Ideal floor plans for wood heat?

[Poindexter]

We have a number of threads about how to move heat around in homes that were not designed for wood heat.

Starting with a clean sheet of paper and an empty lot, how can we maximize the effectiveness of a single wood stove?

 

[begreen]

An insulated, unpartitioned, round space, like a yurt or dome, is quite easy to heat.

 

[SpaceBus]

If starting from scratch, do you want to use a freestanding stove? You could design a home around a masonry heater or wood fired hydronic, which is perfect for heated floors. If designing the home around hydronic, it can have whatever layout you want. For a freestanding stove a I think a modern "open concept" design would be best, maybe a two story home with a very open stairwell for ease of convective loops. As a lover of wood burning cookstoves I would design the house around that and have it integrated into the domestic hot water with a small freestanding stove for backup. In our house I've made a cookstove and freestanding stove work, but if I were starting from scratch I would have a lot more freedom in cookstove choices.

 

[woodgeek]

We have a number of threads about how to move heat around in homes that were not designed for wood heat.

Starting with a clean sheet of paper and an empty lot, how can we maximize the effectiveness of a single wood stove?

I think the challenge is privacy. An open plan with a central heat source will work well by passive convection. But rooms with closed doors (which people seem to like) would impede airflow in.

I would argue for a highly insulated envelope! That way, the interior gradients will be lower, the wood consumption will be lower, and the thermal mass of the house (i.e. drywall) will 'go' further. Also, it will get the total BTU/h requirement down to what a stove can do easily.

 

[Poindexter]

I think the challenge is privacy.

I think this is exactly correct. A one room cabin, however spacious, easy to heat with wood, no door on the bathroom.

 

[peakbagger]

Build a Passive house, no need for wood stove or any heat

 

[Newbie78]

1 1/2 storey, centrally located stove near a central stair shaft, nearly continuous perimeter vents in the 2nd storey's floor, decent amount of windows. Natural convection with nearly as many partitions as you want.

 

[Sawset]

This is a plan that we started with, then altered to suit.

Country Home Plans by Natalie - Alternate F-1390

The separate living room and family room insures privacy for more formal entertainment. The dining room wall can be left out for more informal dining. The kitchen has a 'U' shaped working area and a breakfast space with its own bay window. Optional back stairs lead to a playroom over the two car...

natalieplans.com

Cape cod styles were meant to be added on to, so we added to the left side.
The so called screen porch is now the "family room", where the stove is, and comfy seating. The kitchen, dining and parlor all get radiant heat. The bedrooms get less heat and stay cooler, which we like. It's two story, which makes it easier to heat - heat rises. South exposure, lots of south facing windows, with large overhanging eaves means winter solar, summer shade.
Not sure if this would be considered ideal, but it's close enough for us.

 

[Max W]

It’s a very very small part of house design but 36 inch doorways along with short wide passageways do well for us. Did the doorways in our rebuild thinking of accessibility down the road. Seems to pay off heat wise as well. Our last house,28X40 with lower level walk out, had open concepts and more traditional spaces. My wife was the major designer while l guided on the structural limits. (A central cookstove, not our only heating source, was a requirement for both of us) Based on our experience I would recommend The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka to anyone looking to build and creatively plan space.

 

[Poindexter]

Thanks @Max W , I will look for that title.

What I want to do is build a home that can be appraised and listed as a 3 bed/ 2 bath, but I want the ground floor ADA adherent with one bed, one wheelchair accessible bath, kitchen, dining and home theater, with 2 beds and second bath upstairs.

Having pushed a bunch of wheelchairs through a bunch of doorways (in my 26 year career) I am planning on 3-4 doors, 40" opening, where required. I agree a 3-0 door, 36" opening, is 'big enough'; this an area where my bloody knuckles demonstrate theory and practice are not in complete agreement on a daily basis. 3-6 doorways, 42"openings, are strongly desired on the ADA ground level. Mostly on the ADA lower level I want minimal doorways. I am thinking about the ground (lower) level bedroom being open to the kitchen/ dining/ theater area with just a door to the bathroom. The kids living upstairs will hate it, but they could get a job and buy their own place.

 

[Poindexter]

Build a Passive house, no need for wood stove or any heat

This is a strongly desirable alternative in suitable climates, but I am looking to build around 64 degrees N latitude.

 

[Poindexter]

FWIW I strongly lean towards homes with central passageway as defined by internet search engines.

Within the timber framing community the same home with a central entry door and "hall" has parlors to both the left and right, but almighty google describes such a home as central passageway.

There is some Palladian symmetry at work here, whether the home is an ornate Italianate villa or a humble farmhouse.

Google Image Result for http://www.horizonview.net/~maelmhuire/Ohio/OH_RossC/OH_RossC_UnionT/OH_R_UnionT_McCoyFarmstead/McCoyFstd_Res_E-CM.JPG

 

[Poindexter]

Given that I don't have a lot to build on yet, and am working against code at 55 psf ground snow load I am up against many many variables; I would very much prefer a home with a central hall encompassing a central stair well, a single massive wood burner, and possibly 2 story (floor to ceiling) windows on the SW end.

 

[Poindexter]

I would argue for a highly insulated envelope!

I agree with this, but I don't need to be a guinea pig. Among currently 'proven' cold climate choices I would choose LEED 10 before the remote wall system recently advocated by the CCHRC (cold climate housing research center) at UA Fairbanks. The trouble with the REMOTE system is those darn 9" screws sag over time, leaving a gap in the insulation envelope at the top of the walls where they meet the ceiling insulation.

When/ if I do build I will be going with the latest greatest proven tech, distinct from the latest/greatest tech that should work.

And I am putting in AC. If I build, it is simply not negotiable. Summers up here are now too dang hot to do without a couple mini splits pumping cold air while the sun is shining anyway. So the insulation envelope will need vapor barrier inside and out; and there will be solar panels.

 

[Poindexter]

If starting from scratch, do you want to use a freestanding stove? You could design a home around a masonry heater or wood fired hydronic, which is perfect for heated floors. If designing the home around hydronic, it can have whatever layout you want. For a freestanding stove a I think a modern "open concept" design would be best, maybe a two story home with a very open stairwell for ease of convective loops. As a lover of wood burning cookstoves I would design the house around that and have it integrated into the domestic hot water with a small freestanding stove for backup. In our house I've made a cookstove and freestanding stove work, but if I were starting from scratch I would have a lot more freedom in cookstove choices.

You are not wrong in most climates. A state of the art masonry heater, coupled with radiant in floor heating and reasonable build quality, insulation and air sealing ticks a LOT of boxes.

However, my wife's willingness to cook on a wood fired stove is so low as to not be measurable.

My fundamental problem is choosing between a central stairwell with one big central (BK King) burner, or placing a stairwell at each end of the home with possibly one burner for an up and down convective loop most of the year, and second burner ( a pair of BK princess perhaps?) to push, push, push in colder weather.

Appreciate the discussion so far.

 

[Poindexter]

At the end of the day a central passage house, whether it has one central wood burner, or one at each end, does 'it' for me at a visceral level, where unbalanced floor plans simply do not make the same grade.

Google Image Result for https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a525ed0e5dd5bf89dfe4678/1581122121531-S4HA032T5HR3BIHKHIRI/fredericksburgwedding_Fallwedding_virginiabride_santeefarm_youseephotography_MagnoliaAlex+%2824%29.jpg

 

[peakbagger]

Passive house concepts work for any climate, but I do agree at some point supplemental heating needs to be brought in as the heat coming in through the windows just cannot overcome the heat loss. Even at 45 degrees N, many passive homes in my area end up needing supplemental heat (usually from PV) to reheat the air being brought in for fresh air ventilation. I will be working on a detailed house design over the next three months and will be looking at a lot of different concepts. My current house has a great net metering tariff (grandfathered) so I have the grid to act as a seasonal battery to store excess summer energy but the new house will be stuck with a far less favorable option (NH once an active supporter of renewables, has gone conservative and is now going backwards or actively dragging its feet). Some of the flow battery concepts look intriguing for seasonal energy storage but do not think they will scale down to home.

This product is looking quite interesting for my use. It was unavailable in North America but a firm not that far from me imported a production line and should be on line this year. https://www.timberhp.com/ The other reworking of an old product is also very interesting https://www.glavel.com/. Basically, crushed rock with a R value.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Looking to the past for inspiration can give a lot of clues. Transom windows and vents above doors can help with airflow and heat in closed off rooms yet still give privacy. Dutch doors might also help with this. A gap below the door can provide return air.

I think the biggest obstacles to being able to effectively heat with a single stove is peoples wants and desires. They want a very bui house with high ceilings that is very cut up. Theres nothing wrong with this, but its going to make traditional heating with wood difficult.

 

[woodgeek]

I agree with this, but I don't need to be a guinea pig. Among currently 'proven' cold climate choices I would choose LEED 10 before the remote wall system recently advocated by the CCHRC (cold climate housing research center) at UA Fairbanks. The trouble with the REMOTE system is those darn 9" screws sag over time, leaving a gap in the insulation envelope at the top of the walls where they meet the ceiling insulation.

When/ if I do build I will be going with the latest greatest proven tech, distinct from the latest/greatest tech that should work.

And I am putting in AC. If I build, it is simply not negotiable. Summers up here are now too dang hot to do without a couple mini splits pumping cold air while the sun is shining anyway. So the insulation envelope will need vapor barrier inside and out; and there will be solar panels.

I agree that building a high performance (R and air sealing) envelope is a rather technical business, and depends on the local climate as well (not just snow loads). You will want to find a builder with a track record, and not go for any solutions that are too new.

Its been awhile since I really studied this stuff, but I would think that you would go for a double-framed wall, 2x4 inside and outside, with minimal thermal bridges between. Wall might be 12" thick. Studs can be staggered (hard) or aligned (easier to build, bridge effect is small due to gaps). Window and door openings and sills, and top plates use plywood to span between the two frames with low thermal bridging, and the whole cavity is dense-packed. Airsealing is by conventional (permeable) wrap on the outside... no foam anywhere. A simple HRV is installed for fresh air.

Despite your latitude and snow loads... I assume you are close to the coast, and not as cold as the mountain provinces.

AC will be trivial, probably less than 1 ton. I bet with good insulation a dehumidifier would almost cover your needs, but a single minisplit will do the job.

'Vapor barriers' (like poly or visqueen) are frowned upon in the lower 48, often causing more problems than they supposedly solve. You do need a air barrier (which is vapor permeable to allow drying as needed), but a single one on the outside is almost certainly all you need. The problem with foam is that IT is a vapor barrier, and if too thin then you get condensation in the cavity, much better to skip the foam entirely, also getting rid of the long screws. The mass of cellulose would provide a large amount of water vapor buffering, and would reduce the need for indoor humidification/dehumidification in both warm and cold seasons.

 

[KDubU]

We built a home back in Ontario, Canada using SIPS (structured insulated panels), triple pane fiberglass windows and heated it with a masonry heater. It was a single level craftsman style with an open kitchen, dining and family room with bedrooms and bathrooms as “wings” to the central living area. The heater was centralized and did a great job. I would love to have a house like that again.

 

[EbS-P]

Hallways presented challenges to moving heat. And add a cold daft back to the stove. I would be thinking a more square footprint. Open concept living dining kitchen. Stove could go right in the middl. to define space with a 4-8’ floor to ceiling wall to define space behind it. . Mater bath would have electric floor heat. Probably the other bathroom too.

Maybe a bit of a split level. Bedrooms over garage. Bedroom level a would be 3-4’ higher than main living level?? No I don’t like split levels. Scratch that

It’s nice not to to see my messy stove and sink from the living room or dining room.

 

[peakbagger]

BTW , the town I am designing my house for has a 110 PSF ground snow load.

 

[Poindexter]

@peakbagger , there is a group of folks on a timber framing forum I belong to - that double check each other's beam calculations. None are offering engineering stamps, just double checking the math. One of those folks is building in the Sierra Nevada with ground snow load over 100 psf and went down the roof pitch rabbit hole to encourage snow to slide off. He was up to 18:12 pitch last time I checked in.

At the end of the day, the vast majority of ready made plans are for ground snow loads "up to" 50 psf, so the rest of us get to do some math. I am roughly equidistant from the South, North and West coasts of Alaska.

For now I will stick to an interior floor plan with minimal walls and minimal doors, and not worry about construction techniques until closer to trigger time.

Thanks all.

 

[peakbagger]

The joke is the town with the 110 PSF is full of camps and converted camps that were optimistically built for about 20 PSF. But the structural engineers of NH and Army Cold Regions lab got together and did a statistical analysis of potential snow load backed by historical records and came up with the values they recomended. Most towns in my area were what were referred to as the "black zone" on snow load charts which meant "see your AHJ for required values". Generally, most folks worry about exceeding deflection criteria but when looking at roof loads extreme fiber stress is what governs it, unless its a cathedral ceiling and they want to dry wall it. My observations over the years is rarely if ever do residential roofs fail due to uniform overloading, its almost always details that were skipped or not understood that initiated the wreck. Toe nailing is biggy that gets done poorly, I am big fan of Simson clips. Usually as long as the roof membrane is kept up roof structures will survive a lot of snow. My structural education is 35 years old and definitely was ASD. I have heard the newer method LFRD allows more economical element design which implies ASD is overkill, but I am just a mechanical engineer so "formula P" (if in doubt make it heavier or taller) applies if there is a question.

Sad to say most of the small towns locally have a part time building inspectors that tend not to have clue what they are seeing. The AHJ in the town I am doing the design is a retired state trooper. If he asks me for a PE to stamp my drawings, I will get out my stamp and sign on the dotted line.

 

[Corey]

Hard to argue with the 'one well insulated room' concept. Though if looking for a bit more traditional layout, some key things I would look for:

Good insulation, as mentioned.
Central located wood stove
All ceilings and floors at one level. No second story, no basement, no cathedral/vaulted ceilings, no 'sunken' rooms or split levels
Doorways are open pass-throughs with no 'headers' at the ceiling, and the wider the better
If you have to have a door, it should have a transom window at the top

Some other 'quirky' things you might consider

If you have some rooms which are very infrequently used - insulate those - even the interior walls, and use solid core foam insulated door. That way, you can fully isolate that room when not in use.

If designing from absolute scratch you might just add well insulated ducting for a small fan to move heat around.

Try to have all rooms open to the main heating space. It always seems to be much colder in rooms where go down a hall, make a turn into another room, walk through it, then go into another room. (bathrooms off of bedrooms would be a key example)