Another Jotul Oslo vs Castine Post: How to Size the Stove.

[lumbering on]

Narrowed things down to Oslo vs Castine
Wife likes look of Castine better, but likes Oslo as well
Price difference will allow us to buy Castine in enamel.

Can get all of castine outside of the fireplace, but learned this is not that big a difference
Primarily burn at night, but could easily see myself becoming a 24/7 burner

Main concern is sizing:

The house is 3100 square feet, not counting the basement or the third floor which is closed off now, total square footage about 6,000 square feet.

House is 120 years old and inconsistently insulated.

BUT all the rooms are small. NOT an open floor plan.

The living room is 300 square feet with 8 foot ceilings. And only 12 foot deep room with sofa front six feet from the end of the hearth. Two narrow doorways out of the living room.

And we like to watch the flames while in the living room.

We reconciled ourselves to a ZONE heating rather than whole house heating.

Will the Oslo be too much stove for the LIVING ROOM? And our comfort sitting there?

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

All I will say is that the enamel is nice....very nice.... Gl

 

[southbalto]

I'll make this easy for you ... oslo.

You're going to struggle to get a true overnight burn with the castine.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I'll make this easy for you ... oslo.

You're going to struggle to get a true overnight burn with the castine.

If that's the case..... Get it in enamel. Worth the extra dough....

 

[webby3650]

I'll make this easy for you ... oslo.

You're going to struggle to get a true overnight burn with the castine.

He's right. The Castine will have some life left in it, but not much after all night. If theres any chance that you will want to run 24/7 then go for the Oslo. I had the Oslo in Blue/Black, it's extremely tough and with a light wipe down with a damp rag, it always looks like new! It's much nicer than flat and much cheaper than Majolica. Something to think about.

 

[WellSeasoned]

For a house your size, go with the oslo. Fans can distribute heat so the stove room isnt a furnace. I have the castine, and love it, which fits my sized house. A house any larger, like yours, will need the bigger stove. The castine will keep warm overnight, however, on those super cold blustery nights, a reload is necessary. Also, the castine likes good draft, so going extra high with the chimney may increase the $$.

 

[lumbering on]

I get that the Oslo is better suited for the 24/7 burning. No debate needed.

I'm just worried I'll get blasted out of my living room.

 

[lumbering on]

For a house your size, go with the oslo. Fans can distribute heat so the stove room isnt a furnace. I have the castine, and love it, which fits my sized house. A house any larger, like yours, will need the bigger stove. The castine will keep warm overnight, however, on those super cold blustery nights, a reload is necessary. Also, the castine likes good draft, so going extra high with the chimney may increase the $$.

Chimney is old fireplace, 30 feet plus height, lined, but uninsulated, exterior. Will need to be insulated of course.
Would this draft well for a castine?

Why the difference in draft between the 2 stoves?

 

[webby3650]

I think the only difference is that the Oslo has a side door. A lot of stoves have the tendency to smoke out when the front door is opened. With 30'+, no worries. Why do you "need" to insulate the liner? It would be best but isn't always necessary.

 

[webby3650]

I'm just worried I'll get blasted out of my living room.

Build a smaller fire on warmer days. Fill it up on Very cold days. Lots of people heat this way, if they filled it up every time they would be roasting. You learn the stove.

 

[lumbering on]

Build a smaller fire on warmer days. Fill it up on Very cold days. Lots of people heat this way, if they filled it up every time they would be roasting. You learn the stove.

By small fire, do you mean less wood? Or with the air turned down?

 

[lumbering on]

I think the only difference is that the Oslo has a side door. A lot of stoves have the tendency to smoke out when the front door is opened. With 30'+, no worries. Why do you "need" to insulate the liner? It would be best but isn't always necessary.

Under the impression that an uninsulated exterior chimney leads to cooling at the top and more creosote?

 

[Woody Stover]

By small fire, do you mean less wood? Or with the air turned down?

With a non-cat you can't turn the air down too much or you'll lose secondary combustion and emissions will be high (and you won't have the pretty flames.) I would go with the bigger stove for the long burn, then have a small fan on low on the floor outside the door, blowing cool air into the stove room. I'm not sure if radiation off the front of the Oslo would still cook you.... You could go to a jacketed stove like a T5 to buffer the radiation but that might not help enough if you are sitting in front of the window....

 

[Michael Golden]

Don't get the Oslo! When I have the Oslo cranking I find myself wanting to be 15 to 20 ft from it! I have a lazy boy about 8 ft from it and sometimes it is just to much. Get the castiine in enamel and enjoy it in that room if that is what you are wanting do and don't worry about the rest of the house.

 

[Michael Golden]

The Oslo is a bigger stove and has a side door. I looked at them side by side at lehmans.

 

[jotulguy]

I burn a Castine and am very happy with it. But if I had your set up I would go for the Oslo for sure. If I fill the box in the Castine I can get 8+ hours of burn time, but only 6ish hours of heating. The firebox sizes are about 1/2 a cubic foot different. That extra fuel load will make you a happy camper in a home with little insulation. If you are worried about over heating simply load less wood while you will be in the room and then pack it full at night or when you head off to work for the day.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Don't get the Oslo! When I have the Oslo cranking I find myself wanting to be 15 to 20 ft from it! I have a lazy boy about 8 ft from it and sometimes it is just to much. Get the castiine in enamel and enjoy it in that room if that is what you are wanting do and don't worry about the rest of the house.

If this stove is not your only heating source and your buying for ambiance as well as heating an area of your home, then this makes the most sense to me. The purpose of my insert is to enjoy it, not to heat the entire house. Make a list of what's most important to you and shop that way. What good is it to be forced far away to be able to see a nice flame....gl

 

[webby3650]

By small fire, do you mean less wood? Or with the air turned down?

I mean don't fill the stove up every time. If you only need a little heat, then put a little wood in it.

 

[webby3650]

I

The Oslo is a bigger stove and has a side door. I looked at them side by side at lehmans.

I'm pretty sure we had that one figured out.

 

[Michael Golden]

I think the only difference is that the Oslo has a side door. A lot of stoves have the tendency to smoke out when the front door is opened. With 30'+, no worries. Why do you "need" to insulate the liner? It would be best but isn't always necessary.

Ok. Didn't read who posted this when I responded. Obviously you knew the difference, just didn't want the op confused.

 

[begreen]

Based on the description I would at least consider a cat stove so that you can burn low and slow. Maybe a Woodstock?

Can you post a sketch of the floorplan or link to a prior thread if you have one already? Would you be opposed to using a separate fan to help circulate heat.

 

[lumbering on]

Nice to see I'm not the only one struggling with this decision. I just came back from the dealer who also struggled with the decision.

My wife's main rule is "no ugly stoves in the living room."

The Jotul Castine and Oslo, and the Hearthstone Heritage are on the approved list.

I spoke with the good people at woodstock, and I would have to rebuild my hearth to go with a woodstock, which I'm not allowed to do.

We basically live only in the living room during the winter. With the unneeded rooms downstairs closed off, we are looking at heating 1,000 square feet in the downstairs, with the living room of 300 sq ft. The staircase and entry way is in the center of the house, with the living room on left, dining on right and kitchen connecting the two. Narrow doorways connect everything. The upstairs doors are kept closed, and we sleep at 60 degrees. With a new baby arriving this winter, I'm sure our heat needs are going to go WAY up. And I refuse to pay another $4,500 in heating oil.

Not sure if knowing the meaningful downstairs square footage is only 1,000 square feet is helpful. There will be leakage I'm sure into the inactive rooms, up the stairs and to the outside.

I have no problem going with the Oslo. Just need reassurance we won't be driven out of the living room, or have to turn the flame down so much we miss the show.

 

[lumbering on]

Don't get the Oslo! When I have the Oslo cranking I find myself wanting to be 15 to 20 ft from it! I have a lazy boy about 8 ft from it and sometimes it is just to much. Get the castiine in enamel and enjoy it in that room if that is what you are wanting do and don't worry about the rest of the house.

That's what I'm afraid of...

 

[begreen]

Based on what you have described, without some common sense compromise I don't see how you are going to burn 24/7 without going to a cat stove. You would do just as well to have a Jotul F100 or similar stove as an area heater and be happy. I do think the Oslo will be way too much stove for a 300 sq ft room with narrow doorways. Even the Castine could drive you out of the room without burning partial load and letting the stove go out. It would take a healthy fan blowing cool air from outside the living room into the there to avoid overheating.

Personally I would be addressing the hearth issues and putting in a Woodstock Keystone. That stove will allow a lower, slow burn without major creosoting issues. FWIW, we wouldn't have the T6 today if I hadn't insisted and just made the decision. My wife loved the look of the Castine and I don't disagree, but it was too small for our heating needs. Since then she has demurred and likes the T6, though she still loads it like it was an F400.

 

[Michael Golden]

We also are expecting our first kid in November. 2/3 of our house is open about 800 sq ft with the Oslo sitting in that area and in the evenings it gets into the mid 80's. Then the other 1/3 is made up of two bedrooms and a bathroom, I never really checked the temps back there but I'm guessing low 70's. we also have a full basement unfinished and it get cold down there 50's I'm guessing, but hopefully remedy that issue this fall. Hope that helps!