So sorry for not being able to delve into the forum for more "wood burning stove advise.” The Air Force, during COVID, had us chasing our tails and our home project was derailed by crooks. My husband had to have two surgeries and life has been kicking the crap out of us. But, we started rolling back in place and we are ready to do the chimney and fireplace redo. NEED MORE INPUT PLEASE!
I hired a contractor to tear down the old fireplace walls (2x4 frame and sheetrock) and fireplace insert that was installed back when the home was built in 1974. We bought a fixer upper and my husband and I are trying to get it “fixer upped” before I retire from the Air Force here in 20 months….YAY!
The old chimney box frame thats up into the attic remains, with the flue hanging down into the house. Contractor says he can build on this.
I am fast approaching the time to make a stove purchase! and I have absolutely no direction to go in. I am hearing certain top brand names, but I have no clue if these are really the best to check out. Being in Florida, there are NO specialists in my area, none. Actually, we’re not sitting in FL. I’ve been assigned to Travis AFB in CA, and my poor dear husband has to go back and forth to Pensacola to work on the house. I’m reading that I need a certified National Fireplace Institute specialist to insure that the install is done correctly,? and that the stove needs to be EPA approved? Is this true?
The top brand names that pop up are as follows: Drolet, Napoleon, Buckstove, True North, England, Superior, and Osbor, mainly. There are so many more brands and WE do not know where to turn. We had wood burning stoves in AK, one being a Buck stove brand, and it was a good one, albeit old and well used, in our rented cabin. We had a masonry fireplace in Ohio, and a coal burner when we were staioned in Austria. My husband said he used a $199 Roses department store cast iron stove when he was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC back many years ago. It was the only heat he had. That’s about all the experinece we have had with wood stoves.
Catalyst or Non-catalyst? I do NOT know! On the one hand, slow is good, burns longer, I’ve read. On the other hand, faster is more efficient, and can be more comfortable, again, as I’ve read. All I know is my husband and I got use to having a stove in Alaska and we want one here. We’d like an effcient, and clean burning, and warmly appealing (I want this!) wood burning stove, about medium in size. The house is 2100 SQ ft, but we're not thinking to try to heat the entire area. Winter is about 2-3 months long in the panhandle of FL, in Pensacola, FL. The stove will likely only be used in the early am and evenings, from around mid December through mid March, maybe on cold evenings during other times, here and there. Besides, my husband will likely be burning fires outside in out firepit a lot too. I’m certain he’s doing this right now.
Some insight from you folks on brands would be great. I know this might be like asking what flavor ice cream is best, or brand. Sorry. There is way too much internet “steering” out there, which is a bit inundating, and confusing.
Thanks!
I hired a contractor to tear down the old fireplace walls (2x4 frame and sheetrock) and fireplace insert that was installed back when the home was built in 1974. We bought a fixer upper and my husband and I are trying to get it “fixer upped” before I retire from the Air Force here in 20 months….YAY!
The old chimney box frame thats up into the attic remains, with the flue hanging down into the house. Contractor says he can build on this.
I am fast approaching the time to make a stove purchase! and I have absolutely no direction to go in. I am hearing certain top brand names, but I have no clue if these are really the best to check out. Being in Florida, there are NO specialists in my area, none. Actually, we’re not sitting in FL. I’ve been assigned to Travis AFB in CA, and my poor dear husband has to go back and forth to Pensacola to work on the house. I’m reading that I need a certified National Fireplace Institute specialist to insure that the install is done correctly,? and that the stove needs to be EPA approved? Is this true?
The top brand names that pop up are as follows: Drolet, Napoleon, Buckstove, True North, England, Superior, and Osbor, mainly. There are so many more brands and WE do not know where to turn. We had wood burning stoves in AK, one being a Buck stove brand, and it was a good one, albeit old and well used, in our rented cabin. We had a masonry fireplace in Ohio, and a coal burner when we were staioned in Austria. My husband said he used a $199 Roses department store cast iron stove when he was stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC back many years ago. It was the only heat he had. That’s about all the experinece we have had with wood stoves.
Catalyst or Non-catalyst? I do NOT know! On the one hand, slow is good, burns longer, I’ve read. On the other hand, faster is more efficient, and can be more comfortable, again, as I’ve read. All I know is my husband and I got use to having a stove in Alaska and we want one here. We’d like an effcient, and clean burning, and warmly appealing (I want this!) wood burning stove, about medium in size. The house is 2100 SQ ft, but we're not thinking to try to heat the entire area. Winter is about 2-3 months long in the panhandle of FL, in Pensacola, FL. The stove will likely only be used in the early am and evenings, from around mid December through mid March, maybe on cold evenings during other times, here and there. Besides, my husband will likely be burning fires outside in out firepit a lot too. I’m certain he’s doing this right now.
Some insight from you folks on brands would be great. I know this might be like asking what flavor ice cream is best, or brand. Sorry. There is way too much internet “steering” out there, which is a bit inundating, and confusing.
Thanks!
