- Moving my Woodstock Fireview (and my family) to a new (log) home, will it be enough?

[Piston]

I'm hoping to gain some insight on "what to expect" in a future move we are doing. I'm burning with a Woodstock Fireview for reference.

We currently live in a poorly insulated 1,450 sq ft cape cod style home in central MA.
It is fairly closed off with a central staircase and rooms all around, the chimney is on the gable end with the brick outside running up the side of the house.
The house was built in 1948, has almost no insulation in the walls, the attic, or the floor of the first floor (basement ceiling). The windows are old and drafty, to the point where when I'm sitting on the couch in front of the window, I can literally feel cold air coming down the back cushions of the couch. (Sounds toasty right?)


We are moving to an 1800 sq ft home on the north side of a small mountain in central NH. It is log construction, built in 1985 with original windows. The roof has R30 insulation, the upstairs walls have R19, as do the gable end walls above the logs. The main walls are 8" D-log style logs, eastern white pine, supposedly good for around R13 or so. Being that it's settled now, there are certainly some air leaks that make it less than 'super insulated'. Being a log home, I don't know how much more I can insulate the walls.

The new home has a central fireplace/chimney with an open floor plan and cathedral ceilings.

I'm wondering what to expect if I move my Fireview up there, as far as if it will heat it better/worse than our current home. If it's not going to heat the house, I don't want to waste the energy moving it, and I'll likely go with a Woodstock Progress Hybrid or something similar as it's replacement.

I may use the Fireview in the basement (uninslated walls/slab) but being that it's in the
basement, I dont' want to go down there and load it every 5 hours or so. Something like a Blazeking would be a good fit for that.

Should I expect the newer home to be easier to heat with less wood, being that it's at least somewhat insulated? Or should I expect to need more heat and a larger stove since it's bigger and more open?

We like the house to be REALLY warm in the winter, let's say about 80 degrees or so.

I also want to start a new thread on the feasibility of installing radiant heat and heating with an indoor wood furnace, as well as the possible insulation options I may have, but I think that's for a different subforum, so I figured I'd start here.

 

[begreen]

I was all for keeping the stove and trying it out until this line.
"We like the house to be REALLY warm in the winter, let's say about 80 degrees or so."
Go for the Progress or Ideal Steel. See if Woodstock will give you a trade-in price.

Heating from an uninsulated basement is a large waste of wood regardless of the stove. Insulating the walls and joist spaces, and sealing the sill plate will be effective for about a 33% reduction in heat loss and wood consumption.

 

[enigmablaze]

I'm not the one to answer any of your questions, just wanted to say congratulations, it sounds like a lovely place

 

[chance04]

I would be inclined to think the fireview would do a bang up job on the first floor of the living space. I wouldn't want it in the basement if uninsulated. I'd line the central fireplace chimney and build a hearth

 

[fire_man]

Are you saying the FV heated your drafty and poorly insulated 1450 sq ft MA home to 80F? You must be reloading that stove every 6 hours for that.

 

[kennyp2339]

How thick are the logs of the new place? There's a lot of mass storage in log homes

 

[Attaboy]

IMHO because of the cathedral ceilings and larger square footage I do not believe it will do the job for you, plus you say you are on the north face which is always colder and normally far more exposed to the winds.

Personally I would keep it and use it in the basement, you will probably be surprised how hot it will maintain the basement.

 

[Piston]

I was all for keeping the stove and trying it out until this line.
"We like the house to be REALLY warm in the winter, let's say about 80 degrees or so."
Go for the Progress or Ideal Steel. See if Woodstock will give you a trade-in price.

Heating from an uninsulated basement is a large waste of wood regardless of the stove. Insulating the walls and joist spaces, and sealing the sill plate will be effective for about a 33% reduction in heat loss and wood consumption.

Kinda what I was thinking, right now we like it really warm, I dont' know if that is because our house is so drafty and makes it FEEL cooler than it is, or if we really are just suckers when it comes to warm and cozy.

I'm not the one to answer any of your questions, just wanted to say congratulations, it sounds like a lovely place

Thank you, it is a nice place for us. We are buying it from my aunt who has lived there since she had it built. I do know a lot about the house which I feel is a bonus. She has had "enough" of living on the mountain all by herself, so is leaving town. I've been interested in buying her house ever since I was old enough to know what it meant to buy a house. I'm pretty excited about it.

I would be inclined to think the fireview would do a bang up job on the first floor of the living space. I wouldn't want it in the basement if uninsulated. I'd line the central fireplace chimney and build a hearth

I know that at least one of the chimney's is lined, I don't think the fireplace one is (does clay liner count?). I'm hoping that massive chimney holds a LOT of heat and helps keep the house warm through the night.
Everyone mentions insulating the basement. I need to start another thread on insulating, or just do some searching. Not sure if you insulate the inside, or the outside. It seems if I insulated it from the outside I'd then gain the advantage of all that concrete as a thermal mass?

Are you saying the FV heated your drafty and poorly insulated 1450 sq ft MA home to 80F? You must be reloading that stove every 6 hours for that.

We reload the stove a lot more often than that. On the colder days, we are reloading it every 3-4 hours.

How thick are the logs of the new place? There's a lot of mass storage in log homes

Logs are 8" thick.

IMHO because of the cathedral ceilings and larger square footage I do not believe it will do the job for you, plus you say you are on the north face which is always colder and normally far more exposed to the winds.

Personally I would keep it and use it in the basement, you will probably be surprised how hot it will maintain the basement.

I may keep it for the time being, but I think what I'd like to do for the basement, is get one of those large Blazeking King models, and hopefully be able to keep it set to low for most of the time, and only reload once a day (if that's even realistic)

Thank you all for the replies.
-Matt

 

[rwhite]

1800 sqft on one level or 900 each? Is the basement fully below grade or daylight?

 

[Piston]

1800 sqft on one level or 900 each? Is the basement fully below grade or daylight?

I believe the footprint is 28'x40', so the first floor is about 1,100 sq ft and the remaining 700 or so,is the 2nd floor.

It's a walkout basement with 3 of the 4 sides below grade, the 4th side has a potion of it below grade.

 

[rwhite]

I think with a few ceiling fans you won't have an issue heating the main floor. What is the current heating system? Is the basement finished? Unless you add carpet or pour over electric radiant strips the basement floor will probably always be cold. I would insulated from the inside. Trying to keep a huge mass of concrete warm will probably cook you out of the basement.

 

[ddddddden]

Are you saying the FV heated your drafty and poorly insulated 1450 sq ft MA home to 80F? You must be reloading that stove every 6 hours for that.

We reload the stove a lot more often than that. On the colder days, we are reloading it every 3-4 hours.

I think you would probably find yourself doing the same thing in NH. I would get something bigger, if the stove is going to be your only heat source.

I may use the Fireview in the basement (uninslated walls/slab) but being that it's in the
basement, I dont' want to go down there and load it every 5 hours or so. Something like a Blazeking would be a good fit for that.

I may keep it for the time being, but I think what I'd like to do for the basement, is get one of those large Blazeking King models, and hopefully be able to keep it set to low for most of the time, and only reload once a day (if that's even realistic)

It sounds like you need to refine your plan for the basement. Not that anyone should want to load the stove every 5 hours, but the way you talk about "going down there" sounds like you don't plan on spending much time in the basement. If this is so, why would you want to put a stove there? Other than that, I think a BK or something else large in the basement + the FV on the main floor sounds good.

 

[Piston]

I think with a few ceiling fans you won't have an issue heating the main floor. What is the current heating system? Is the basement finished? Unless you add carpet or pour over electric radiant strips the basement floor will probably always be cold. I would insulated from the inside. Trying to keep a huge mass of concrete warm will probably cook you out of the basement.

Currently it's forced hot water, in baseboard. I'd really love to add radiant heat to the first floor, we are thinking about doing that.
The basement is unfinished, with the slab exposed. Is there a "standard" way of insulating basement walls? From the outside, inside etc?

I think you would probably find yourself doing the same thing in NH. I would get something bigger, if the stove is going to be your only heat source.

It sounds like you need to refine your plan for the basement. Not that anyone should want to load the stove every 5 hours, but the way you talk about "going down there" sounds like you don't plan on spending much time in the basement. If this is so, why would you want to put a stove there? Other than that, I think a BK or something else large in the basement + the FV on the main floor sounds good.

The main reason to use the basement stove, was to help heat the upstairs. I was planning on keeping that stove going all the time and on top of having warm floors on the first floor, have the heat help keep the first floor warm. I've been reading a bit more about this though and it sounds like most of the woodstove heat is lost through the uninsulated walls. I found a good article on woodstove.com talking about heat loss through basement walls.

I will spend a fair amount of time down there, and it will be used as the 'wet entry' sortaspeak, where me and the kids come in after playing in the snow. I won't have a garage for a while so it will also be my workshop. However, it stays plenty warm down there in the winter for a workshop anyways.
We will be finishing it a year or two after moving in though, and using it as a guest room/kids play area.


Are there any stoves larger than the progress hybrid? (Soapstone). I think that is they're biggest one.

 

[ddddddden]

Ah, so you will be using the basement. Yeah, the PH is their largest stone stove. I think their Ideal Steel has a larger firebox, but is not nearly as pretty. You would probably be okay with either of those doing 12-hour reloads. Similar with Buck 91 or Kuuma Sequoia, but if you want the epic 3-day burn, then BK.

As for insulating the basement, I think the latest/greatest is s'posed to be the spray foam, but I haven't done this... probably a few threads on this.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/basement-wall-insulation-help-me-avoid-a-mistake.155513/

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/buy-a-secong-king-ultra-stove-or-spray-foam-everywhere.158734/

 

[rwhite]

Is the hot water heat gas or electric? Seems like your set up for a boiler already. I don't know much about those systems. Neighbor has propane and wood boilers. I think he isolates the gas boiler in the winter and shuts it off. It would seem that a wood boiler could be plumbed inline and with proper routing of circulation the other one would never come on unless the fire fire went out. If it were me and I was already set up for radiant heat I would put a boiler to work. If your boiler heat is zoned to heat basement only I'm betting your other stove will be more than enough for the main floor.

 

[Piston]

Is the hot water heat gas or electric? Seems like your set up for a boiler already. I don't know much about those systems. Neighbor has propane and wood boilers. I think he isolates the gas boiler in the winter and shuts it off. It would seem that a wood boiler could be plumbed inline and with proper routing of circulation the other one would never come on unless the fire fire went out. If it were me and I was already set up for radiant heat I would put a boiler to work. If your boiler heat is zoned to heat basement only I'm betting your other stove will be more than enough for the main floor.

I didn't realize there were more replies to this, I have an oil burning furnace. Currently there is no zone for the basement though, but I wonder how much it would cost to have an additional zone put in, or if that is even possible. Sure would be neat to be able to use a wood furnace in the same loop as the oil burning furnace.

 

[rwhite]

I didn't realize there were more replies to this, I have an oil burning furnace. Currently there is no zone for the basement though, but I wonder how much it would cost to have an additional zone put in, or if that is even possible. Sure would be neat to be able to use a wood furnace in the same loop as the oil burning furnace.

If it's a boiler system it's easy. Just a valve. Forced air should be able to use the same duct work just might have to install a diverter to isolate the systems from each other when not in use. Zoning boilers is also easy I think that zoning forced air requires a bit more work.

 

[byQ]

The 'new' log-house heating space = 280 x 4 = 1120 sq ft plus the loft of 700 sq ft. I would guess this would be less than a traditional 1800 sq ft house but more than 1120 sq ft. That doesn't seem like too big of a space.

The basement is mostly below grade so should stay roughly the temperature of the ground in NH - so it should be above freezing by itself with no insulation. But without insulation, trying to heat it will mean you are also heating the surrounding ground - which is a big heat sink.