Hello,
I'm a new member to Hearth.com, but I've been lurking for quite some time.
I'm wanting to heat my 3300 sq ft. house with wood, and have for a long time! I've considered cat vs non-cat (I think I'm going to go with catalytic) and stove vs fireplace. (The jury is still out on that one). I like the aesthetic of a fireplace, and the option with some to burn it with an open door (possibly to cook on my beloved cast iron...), but I like the functionality of a wood stove, which seems to offer more during power outages (my power doesn't really go out that often). I also like the single door on most woodstoves, vs the double doors on the larger fireplaces. I'm liking the outside air option on most of the higher end models too.
My main concern, however, is how to get heat into the finished basement. My main floor is 2400 sq ft, and the finished basement is 900 sq ft. My kids' rooms are in the basement, and it has occurred to me that they might like to have heat as well. My 20 year old house is somewhat drafty, with cheap windows and r13 insulation in 2x4 walls. I live in central KY, which is mild most of the year, with the occasional The location of the stove/fireplace will be in the center of the house, which is a living room/kitchen open room. Most of the other rooms of the house open up to this central room, so I'm not too concerned about heat distribution on the main floor. I've seen models with ducted fans, like the BIS Tradition, but I've also heard that they may not do a good job of blowing heat downward. I've also considered putting a wood stove, like the Lopi Cape Cod, in front of my air return, or relocating the air return to be above the stove or fireplace. My local dealer has expressed confidence that the fireplace x 36 or 44 Elite will spread the heat even to the basement with it's positive pressure, outside air system.
Does anyone have experience with this (or want to weigh in on any other considerations I've mentioned)?Thanks!
I'm a new member to Hearth.com, but I've been lurking for quite some time.
I'm wanting to heat my 3300 sq ft. house with wood, and have for a long time! I've considered cat vs non-cat (I think I'm going to go with catalytic) and stove vs fireplace. (The jury is still out on that one). I like the aesthetic of a fireplace, and the option with some to burn it with an open door (possibly to cook on my beloved cast iron...), but I like the functionality of a wood stove, which seems to offer more during power outages (my power doesn't really go out that often). I also like the single door on most woodstoves, vs the double doors on the larger fireplaces. I'm liking the outside air option on most of the higher end models too. My main concern, however, is how to get heat into the finished basement. My main floor is 2400 sq ft, and the finished basement is 900 sq ft. My kids' rooms are in the basement, and it has occurred to me that they might like to have heat as well. My 20 year old house is somewhat drafty, with cheap windows and r13 insulation in 2x4 walls. I live in central KY, which is mild most of the year, with the occasional The location of the stove/fireplace will be in the center of the house, which is a living room/kitchen open room. Most of the other rooms of the house open up to this central room, so I'm not too concerned about heat distribution on the main floor. I've seen models with ducted fans, like the BIS Tradition, but I've also heard that they may not do a good job of blowing heat downward. I've also considered putting a wood stove, like the Lopi Cape Cod, in front of my air return, or relocating the air return to be above the stove or fireplace. My local dealer has expressed confidence that the fireplace x 36 or 44 Elite will spread the heat even to the basement with it's positive pressure, outside air system.
Does anyone have experience with this (or want to weigh in on any other considerations I've mentioned)?Thanks!
