Looking for wood stove for a small cabin in CO

[aaarneson]

We are building a new cabin in Dolores, CO. It will be about 640-850 sqft. I just want to find out what kind of stoves I should keep an eye out for....looking to but used. Also want to find out what to stay away from.

Thanks

 

[DanCorcoran]

We are building a new cabin in Dolores, CO. It will be about 640-850 sqft. I just want to find out what kind of stoves I should keep an eye out for....looking to but used. Also want to find out what to stay away from.

Thanks

Wow! We lived about 10 miles from Dolores and left in 2008 (my wife was unhappy with the remoteness)...I loved it there. In fact, I just got back from housesitting there for a friend for 3 weeks (next to the Anasazi Heritage Center). I have a Hearthstone Shelburne in my cabin in WV and I love it. I doubt that it would handle your needs, though, as your winters are longer and colder. I have no problem with Hearthstone as a brand. I'd definitely recommend a larger, EPA-approved stove, though, because your wood consumption will be drastically reduced. Knowing that area as I do, I think you'll have a hard time finding one used. Most folks there buy a stove and use it until it dies...not a lot of turnover. Good luck, enjoy Montezuma County!

 

[aaarneson]

Wow! We lived about 10 miles from Dolores and left in 2008 (my wife was unhappy with the remoteness)...I loved it there. In fact, I just got back from housesitting there for a friend for 3 weeks (next to the Anasazi Heritage Center). I have a Hearthstone Shelburne in my cabin in WV and I love it. I doubt that it would handle your needs, though, as your winters are longer and colder. I have no problem with Hearthstone as a brand. I'd definitely recommend a larger, EPA-approved stove, though, because your wood consumption will be drastically reduced. Knowing that area as I do, I think you'll have a hard time finding one used. Most folks there buy a stove and use it until it dies...not a lot of turnover. Good luck, enjoy Montezuma County!

Sorry. I should clarify. I actually live in Phoenix, AZ and the cabin we are building will mostly be a vacation house.

Our place is right across the highway from summit lake.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Sorry. I should clarify. I actually live in Phoenix, AZ and the cabin we are building will mostly be a vacation house.

Our place is right across the highway from summit lake.

I assumed it was a vacation home, based on the locations you showed. If you won't be there in winter, a Shelburne should do fine, as would many others I'm sure. You must be near Summit Lake Church, then. We lived about 2 miles from Summit Lake, near the intersection of Road 33 and Road P.

 

[aaarneson]

Yep...more north and a little more east. My wife's grandfather built that church and developed pretty much everything else in that area.

 

[tarzan]

How well insulated will the cabin be?

 

[aaarneson]

I think everything will be insulated, except the flooring...the foundation is 12" piers.

 

[begreen]

If the intent is to spend some time there in colder weather then insulate under the floor and cover it to prevent rodent and vermin damage.

There are lots of stoves that will work for moderate temperature chill chasing. A Morso 2110, Englander 13NC, Woodstock Keystone, etc. will do the job. What is the budget and style desired?

 

[aaarneson]

I would like to spend around $1K or so. I am not sure about the style. Maybe something rustic. But that Morso and Keystone do look nice. I am unable to find anything online about those 2 or where I can purchase. Also any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Simonkenton]

A pier foundation with no insulation. That builder made a mistake. That cold north wind blows under that house, you are going to lose massive heat through that floor. Big mistake for cold weather.

The house has running water? What has this builder done to keep pipes from freezing as they enter the house?

 

[aaarneson]

A pier foundation with no insulation. That builder made a mistake. That cold north wind blows under that house, you are going to lose massive heat through that floor. Big mistake for cold weather.

The house has running water? What has this builder done to keep pipes from freezing as they enter the house?

It is not done. It will have insulation underneath. That was my oversight when responding above.

 

[begreen]

Back when I lived in a cabin I put a skirt of poly plastic and then straw bales around the perimeter of the house to keep it warmer underneath. The straw became garden mulch in the spring.

Woodstock stoves are sold direct from Woodstock. You order them by calling, but this probably is out of your price range. They've raised the price by a thousand over the past decade. www.woodstove.com. The Englander 13NC is a great value and sold at big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes (Summer's heat brand). The only caveat is it needs a very well insulated hearth.

You live in a remote corner of the state. Ordering online may be your best bet. A small Century S244 stove may work out ok. True North stoves are sold online too and they were at our local True Value hardware store.

The Buck 21 would also work.
http://woodstoves.net/buck-stove/tr...-catalytic-freestanding-wood-stove-insert.htm

 

[Simonkenton]

begreen is right. My neighbor up here in the NC mountains made a mistake of building a house with pier foundations. 18 inch concrete columns, spaced 8 feet on center.
He put 10 inches of fiberglass in that floor and the house was still freezing in winter.
He wound up having to build a wooden skirt all the way around the house to keep that cold north wind off of the underside. This was just a wall of 1x8s, no insulation in it, but it stopped the wind.

 

[aaarneson]

begreen is right. My neighbor up here in the NC mountains made a mistake of building a house with pier foundations. 18 inch concrete columns, spaced 8 feet on center.
He put 10 inches of fiberglass in that floor and the house was still freezing in winter.
He wound up having to build a wooden skirt all the way around the house to keep that cold north wind off of the underside. This was just a wall of 1x8s, no insulation in it, but it stopped the wind.

It will eventually be skirted by the time it is done.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Will it be heated while you are not there? If not, you will need to decide how fast you want the temperature to come up. That'll dictate the stove size. It takes a while to heat up the thermal mass of a cabin from whatever the temperature is outside to something most people would consider comfortable during the winter.

 

[aaarneson]

Will it be heated while you are not there? If not, you will need to decide how fast you want the temperature to come up. That'll dictate the stove size. It takes a while to heat up the thermal mass of a cabin from whatever the temperature is outside to something most people would consider comfortable during the winter.

No it will not be heated when we are not there. But I don't think it will need to be heated super quickly.

 

[Woody Stover]

Woodstock stoves are sold direct from Woodstock. You order them by calling, but this probably is out of your price range. They've raised the price by a thousand over the past decade. www.woodstove.com. The Englander 13NC is a great value and sold at big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes (Summer's heat brand). The only caveat is it needs a very well insulated hearth.
You live in a remote corner of the state. Ordering online may be your best bet. A small Century S244 stove may work out ok. True North stoves are sold online too and they were at our local True Value hardware store.
The Buck 21 would also work.

I like my Keystone, but in that case I would go for a cheaper plate-steel stove; It will heat the place up a bit faster, and will be lighter in weight if you have to move it in and hook it up yourself.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

No it will not be heated when we are not there. But I don't think it will need to be heated super quickly.

OK. I think you should look for around a 2 cubic foot stove. It will take a lot of energy to warm up a cold building. Any wind will only make it harder. Sometimes the warmup is painfully slow. I turn on a small propane heater to start getting a jump on heating the cold place. Its only around 15k btu, but if you sit directly in front of it it feels better.

 

[aaarneson]

OK. I think you should look for around a 2 cubic foot stove. It will take a lot of energy to warm up a cold building. Any wind will only make it harder. Sometimes the warmup is painfully slow. I turn on a small propane heater to start getting a jump on heating the cold place. Its only around 15k btu, but if you sit directly in front of it it feels better.

Thank you. I was thinking of adding a small floor heater by the beds as well.

Thanks for all the advice. If any one has any more please go ahead and share.

 

[aaarneson]

What about any of these? Are and of these brands good?

https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...er-wood-stove/p-1444445445705.htm?cm_vc=PDPZ1

OR

https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...ves/wood-stoves/legend-ii/p-1444444138974.htm

OR

https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...431356523-c-6884.htm?tid=-6740179820142524332

OR

https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...4431356580-c-6884.htm?tid=6443235104164615459

 

[begreen]

The Legend II is a good stove, but way oversized for the cabin. Stick with stoves in the 1.6-2.0 cu ft size. At Menards, the Century FW2600 or the Drolet Escape 1800 would be a good choice. I'm not a big fan of the others due to firebox config or cheap construction. The Defender might do the job if you don't mind getting up in the middle of the night to refuel.

Maybe visit or call this dealer in Durango? See if they have some old stock on hand like the True North TN19. An Enviro Kodiak 1600 would also be a good fit.
(broken link removed)

 

[aaarneson]

Any advantage between a stand or having legs?

 

[aaarneson]

What about a Vermont Casting Medium DutchWest (2478) Is that a good stove? The specs seem to be about right.

 

[begreen]

What about a Vermont Casting Medium DutchWest (2478) Is that a good stove? The specs seem to be about right.

No, I can't recommend that stove at all, especially for a high-altitude chimney installation.

 

[aaarneson]

Ok...Saw an opportunity locally? Can you say why not? Just curious.