Will Progress Hybrid or Ideal Steel be overkill in new colonial?

I have a 2300 squ ft Colonial in Northern MA and I traded the FV for a Progress because the FV was too small. The Progress gets much longer burn times and I have been very happy I made the swap. Just getting an ash tray alone was worth the swap. My colonial is not super well insulated but has really good windows.

size of the stove needed has as much to do with how well its insulated as well as how much area its heating. you say you're having it built, are you going with super tight ultra insulated construction (spray foamed and requiring an air exchanger) or regular stick framed and batt insulation?

I'm heating a 2400 sf garrison colonial in central Mass with the PH, and it is perfect. I run mine 24/7 as the primary heat source. The good thing is that you can run it low and slow if you need to. I don't start to push mine until it gets down around 10. I would definitely get the PH or IS.

My house is insulated fairly well. The attic and basement are air-sealed, and I have R-60 in the attic.

That looks like a pretty big open room so my bet is you'll be fine. My progress is in about the same area but more central and from the two real fires I've had I'm not concerned. I should know more in a few months though.

Do you have any seasoned wood to burn this winter? If not you may want to wait until the spring sale in April or May to order it for several hundred off.

I'm doing 2800 sf with my PH in Mass and on those cold winter nights I need all shes got.

We have a 2000 sq.ft. house in Southern NH with 18' vaulted ceilings in the stove room. Our PH works great, keeps the whole house as warm as we want without overheating. Ran it a week or so ago for a couple cool nights...

Looking at your layout, I'm going to say that you'll need a good way to get air moving around the house. Otherwise, I'd bet your mudroom will be cool when the stove is running.

Depending on how open your house is to the 2nd level, it may or may not be cold up there.

I highly recommend the OAK with the PH. Well worth it to avoid having the stove pull air through the house due to negative pressure. Make-up air has to come from somewhere... We used to get cold drafts from some poorly sealed vents ... the OAK fixed that issue.

Go on up to the factory when you decide and pick out (pick up?) the stove you want. Well worth the drive to West Lebanon... you usually get to chose which stove you want and the top stone pieces... my wife and I liked some of the grain patterns better than others.

Also, if you are building... you might want to ask about using Roxul instead of standard fiberglass batts.

It's a bit more expensive, but has a higher melting point, better R-factor for a given thickness and makes the house quieter.

We're in Vermont and we have the ideal steel for our 3,000 square foot 3 story house. The stove is on the main level and we burn 24/7 and it's a beast. We have a ceiling fan in the living room where the stove is located and we've never had trouble heating our top floor with heat from the stove. The stairs to the 3rd floor are located next to the living room and in the entryway of our home with cathedral ceilings. Our boiler only kicks on to heat the basement. It's also a gorgeous stove if that's important to you at all. It's the main focus of our living room and receives many compliments.

2,400 sq. ft. ranch. The PH is perfect even on the coldest winter mornings.

jzampieron said:

Also, if you are building... you might want to ask about using Roxul instead of standard fiberglass batts.

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Yup Roxul Rocks. Just do it.

Jason_Travers said:

Yes we have a few cords on reserve that will be delivered in December when the home is move in ready. Thanks!


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Don't expect wood delivered in December to be ready to burn until the next winter. Even if the supplier calls it seasoned wood, most likely it is not.

Zone 5 central indiana,stick built 1700 sq ft,one-story Ranch,2x4 walls batt insulation,
Woodstock soapstone absolute Steel hybrid
Located in the center of the home8 ft ceilings. 15 foot flu pipe straight up, single wall to the ceiling to the adapter where it transitions to triple wall stainless insulated pipe through the attic space.
Can run us out-a-here. Burning seasoned Maple and Cherry and Ash. loading the stove once every 12 to 18hours.
We did re- insulate attic space before stove was installed.
we are burning 1/3 the amount of firewood
That the VC resolute noncat burned to keep home at 72-74 degrees, this woodstock is a beast , have had to open windows during this shoulder season.

kborndale said:

Don't expect wood delivered in December to be ready to burn until the next winter. Even if the supplier calls it seasoned wood, most likely it is not.

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Some places will keep the split wood on their site until you want it delivered. There's a place near me that will split the wood and keep it for a year on their grounds at no extra charge. They staple a slip with your name on it and its your wood.