Before I start making calls to local shops

[annette.holbrook]

We recently bought a cabin in the north Georgia mountains. The cabin has a detached garage with loft apartment above. The apartment is basically one large room with a separate bathroom. We are planning on upgrading the apartment a bit for use by our grown kids when they visit, guests and also list on airbnb as a rental for couples who want to enjoy the mountains or those who come up to fly fish. There is no fireplace or stove currently. The apartment does have central heat and air so a stove is more for ambiance than heat but could be used to heat if needed or desired. The room is just over 900sf not including the bathroom.
Here is the space, pic from listing.


And now the corner I'd like the stove. The bed will be moved to another corner.


My rendering on a design program.


An inspiration photo,


From corner to trim I have 68" and from floor to bottom of window trim is 52".

I plan on a professional install, so my main reason for being here is to get advice on what questions to ask, what to look for in a stove, any pitfalls I may be unaware of.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Annette


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[Marshy]

Amazing looking place you have there.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

We recently bought a cabin in the north Georgia mountains. The cabin has a detached garage with loft apartment above. The apartment is basically one large room with a separate bathroom. We are planning on upgrading the apartment a bit for use by our grown kids when they visit, guests and also list on airbnb as a rental for couples who want to enjoy the mountains or those who come up to fly fish. There is no fireplace or stove currently. The apartment does have central heat and air so a stove is more for ambiance than heat but could be used to heat if needed or desired. The room is just over 900sf not including the bathroom.
Here is the space, pic from listing.
View attachment 191958

And now the corner I'd like the stove. The bed will be moved to another corner.
View attachment 191959

My rendering on a design program.
View attachment 191960

An inspiration photo,
View attachment 191961

From corner to trim I have 68" and from floor to bottom of window trim is 52".

I plan on a professional install, so my main reason for being here is to get advice on what questions to ask, what to look for in a stove, any pitfalls I may be unaware of.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Annette


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You definitely need a stove in that joint for your use, but for renters, I'm not so sure. Beautiful setup, by the way, and congratulations, Annette. What are the flyfisherman catching there in North Georgia?

 

[Woody Stover]

A stove isn't allowed in a bedroom...

 

[annette.holbrook]

Thanks all!
I have no clue about fishing, but according to my husband the main fish are rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout.
So one of my best friends and her husband have been renting a nearby cabin a few times a year for at least a decade. They just like the area for the leaf peeping in fall and hiking, oh and there are wineries in the area as well. She says that she and her husband go out touristing all day and then come back to the cabin and start a fire and open a bottle of wine. Also, my husband and I will probably have to stay there while the main house gets some improvements to bathrooms and such.


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[annette.holbrook]

Woody stover, according to the builder doing renovations to the main house it is ok since the whole space is over 600sf. I'm sure it's a shocker but the building codes in the area are much looser than most. Coming from Atlanta I'm still amazed at the differences. We were just down at city hall last week to get the permits for the renovations to the main house and were basically told what we were doing didn't really need to be permitted. Something that would be definitely needed here! We got permits anyway since we were already there lol.


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[edyit]

if you're looking more for ambiance than heating have you looked at a propane / natural gas stove? Something like this.
(broken link removed to http://www.woodstove.com/soapstone-gas-stoves)
If I was renting it out to people I would be a lot more inclined to having them use something like that than a wood stove.

 

[annette.holbrook]

Edyit, that is a great option, one the prior owners may have thought of as there is a gas hookup of some sort already in that corner. I know that the manufacturers say that this type of stove will also heat, but does it really? If there was no power for a few days would the propane stove do the job?
Do you know if I would still need to do a rock surround of some sort with a propane set up?
I love the idea of renters just being able to flip a switch.
Dh is really in love with the idea of a stove, though. His other wish is to remove the heat and glo unit in the main house and retrofit a stove of some sort.


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[Marshy]

You have a lot of things to weigh in determining if a wood stove is right or not. For the sake of staying on topic I wont dive into that. If you are not aware, there are two basic types of stoves being manufactured currently. One stove uses catalytic combustor and the other uses whats called secondary air. These stoves are commonly refered to as "cat stoves" and "secondary burn stoves'. Depending on your local dealers they may carry one or the other, possible both. You should ask the dealer which type of stove will be best for your application based on your intended use. The dealer will want to know how you plan to use and install the stove (existing chimney vs. Class A stove pipe). If your dealer offers installation you will want to ask them about installing the chimney as well. Size of the stove is going to be determined by the square footage of the space and the climate. Because you eventually want to rent the space to visitors you also want to let the dealer know that ease of operation is highly important. I'm sure you will have visitors that are not familiar with using a stove that want to have a fire. If you are going to make that available to use then you might want to consider showing them how to start the fire (or just light it for them) and how to maintain a fire. Improper loading of the stove could cause smoke seepage into the living space as well as sparks or ash. Improper operation could also cause damage to the stove (low chance but possible). A laminated set of instructions with pictures for your visitors would help eliminate some of these issue.

 

[begreen]

A stove isn't allowed in a bedroom...

I think it'll be fine in this setup. It's not really a bedroom and the area is large enough. If any concern just install the stove with an Outside Air Kit (OAK).

 

[edyit]

Just another example (broken link removed to http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/store/gas-products/gas-stoves/stowe-dx-direct-vent)
there are many manufacturers that make propane / natural gas stoves. this one in particular says it can do 14,000 - 22,400 BTUs/hr. on propane, now not knowing anything about you insulation or how airtight this place is but I would have to guess that if you have halfway decent insulation and don't have a wind tunnel of a draft that should be more than able to heat a 900 square foot room. As for the rock surround that would be up to your own tastes and preferences. This particular model has close clearances: Clearances (Minimum Clearance to Combustibles)
Side 4" Rear 3" Corner 3". Meaning if you wanted to you could keep the walls as is and just make sure that it is that far or further away from anything combustible.

 

[begreen]

annette, have you read these helpful tips?
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/read-before-posting-or-answering-which-new-stove-to-buy.115094/

For maximum safety and ease of use I would install a very simple stove that is easy to operate and will draft easily on a shorter chimney in a milder climate zone. If you are considering renting for a B&B then be sure to have a good supply of fully seasoned wood on hand. A couple stoves to consider are the Hampton H300 (sold by Regency dealers) and the Pacific Energy Alderlea T5. They will work on a shorter chimney.

Note, a rock surround is not needed for any stove as long as the required clearances are honored or exceeded.

 

[annette.holbrook]

Thanks so much, everyone!
I read all the stickies before posting. I kind of get the cat vs non cat thing. I have a couple of dealers in the area and have an appointment for next week but knew I'd get a good list of topics and questions to cover if I came here first.
The building is about 15 years old and is well insulated and was originally built as a live in space. The garage below is also heated as the original owner was a car buff and worked on his cars year round.
Annette


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[Hogwildz]

The problem with giving renters access to a wood burning stove, is they may or may not have burning experience. Chances are, they are going to pack the stove full, and continue throwing splits in there, over firing the hell out of it, etc. What did we all do prior to learning how to burn, throw another log on the fire and make that biach burn! Or maybe, they won't burn hot enough, and smolder the thing crudding up the stack. Too many variables, and more times than not, they will not be knowledgeable wood burners. Hell even a well seasoned burner, may be used to his stove, but has to at least get used to another brand or type. I second the gas or propane stove, and yes some can do the job just fine. Get a vented one if you go the gas route, never go vent-less.

 

[bcrtops]

Yes, I agree on the gas stove for anything used as a rental and/or guest operation. Much safer & less expense in the long-term.

 

[annette.holbrook]

I'm liking the idea of a gas vented stove for the guest space. I will look into adding a wood stove insert in the main house. I was looking at the regency options and love what I see.


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[Squisher]

I clean lots of stoves up at our local ski hill in places that are primarily vacation rentals. I'm amazed that people do it, but I guess it goes with the skiing, a nice fire afterwards.

I recall one customer asking me how the handle on the door could possibly have gotten so charred(was basically burnt). Gross operator misuse, was the clear answer.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Love that part of the world. I have worn the sides off many a sportbike tire exploring north Georgia.

I think it is a no brainer...gas.

 

[annette.holbrook]

Even though we will be right next door, I think y'all are right to recommend a gas stove. The more I think about it the less hassle the better.
Sportbikerider78, thanks for the reminder. We are close to quite a few popular bike trails, maybe 10-15 minutes to the Pinhoti trail. Dh recently got into bikes which is what got us looking into the area to start with. This is another way to market the rental.


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[Ashful]

Just answered your other thread about the loft. If DH wants a wood stove, yank that old heat'n glow out of the house, and get a wood stove for the house. I think you're making the right choice on the loft, tho.