife ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. If you are saying I should return my Fireview and buy the CL one, I would not do that.

Option 4 is making the most sense to me. It gives me more heat where I need it and it gives me the stove I love back in my man cave where I only really need heat in the evenings so the shorter burns of the Morso won't be a problem. The only downside (outside of less convenient wood storage and transportation) is I just redid the floor in the room the new stove will go in and it would have been nice to plan the hearth before I did all that work!

Also, the local Jotul dealer has the Firelight for much less than what you have seen.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Cool. Not many people have the Firelight. Almost everyone has the Oslo.

I'm still confused as to why the second Fireview for $1200 is out of the question. If you return the current one you get about $2600 back. I have seen the Firelight go for as high as $3600. Add in the selling of the Morso and the Second Fireview makes the most sense to me.

See post #32. If the wife ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. If you are saying I should return my Fireview and buy the CL one, I would not do that.

Option 4 is making the most sense to me. It gives me more heat where I need it and it gives me the stove I love back in my man cave where I only really need heat in the evenings so the shorter burns of the Morso won't be a problem. The only downside (outside of less convenient wood storage and transportation) is I just redid the floor in the room the new stove will go in and it would have been nice to plan the hearth before I did all that work!

Also, the local Jotul dealer has the Firelight for much less than what you have seen.

I figured the "wife ain't happy" part was due to the possibility of spending more money.

 

[wendell]

No, she doesn't like the look of the Fireview but tolerated it when it wss down in the basement but she ain't going for it up in her part of the house. :coolgrin:

 

[BrowningBAR]

No, she doesn't like the look of the Fireview but tolerated it when it wss down in the basement but she ain't going for it up in her part of the house. :coolgrin:

Well, that is surprising.

Ok, that makes it easy. Sell the Fireview, get the big Jotul and install the Morso in the basement.

 

[wendell]

Except that I have to still consider the T6 or Summit, Liberty or Isle Royale.

 

[Todd]

http://www.dynamitebuys.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1131

 

[wendell]

http://www.dynamitebuys.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=1131

Interestingly enough, I was just looking at that page.

 

[VCBurner]

I think if I was in your situation, I would try to put the morso upstairs and see what happens. If it doesn't solve the problem I would go to plan B. But if you know that this option won't do then I guess plan B is your best solution. I hate to see you let go of something you seem to like. Decisions, decisions! What ever you decide, it sounds like you need some heat upstairs...

 

[G-rott]

I think BackwoodsSavage nailed it. For comfort in the basement you will need to insulate the floors. You won't loose much heat through the slab but it will always feel/be cold(55 degrees F here). Insulation in the rest of the basement will help to.

Garett

 

[VCBurner]

I think BackwoodsSavage nailed it. For comfort in the basement you will need to insulate the floors. You won't loose much heat through the slab but it will always feel/be cold(55 degrees F here). Insulation in the rest of the basement will help to.

Garett

I completely agree that insulating the floors adds to the comfort level, but heat loss is usually caused by walls and ceilings in a basement. Especially the walk out portion. Of course insulating the entire basement would be ideal. My next door neighboors just did his basement floors. He used a thin insulation/ moisture barrier on the concrete, it was red and came in a roll. It looked like red foam beads enclosed in a plastic sheet (about three feet wide.) He then used a pergo like laminate. It looks really nice and is durable. He was looking for a cost effective way to replace the carpet he removed due to water damage from a power outage.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I got it; Keep the Fireview in the basement, keep the Morso and install it on the main floor, buy a third stove and put it in the second floor. That way I'm not the only forum member with three stoves in one house.

 

[VCBurner]

I got it; Keep the Fireview in the basement, keep the Morso and install it on the main floor, buy a third stove and put it in the second floor. That way I'm not the only forum member with three stoves in one house.

"Now there's an idea! Buy a small $700 epa stove for the third floor to warm things up. "

 

[BrowningBAR]

I got it; Keep the Fireview in the basement, keep the Morso and install it on the main floor, buy a third stove and put it in the second floor. That way I'm not the only forum member with three stoves in one house.

"Now there's an idea! Buy a small $700 epa stove for the third floor to warm things up. "

And he'll get his fair share of cardio done by hauling wood up and down stairs all day. The perfect plan.