Building a house...built-in wood storage?

[amellefson]

All,

My family and I are building a 2000 square foot, open floorplan home this coming spring. We will have a fireplace. The question is between gas or wood.

I think you can guess my vote. To win this quarel need a smart design. I want to have wood storage box near the stove with outside access. I have heard of these and can invission it. The problem is I can't find any info on the web.

The goal is to get the wood in the house with out stepping foot inside. It will have to be low mess (on the carpet), and as energy efficient (not drafty) as possible. I am sure someone out there can help me with some ideas.

Tony

 

[firefighterjake]

I know I've seen one or two folks here who have posted pics of just this . . . unfortunately I cannot remember who it was that posted those pics.

 

[English BoB]

Something like a dumb waiter system. Load the wood into the waiter down stairs in the basement/wood storage then send it up next to the fireplace, use and repeat.

bob

 

[amellefson]

Something like a dumb waiter system. Load the wood into the waiter down stairs in the basement/wood storage then send it up next to the fireplace, use and repeat.

bob

This has crossed my mind if I had full exposure in the basement or a basement woodburner. The thought of toasty warm floors does sound nice!

Unfortunately there is no real basement exposure and I like looking at the fireplace

 

[Rebelduckman]

My uncle has two of these at his house. One on each side of fireplace. I'll try to get some pics when I got back

 

[Bad LP]

Dumb waiter is one thing I wish I had designed into this house. Too late now with gypcrete floors filled with pex. On the plus side I don't step foot outside to bring wood in. The seasoned wood storage is in a separate 10' X 22' room (all concrete) in the basement that has double steel doors leading into the basement itself and an overhead door on the exterior to load the wood.

I don't really mind the exercise lugging canvas bags up the stairs to load the hoop but sometimes it sucks. At least I can do it without putting a jacket and boots on.

 

[Applesister]

If you have heard of Pinterest its just a huge database of photos but its global. If you type in wood rack interior or woodstack designs etc...you will see some of the most beautifully designed interiors in house designs. Maybe do a search on fireplaces, rustic interiors.
Be warned that you will get hooked.

 

[gerry100]

Had a half assed one when we moved into our house.

Window on lower level replaced by a woodbox with inside doors and a hinged lid outside.

Gone for reasons-

- didn't like the idea of bugs introduced into the wall of the house.

- cleaning out the extensive "wood crumbs" ( bark bits,splinters, etc) that accumulated

Sure there are better designs that may address this.

If you have an exterior door near the stove and 20-30 feet from the woodpile that's ideal.

If the entrance door has a floor that will handle a wheelbarrow you can wheel in a days supply at a time and put in your rack.

Works for me , but I have the right layout in my house.

 

[scooby074]

Ive seen setups that had a pass through door to the side of the firebox. Basically an airlock with a door on the inside and a door on the outside. Maybe 3x4? Allowed for loading from the outside but not allowing drafts. Clever setup. All masonry interior to prevent bugs from entering the structure. Of course the outside door had a lock on it to prevent having easy burglar access. The one I remember was built into the brick surround of the fireplace. Probably pretty easy for a bricklayer to do, its basically just a brick lined "tunnel" with doors on each end..

 

[gerry100]

Don't know if your plans are set, b ut I'm full of ideas this am.

Old farm houses in upstate NY often have an unheated room on the north side.

not only good for overall energy efficiency but use for cold storage ( put you freezer out there today) but could be used to stack wood, outside the envelope of the main house.

 

[byQ]

First off, a common fireplace is a bad investment (sorry). And in some states fireplaces are prohibited in new construction. Why? They are polluters (bad burn) that are very poor heaters - in fact they can cause an extra heating demand from another source. The view is what is desired from a fireplace. This can still be had with an insert (or a rock surround with a wood stove). And.....

I found that there is a 'fireplace' design that is efficient - called a masonry heater. It can have a door that has screens so you can open the door and see the fire if desired. I'm building a similar sized open-floor plan house, and I'm centrally locating a masonry heater in it. Basically, it's a fireplace with a glass door. In this design most of the heat energy is captured in the masonry. The internal temps are up to 2000 F - so the burn is complete.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Montanalocal]

Here is a thread that generally talks about new construction.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/designing-a-new-house-for-wood-heating.141989/

 

[tsquini]

A pass through wall is nice to have.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/firewood-wall-pass-through-air-lock.29850/

 

[Bad LP]

First off, a common fireplace is a bad investment (sorry). And in some states fireplaces are prohibited in new construction. Why? They are polluters (bad burn) that are very poor heaters - in fact they can cause an extra heating demand from another source. The view is what is desired from a fireplace. This can still be had with an insert (or a rock surround with a wood stove). And.....

I found that there is a 'fireplace' design that is efficient - called a masonry heater. It can have a door that has screens so you can open the door and see the fire if desired. I'm building a similar sized open-floor plan house, and I'm centrally locating a masonry heater in it. Basically, it's a fireplace with a glass door. In this design most of the heat energy is captured in the masonry. The internal temps are up to 2000 F - so the burn is complete.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

My architect had one she called a Russian Heater. While in the design stage of this house she tried to sway me into it. I found it rather messy but more important the house was cold and she had just finished the burn.

At first I wanted a Rumford design, really bad. The mason wasn't comfortable building one so I stuck with a traditional FP for the ambiance. Ambiance soon moved into realizing that a ton of heat was captured into the RFH and a fireplace was sucking that all outdoors into the cold while burning LP for the floors. A Rockland insert has me happy for the fire viewing and heat but missing the warm floors. We will be keeping the insert but will be adding an indoor gas boiler to keep the warm floors.

Both of us will be very happy when finished plus we will be able to escape in the winter for a trip while using the LP boiler as back up if away. Obviously this is far from a budget heating system.

 

[amellefson]

If you have heard of Pinterest its just a huge database of photos but its global. If you type in wood rack interior or woodstack designs etc...you will see some of the most beautifully designed interiors in house designs. Maybe do a search on fireplaces, rustic interiors.
Be warned that you will get hooked.

Yes. Well aware of it. I tried searching it before i posted this, but I am not a member. I will have to check it out with my wifes account. Thanks fot the tip

 

[Jay106n]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[xman23]

Do you really need this? I'm thinking you doing a conventional fireplace. Normally they are not used for heat. So the occasional fire for atmosphere, won't a few pieces of wood on the side deck or garage work. Hang around here and you'll be talking everyone into the best of both world's, a stove.

 

[amellefson]

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Rednecks have great ideas!

 

[Jay106n]

Rednecks have great ideas!

I know you were looking for a serious answer, but I just could not resist!

 

[amellefson]

Do you really need this? I'm thinking you doing a conventional fireplace. Normally they are not used for heat. So the occasional fire for atmosphere, won't a few pieces of wood on the side deck or garage work. Hang around here and you'll be talking everyone into the best of both world's, a stove.

I say "fireplace." I currently have a Quad insert. Off the top of my head I am thinking of a Quadrafire 7100? MN might be wrong but it can be ducted into furnace ductwork or a few vents place through out the house. I like the idea of a free standing stove with more air circulation or the russian heater with lots of thermal mass. Those might be too much for me?

I might not need this. I enjoy burning as much as I can. I wouldnt say I am a diehard. I don't want to rule anything out. I want to build this house right the first time, or at least allow provisions for it.

I realize the can of worms I just opened with "building it right."

As little "wood mess" as possible is my goal. And handling every piece too many times.

 

[amellefson]

I know you were looking for a serious answer, but I just could not resist!

How many tread millsdo you think are in the basement to get the wood to the burner

 

[maple1]

This has crossed my mind if I had full exposure in the basement or a basement woodburner. The thought of toasty warm floors does sound nice!

Unfortunately there is no real basement exposure and I like looking at the fireplace

Yes, but I don't think that was his point. He was speaking of storing wood in the basement, and elevating it up to where the stove is with a dumbwaiter type of lift. Not of having the fire in the basement.

I would do that before putting another large opening in my building envelope. Actually, don't think I would put another large opening in the envelope for any reason I can quickly think of, wood related or not.

And from your last post - when you first said fireplace, you didn't really mean a fireplace?

Will this be your only source of heat? Or will it be an often used supplement? Or will it be mainly an ambiance thing?

 

[amellefson]

Yes, but I don't think that was his point. He was speaking of storing wood in the basement, and elevating it up to where the stove is with a dumbwaiter type of lift. Not of having the fire in the basement.

I would do that before putting another large opening in my building envelope. Actually, don't think I would put another large opening in the envelope for any reason I can quickly think of, wood related or not.

And from your last post - when you first said fireplace, you didn't really mean a fireplace?

Will this be your only source of heat? Or will it be an often used supplement? Or will it be mainly an ambiance thing?

I tend to agree with big holes in my house. Hence all the waffling back and forth.

Supplement. Primarily forced air. Thinking of boiler or sme hot water in the basement floor. I want to use wood a lot but then work, family, and utter lazieness come into play.

 

[maple1]

I tend to agree with big holes in my house. Hence all the waffling back and forth.

Supplement. Primarily forced air. Thinking of boiler or sme hot water in the basement floor. I want to use wood a lot but then work, family, and utter lazieness come into play.

You sure covered a wide range of possibilities there - pretty much the whole gamut of how you can burn wood in a house for heat.

You'll have to iron our your preferences & possibilities then go from there. But you're at the right stage to do all that - the planning stage.

Are you thinking of a/c too? Are you in a place that has cold winters?

Mini-splits are getting big here in new construction. They work well with open designs. No wood required, and they can a/c too. But if you wanted to supplement with wood, you could also put a nice wood stove in that has a nice big glass door. That is likely the way I would go if building new at this point in my life.

Or you could put a wood hot air furnace in the basement if you're doing ductwork. But not much ambiance to that. As far as pure heating comfort goes, not much better than a boiler & in-floor/radiant heating. But again no ambiance, rather expensive install, and no a/c ability.

First step might be a heat loss calc for your area & what you're thinking of building.

 

[amellefson]

You sure covered a wide range of possibilities there - pretty much the whole gamut of how you can burn wood in a house for heat.

You'll have to iron our your preferences & possibilities then go from there. But you're at the right stage to do all that - the planning stage.

Are you thinking of a/c too? Are you in a place that has cold winters?

Mini-splits are getting big here in new construction. They work well with open designs. No wood required, and they can a/c too. But if you wanted to supplement with wood, you could also put a nice wood stove in that has a nice big glass door. That is likely the way I would go if building new at this point in my life.

Or you could put a wood hot air furnace in the basement if you're doing ductwork. But not much ambiance to that. As far as pure heating comfort goes, not much better than a boiler & in-floor/radiant heating. But again no ambiance, rather expensive install, and no a/c ability.

First step might be a heat loss calc for your area & what you're thinking of building.

A/C with forced air LP furnace will be primary. We do have cold winters for 2 or 3 months and hot A/C is needed for 2 or 3 months.

I definately like the ambiance factor. I am thinking of radiant heat, probably LP, in basement floor... This would keep my first floor floors warmer and keep the basement up to temp while I am burning upstairs.

Sorry for puking my thoughts out here...too many options! I am an Electrician, big bro is HVAC, and lil bro is a plumber. Labor costs don't exist. Still it all come down to price tag and return on investment.