Getting the most heat from wood stove in the basement.

[save$]

My son just bought a home with a propane gas heating system, (Central Maine) Home is about 20 x 50 with a full cellar. He wants to install a wood stove in his unfinished basement and burn wood to supplement his gas. Gas is very $$$ here. I have tried to sway him to putting the wood stove in the living area, but that doesn't’t seem to be an option for him. He will have a metal hood fashioned and hang it above his stove (an old Allnighter that heated my home for years). I think I have convinced him that his heat will all but wasted unless he insulates the cinder block cellar walls. My question, is what is the minimum amount and type of insulation to put on his walls. Basement can be damp. Has a full foundation and cement floor with an active sump working.
I had posted this information request yesterday. It is relates to getting the a good benefit from wood stove heating from a new basement installation. I have seen hundreds of such posting in the pellet crib without the thread being pulled to a seldom visited forum not visited by the group I desired to pose this question. To those who initially responded to this, thank you.

 

[cmonSTART]

hi save. Anything he can do to insulate and dry it out will be better than nothing. Even if its just foam board stuck to the walls.

 

[Todd]

Insulation is a must and a cold air return from the coldest far away upstairs room pushing cold air into the basement will help the warm air rise.

 

[savageactor7]

Since nobody mentioned it buy caulking when it's on sale by the case's. Caulk around windows, doors in the basement when the foundation meets the sill plate etc. If you can stop any air movement that's a good thing...and caulking if done right is inexpensive application that will pay big dividends.

 

[begreen]

The best way to get heat upstairs from a stove in the basement is cut a big hole above the stove and then install the stove on an 8-10' high hearth or whatever matches the ceiling height. ;-P Seal edges of the hole tightly to the hearth.

 

[save$]

When I depended upon a wood stove in my basement for the only heating source for my split level (2260 sq ft) I had a metal hood fashioned to be a littler larger than the foot print of the stove. This was hung about 20 inches above the stove which then decreased in size to the 12x14 floor grate. I put in small grates on the outside wall of each room than can into the ceiling below. Everything was well insulated. We never were colder than 70 degrees as long as we kept the stove well fed.
Where the installation of my son's stove is in an unfinished, uninsulated area, I was wondering if anyone had tried trying to isolate the stove somewhat to lessen heat loss. Thinking if maybe a some cinder block a few feet away on each side? Just looking for ideas from this group of experienced wood burners. thanks

 

[jtakeman]

I made a box out of wonder board(duraboard). Its concrete mostly. I built it around my stove and added duct work off of it to the upstairs rooms.

I offset the box on the stove so smoke would not enter the Box.

It worked well but wasn't pretty. If I did it again I would add duct fans to help the heat flow.

jay

 

[stoveguy2esw]

basement???? purpose built wood furnace connected to ductwork. putting a radient woodstove in an unfinished basement aint gonna get it done.

if you dont "live " in the basement , why waste most of your heat output there?

furnace in basement ducted, or put the stove where you live

 

[rowerwet]

he does know that the best part of the wood stove heat is radiant, he will be wasting all that radiated heat on the basement walls, the convection (heated air) part of a wood stove is ok and could heat the house if the basement is well insulated, but he won't get the benefit of that (sunbeam on your face) heat.
I gues the best bet would be to build a double box around the stove and blow air between the walls to get the radiant heat converted to convection.

 

[laynes69]

I would buy a furnace before I would attempt to build a box around a stove and duct it. Thats a pretty small area for most wood furnaces, for they would run you out of the house. There is a small furnace called the Mini-caddy and it sounds like it would be a good canidate for the job. Also EPA Certified to boot.