I'm jumping in with both feet!

[A-Team]

Hello all! I wanted to start saying that I am a huge fan of this site and have learned an incredible amount clinking around. I'm not too technically savvy but I'll try.

OK - after almost a one year renovation in our home, I have gotten rid of a wall to wall hearth and façade from our home's existing fireplace. The outside of the chimney is in my attached garage. I have a one story L-ranch (1800-1900 sq ft) built in the late 1960's, where a few walls have been removed to create the open floor concept that seems to be all the rage. We aren't done yet, but we are getting there. Baby steps, I guess. The new surround and hearth has been installed and the mantel is currently being made. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent trying to design everything to code and our style with the intent of installing a wood burning insert.

Well, finally, this Friday 1/3/14, a Hearthstone Clydesdale in matte black is going to be installed in our fire box. We were originally going to get the Fireplace X 33 inch flush mount but at the last minute my wife fell in love with the looks of the Clydesdale. I think we made a good choice considering everything I have found and read on the internet.

February 2013 I had three monster oak trees, one huge maple and two cherry trees cut down and I kept 90% of the wood, borrowed a friends Cub Cadet splitter (25 ton I think...awesome machine) and split and stacked it all by April 1st. I had tarps covering most of the tops of the rows of wood. My intent is to start out supplementing our heat to cut down on the expensive fuel oil consumption but ultimately I would like to heat with the insert as close to full time as possible. So, I think that I have at least two years worth of wood split (but that won't stop me from scrounging around as often as possible).

Please feel free to let me know what you think and any useful tips that could help a rookie out. I will post pics of the current state of the project and after install pics as soon as I get them and can figure out how to post them!!

When I asked the installer a million questions one of the things he has said was that he places regular fiberglass insulation at the top of the chimney and just above the insert (above the damper, I think). I was thinking that I should purchase Roxul and provide it to him to install in those locations in place of the pink stuff. Is this a good idea, or am I throwing money away?

Thank you, I'm looking forward to many years of heat and a lifetime of learning how to use this thing.

 

[firefighterjake]

Good call on the Roxul.

 

[begreen]

One of the most common disappointments we see here on almost a daily basis is with the wood. Modern stoves want dry wood. Just so that you are prepared, the maple will start to be burnable in a year, the oak in a couple years. I would buy next years wood now and try to get quick drying species like ash, beech, etc. or buy kiln dried if available.

 

[jatoxico]

Welcome from a fellow Long Islander and a Suffolk resident at that. Yes to the Roxul. There is almost no way to over state how important dry wood is. With wet wood you will be wondering why you ever bought the @#$%$# stove and with dry wood you will wonder how you ever lived with your new best friend.

Hopefully the cherry you split and stacked is ready to burn, that is your best bet. The oak is unlikely to be good and the maple depending on species has a shot. Get a cheap moisture meter ($10 from Harb Freight) so you can pick and choose the good stuff. Then get started getting a wood supply to get at least 2 yrs ahead so you can throw your new moisture meter away.

 

[A-Team]

Gotcha. I'm sure I'd have to take about another mortgage to get some kiln dried wood. Unfortunately I have all the wood mixed up in the stacks!! I'll get the Roxul and have it placed up top and above the insert...in addition should / could the Roxul be placed in the firebox behind the insert also to keep the heat in the house instead of the bricks and the garage?

 

[begreen]

Kiln dried wood will probably run $3-400 per full cord. But consider this as a down-payment on immediate satisfaction from the insert and as a way to buy your current stash some more drying time. When testing the wood for moisture, be sure to resplit it and test on the freshly exposed face of the wood. If it is >23%, don't burn this season.

 

[jatoxico]

Gotcha. I'm sure I'd have to take about another mortgage to get some kiln dried wood. Unfortunately I have all the wood mixed up in the stacks!! I'll get the Roxul and have it placed up top and above the insert...in addition should / could the Roxul be placed in the firebox behind the insert also to keep the heat in the house instead of the bricks and the garage?

As far as the roxul behind the insert I would defer to the manufacturers recommendation. People here have done it but mostly those with experience and for a specific reason like an outside chimney. You're already ahead of the game that the chimney is in an enclosed space even if it is unfished space. Others with that insert may have something to add.

Pull some cherry out of your stacks and put it in the garage. Maybe enough for a couple loads at least. Then by Friday/Saturday it should be air dried and not frozen, then let er' rip!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

February 2013 I had three monster oak trees, one huge maple and two cherry trees cut down and I kept 90% of the wood, borrowed a friends Cub Cadet splitter (25 ton I think...awesome machine) and split and stacked it all by April 1st. I had tarps covering most of the tops of the rows of wood. My intent is to start out supplementing our heat to cut down on the expensive fuel oil consumption but ultimately I would like to heat with the insert as close to full time as possible. So, I think that I have at least two years worth of wood split (but that won't stop me from scrounging around as often as possible).

Please feel free to let me know what you think and any useful tips that could help a rookie out. I will post pics of the current state of the project and after install pics as soon as I get them and can figure out how to post them!!

When I asked the installer a million questions one of the things he has said was that he places regular fiberglass insulation at the top of the chimney and just above the insert (above the damper, I think). I was thinking that I should purchase Roxul and provide it to him to install in those locations in place of the pink stuff. Is this a good idea, or am I throwing money away?

Thank you, I'm looking forward to many years of heat and a lifetime of learning how to use this thing.

Welcome to the forum A-Team.

Good call on the roxul.

Good that you had some wood to cut on your own place. Other's have cautioned you on the wood but I don't think much was mentioned about drying time. First thing to know is to not count any drying time until it has been split and stacked out in the wind. Remember that wind is your best friend (other than time) for drying wood.

So, the cherry trees might be ready to burn but still not the best. Maple; it depends if it is hard or soft maple. I'm guessing hard maple and that needs a year for sure. On the other hand, oak needs 2-3 years. We always give it 3 years here as it burns just that much better and you get more heat from it. In your area, I also would go 3 years on that oak. At best, try burning it in the winter of 2015-2016. I also would save all the oak to burn only during the coldest part of winter and then at night. The reason is it will hold a good hot fire for a longer period than most wood will and that is greatly appreciated in January!

 

[jatoxico]

Kiln dried wood will probably run $3-400 per full cord. But consider this as a down-payment on immediate satisfaction from the insert and as a way to buy your current stash some more drying time. When testing the wood for moisture, be sure to resplit it and test on the freshly exposed face of the wood. If it is >23%, don't burn this season.

More and supply is limited. Getting $180 1/4 cord after tx.

 

[A-Team]

More and supply is limited. Getting $180 1/4 cord after tx.

I thought that was more like the going rate. That's pretty pricey. Jeez I really had no idea that three + years was the way to go for seasoned wood. I don't have anywhere near the room to have multiples of my current stash - which is about 60-70 ft x 18" x 6' high that's been sitting since April.

So I'm guessing that the "seasoned firewood" that the nursery around the corner from my house is selling (which by the way I saw them splitting over the summer) is no way near seasoned.

 

[jatoxico]

I thought that was more like the going rate. That's pretty pricey. Jeez I really had no idea that three + years was the way to go for seasoned wood. I don't have anywhere near the room to have multiples of my current stash - which is about 60-70 ft x 18" x 6' high that's been sitting since April.

So I'm guessing that the "seasoned firewood" that the nursery around the corner from my house is selling (which by the way I saw them splitting over the summer) is no way near seasoned.

I'd be surprised as a part time burner if you used more than 2 cords/yr and you've got about 4 so in all likelihood you have 2 years supply. Next year might be a bit iffy but you'll get by. So really you either need to get something dry for next year, which is tough or add a couple cords that you expect to use 3 yrs from now. Squeeze another couple cords in and you are really home free. Just need to get through not having a lot of good dry stuff the first year or so which is how most of us had to do it.

Keep reading and asking questions, there are ways to get by.

 

[rwhite]

I think a lot of us are space limited when it comes to wood supply. I burn about 4 cords a year and have room for about 6. It would be great if you could squeeze another row in there. If you can start now and get about 2 cords of oak and the rest of wood that will season quicker. I reserve the oak for night burns only and maybe use 3/4 cord a year. All other times I burn whatever I can get (maple, pine, fir,russian olive)

 

[dafattkidd]

A-Team, welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your new insert! That is a beautiful unit.

Try this guy http://thelogsplitter.com/

A couple of my buddies use him. I've spoken to him. I was planning to buy a ton this year, but couldn't justify spending the money as I have a good amount of seasoned hardwood. He seems like a nice guy. I think he sells a ton of Envi blocks for $325-350 (I can't remember if that is delivered or not). I think the math is something like 1 ton of Envi blocks = 1 cord of seasoned hardwood.

Many of us on LI cannot store more than a few cords on our property. If you can mix a couple Envi blocks in each load with your not so seasoned wood you'll probably do pretty well. If you have space in your garage they store in a smaller cleaner footprint than a cord of wood.

Where are you in Suffolk?

ETA: Website says $310/ton picked up and I think there is a $50 delivery fee or maybe less.

 

[A-Team]

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm in Setauket dafattkidd, we aren't too far from each other. I've read about those bricks. First thing I'm going to do is buy a moisture meter and see how bad my splits are, then take it from there. I really do not want to spend more money - I've gone way over budget on everything so far. I'm attaching two pics, one before which shows the wall to wall hearth and façade 11.5' wide. I since took down the wall on the left side cant see it in the after photo, but this is the way it looks right now. I've done everything myself so far, but I will not be doing the insert install and a woodworking friend is building the mantel from scratch. Looks like I'll be burning before the mantel lol. Oh well.

Quick question. How long after the first break in fire cools down can we start making the next fire?

 

[jatoxico]

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm in Setauket dafattkidd, we aren't too far from each other. I've read about those bricks. First thing I'm going to do is buy a moisture meter and see how bad my splits are, then take it from there. I really do not want to spend more money - I've gone way over budget on everything so far. I'm attaching two pics, one before which shows the wall to wall hearth and façade 11.5' wide. I since took down the wall on the left side cant see it in the after photo, but this is the way it looks right now. I've done everything myself so far, but I will not be doing the insert install and a woodworking friend is building the mantel from scratch. Looks like I'll be burning before the mantel lol. Oh well.

Quick question. How long after the first break in fire cools down can we start making the next fire?

Oh we are close, I'm in Stony Brook. As far as break fires I would say it can be done right away. Have a small fire, let it burn down to coals and unless you want to let it go totally cold so you can inspect you can have another small fire right after. I personally took it easy at first and made progressively larger and larger fires but at the time it was Sept/Oct when the demand for heat was not high.

 

[A-Team]

The snow storm that hit us last night postponed the install of the insert. Installation has been rescheduled for next Saturday. Oh well, can't have a guy on a roof covered with snow sending down the liner!

 

[jatoxico]

The snow storm that hit us last night postponed the install of the insert. Installation has been rescheduled for next Saturday. Oh well, can't have a guy on a roof covered with snow sending down the liner!

Bad timing but you don't want them rushing through the job.

 

[FirewoodAddict]

Congrats on the Clydesdale! I'm in the same boat as you, scheduled for install on Monday but looks like a storm will postpone it . Oh well, made it this far whats a few more days! Based on your timeframe you might be in the middle of firing that bad boy up this very minute. I dont know about you but i plan on sweating myself out of the room after the break in process is done...I think thats a must for every new stove or insert purchase. Happy burnin'

 

[Jo191145]

As far as the roxul behind the insert I would defer to the manufacturers recommendation. People here have done it but mostly those with experience and for a specific reason like an outside chimney. You're already ahead of the game that the chimney is in an enclosed space even if it is unfished space. Others with that insert may have something to add.

Pull some cherry out of your stacks and put it in the garage. Maybe enough for a couple loads at least. Then by Friday/Saturday it should be air dried and not frozen, then let er' rip!

Interesting. I know very little about wood and it's required drying time. It's interesting you find cherry a quick dryer. It's not normally a wood I have a lot of but this year I do. All cut and split at the same time. The cherry is still 30% -35% moisture content while even my oak is down to 20%. I'm tossing the cherry in the wood furnace which doesn't really care too much what I feed it.

 

[jatoxico]

This is an oldie but as I recall cherry seemed like the best choice. It dries faster by a long shot for me than oak.

 

[Dix]

This is an oldie but as I recall cherry seemed like the best choice. It dries faster by a long shot for me than oak.

J is correct. Cherry dries pretty damned fast for a hard wood.

Old thread.

Maybe a new one?

 

[Osagebndr]

This is an oldie but I'd still like to see the Clydesdale installed. Pics please!

 

[A-Team]

Congrats on the Clydesdale! I'm in the same boat as you, scheduled for install on Monday but looks like a storm will postpone it . Oh well, made it this far whats a few more days! Based on your timeframe you might be in the middle of firing that bad boy up this very minute. I dont know about you but i plan on sweating myself out of the room after the break in process is done...I think thats a must for every new stove or insert purchase. Happy burnin'

Congratulations on your purchase! I hope the weather cooperates and allows for the install. Tomorrow will be my one year anniversary with the Clydesdale and boy am I happy we pulled the trigger...it is awesome! We've been having a cold spell and I does keep up. Just gotta feed this beast!

 

[FirewoodAddict]

Thanks I'm excited to see what it can do! I live in a T shaped raised ranch and he's going in the basement basically at the top center of the "T". The steps are roughly 9' in front of where the insert will be and the upstairs is open. Basement is WELL insulated and it only encompasses the cross section of the T, the long section is cut off by a door that leads to the shop and ac/heat unit so I'm feeling confident I can get a decent amount upstairs. I'll post a couple pics and an update once its in place but tomorrow is gonna be an icey mess so not holding out much hope

 

[A-Team]

Thanks I'm excited to see what it can do! I live in a T shaped raised ranch and he's going in the basement basically at the top center of the "T". The steps are roughly 9' in front of where the insert will be and the upstairs is open. Basement is WELL insulated and it only encompasses the cross section of the T, the long section is cut off by a door that leads to the shop and ac/heat unit so I'm feeling confident I can get a decent amount upstairs. I'll post a couple pics and an update once its in place but tomorrow is gonna be an icey mess so not holding out much hope

Well... How'd it go. Is it in yet? Show some pics. I apologize if you already posted. (Please let me know if you did)