Decisions, decisions...

[ImInTheWind]

Greetings!

You may want to load a split or two and sit down. This is a fairly long story.

I have been reading a lot, here and elsewhere for about a month, and thank you all for your very helpful insight and experience.

My wife and I purchased a log-home about 2 1/2 months ago. After 21 years of marriage and looking, we found our dream home.

The structure and all mechanicals are 18 years old. It is about 2500 sq. ft (I will attempt to attach some jpgs). It is fairly tight for an 18 year old log home. There is room for improvement in the near future.

The owners had a Treemont insert in the masonry firebox. On more than one occasion, as we were admiring their log-home and negotiating our purchase of it, we specifically addressed the chimney, the wood-burning insert, it's heating capability and their annual maintenance thereof. We were told that they had never had a problem, had maintained it regularly and that we could expect to supplement our heating nicely.

After complete home inspection, closing and move-in, the neighbors started to disclose the fact that the previous owners had experienced a severe chimney fire. Municipal records, as well as eyewitness accounts, indicate that a severe chimney fire occurred on at-least one occasion, perhaps more. Records state that the damages were estimated at $10,000.00 at the time (1997). There is no evidence that repairs were ever made.

To condense: Our estimates for restoration are coming in at around $8,000.00. Insurance won't cover it because it was an existing defect. Unless the previous owners step up to the plate, it's headed for civil action based on non-discloser or worse if there was any insurance fraud at the time (1997).

We are going forward with the repairs and new insert regardless.

We were not planning to have to do this for several years. However, with the chimney and insert deemed unsafe to burn, we have pretty much convinced ourselves that now is the time to switch to a pellet insert. I'm a longtime wood burner, but I'm getting older and the convenience for my wife would be a good thing.

We really like the Harman Accentra insert. It would fit nicely and look good.

The fireplace, living area, dining area and kitchen are open (960 sq. ft), cathedral ceiling over fireplace/living area. Loft area above is about 400 sq. ft (the girls bedroom). The master bedroom and bath (450 sq. ft 1st floor) and the guest bedroom and bath (450 sq. ft 2nd floor) are down short hallways.

Thoughts, suggestions, opinions most welcome.

 

[jeffee]

What a beautiful house!! Congratulations!

 

[Todd]

Nice looking cabin. My dream someday also. If your still intersested in wood, can't you just drop a stainless steel liner down the exsisting chimney and purchase a new insert? The Accentra would look nice also.

 

[ImInTheWind]

Thanks to both of you. We're really loving it, except it is getting chilly and we were looking forward to sitting in front of some radiant warmth.

It's a hard choice between wood and pellet.

 

[Xena]

Wow I'm jealous as heck. You're living in my dream house also.
Huge congrats! My 2c:
Pellet stoves rock if you can get pellets at a good
price and have a place to store enough to get you through a heating season.
Wood is great if you don't mind working a little harder for your heat.
If you have access to free wood, have the time, and are physically capable of the
hauling, cutting, and splitting, then wood is an attractive option.
If you have to pay for wood then in that case I think pellets are the better choice.

 

[Hogwildz]

Since you have facts of chimney fire occurring, you could still go with wood, line the chimney with insulated liner, and put a new insert in. Or go the pellet route.
I am partial to wood burning myself, but thats just me. If the chimney is large enough, you could also go with a rigid insulated double wall liner straight down, or rigid with 5' of flex at the bottom. I would def follow up on the non disclosure suite, I am sure theres big time penalty there. At least you can get the repairs or possibly insert & liner paid for. Beautiful place btw. Congrats. In a way, if thats the worst you have to find, your ahead of the game. I am redoing, plumbing, electrical wiring etc from my home purchase.

 

[Gunner]

Love the house.

The first house I purchased, the sellers tried to pull a fast on us. Didn't tell us the sink+toilet and the laundry sink in the basement were tied into the floor drain! First load of laundry sent soap sudds up and out the floor drain...using the toilet would leave a deuce in the floor drain trap.

Long story short took them to small claims for $2200(average quote to fix it)....they decided to pay in full before we even went to court. Busted up the basement floor myself ran everything right and ended up redoing the whole bathroom and adding a shower.

 

[ImInTheWind]

Our lot is basically situated with a fairly limitless supply of hickory, red oak, maple etc. We have a season all set, but no wood burner. The timing makes me weigh the future (human) energy levels required to maintain primary/supplemental fuel sources.

Any insight into heating this type of floor-plan with a Harman insert? The only other choice that we have come up with is the Quadrafire Mt. Vernon AE insert. We like the aesthetics of the Harman more.

 

[begreen]

You should go to a Quad and a Harman dealer and sit in front of a running stove. A pellet stove is essentialy a small wood furnace. You will need to decide if this is the ambience you want. Don't get me wrong, I love pellet stoves. But I am hearing that romantic appeal is a factor here too. A pellet stove is easier and more convenient. A wood stove is hard to beat for ambience and pure heat when it's really cold outside.