nervous novice seeks advice

[tinkitchen]

Hi, all:

We are looking for a woodstove to heat our funky unrestored kitchen in our funky unrestored wood frame house, and possibly drift some of that lovely heat into other rooms as well. We have the perfect place for one -- a stone hearth and brick wall with flue (fireplace is on other side, in dining room). We are always FREEZING in winter, and our heating oil bills are through the roof. My partner wants a cookstove, even though we already have a regular stove in another part of the kitchen that uses propane, and he is looking on the Internet at Esse (pricey) and something called MBS (Milan Blagojevic, less pricey), made in Serbia of all places. I am thinking a smallish, plain old woodstove just for heat will be easier to install, clean, and use. (Vermont Castings, Jotul, like that. Or maybe a pellet stove.) I worry about accidentally burning our house down -- I'm originally an urban apartment dweller, weaned on steam radiators, and a nervous girl, to boot! Oh, and have I mentioned that two people in our household have asthma? Do cook stoves give out more particulate matter than regular woodstoves? Less? Does it depend on the manufacturer? We've also looked into the soapstone Tulikivis, but they're way beyond our budget -- and crazy heavy, too. Any thoughts much appreciated! Thanks.

 

[Jags]

I don't think your gonna find an epa cert. cook stove. EPA Cert stoves will have a lower particulate output than a pre epa. That being said, I would probably suggest that the two of you come to an agreement to what solution you want to implement.

Just looking at wood stoves (heaters), there are already a mind boggling amount of choices to be made. Throw in the cook stove variable and "Oh-boy".

Keep in mind that a wood heater will produce more usable room heat than a typical cook stove. Just say'in.

And welcome to the forum.

Edit: and as my mind keeps rolling, you may want to consider burn times. Cook stove, short burn time. Wood stove - depends on stove, but overnight is possible.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Hi, all:

We are looking for a woodstove to heat our funky unrestored kitchen in our funky unrestored wood frame house, and possibly drift some of that lovely heat into other rooms as well. We have the perfect place for one -- a stone hearth and brick wall with flue (fireplace is on other side, in dining room). We are always FREEZING in winter, and our heating oil bills are through the roof. My partner wants a cookstove, even though we already have a regular stove in another part of the kitchen that uses propane, and he is looking on the Internet at Esse (pricey) and something called MBS (Milan Blagojevic, less pricey), made in Serbia of all places. I am thinking a smallish, plain old woodstove just for heat will be easier to install, clean, and use. (Vermont Castings, Jotul, like that. Or maybe a pellet stove.) I worry about accidentally burning our house down -- I'm originally an urban apartment dweller, weaned on steam radiators, and a nervous girl, to boot! Oh, and have I mentioned that two people in our household have asthma? Do cook stoves give out more particulate matter than regular woodstoves? Less? Does it depend on the manufacturer? We've also looked into the soapstone Tulikivis, but they're way beyond our budget -- and crazy heavy, too. Any thoughts much appreciated! Thanks.

I'm a farmhouse owner that dealt with a cold house also. My thoughts are; keep it simple. Go with a wood stove or pellet stove. Your main goal is to heat the house not to cook. The goal is to be warm. Additionally, go larger than 'smallish'. You are in an old home (like I am) and they are inherently less efficient than modern homes.

I too have allergies and a light form of asthma and the stoves do not bother me, BUT, it has been known to bother other people with asthma and/or allergies. So, you may want to visit someone with a wood stove and see how everyone reacts.

As far as a concern about burning your home down, nothing I say will change your mind until you begin using one. My wife and I find them safe and easy to operate.

What is the square footage of the home and where is the kitchen located in the house? Is it an open floor plan or a traditional farmhouse with one room leading to the next?

 

[tinkitchen]

Already I feel enlightened! Thanks for this information, much appreciated.

 

[tinkitchen]

It's a large house -- probably close to 1500 square feet on each of two floors (not including an attic, which at present is used mostly for storage). The layout is traditional -- one room leading into the next. There are three smallish rooms off the kitchen on one side -- a pantry, a mudroom, and a third room that we use as an office -- and windows on the adjacent two sides, and on the fourth side the hearth, with two doors placed on either side of it. (It's a kitchen designer's nightmare, in other words, which actually suits us just fine, since we sort of like like the funkiness and inefficiency of it. Crazy, I know.) There are cold spots everywhere, though; I fantasize about drinking my morning coffee in a warm room in the winter without having to wrap myself in a blanket! Thanks for your interest and advice so far, and cheers.

 

[BrowningBAR]

It's a large house -- probably close to 1500 square feet on each of two floors (not including an attic, which at present is used mostly for storage). The layout is traditional -- one room leading into the next. There are three smallish rooms off the kitchen on one side -- a pantry, a mudroom, and a third room that we use as an office -- and windows on the adjacent two sides, and on the fourth side the hearth, with two doors placed on either side of it. (It's a kitchen designer's nightmare, in other words, which actually suits us just fine, since we sort of like like the funkiness and inefficiency of it. Crazy, I know.) There are cold spots everywhere, though; I fantasize about drinking my morning coffee in a warm room in the winter without having to wrap myself in a blanket! Thanks for your interest and advice so far, and cheers.

Yes, a larger stove is needed much more than a smaller stove in this case. I'm also assuming you have at least one other chimney/fireplace in the house? If so, a second stove will help provide whole house warmth.

 

[BrotherBart]

A properly installed and maintained wood stove isn't going to burn your house down. Propane and natural gas scare me more than wood stoves. I have never heard of a house exploding from a wood stack leak.

 

[ShenValSteve]

Amen, Brother Bart.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

As for cooking on a heating stove, we have a Woodstock Fireview and my wife does most of the cooking during the winter months right on top of that big rock (soapstone stove). There is no reason you can't have decent warmth from a heating stove and still use it for some of the cooking.

Woodstock stoves

 

[SteveKG]

Sounds as if you do have a perfect spot to situate a stove, and so there will be pretty much no danger in burning the house down. That is, if the chimney/flue is in good shape. Go for it.

I moved from the city into a small miner's cabin many yr. ago, and now I live in another cabin I built. Starting from scratch, I have been using wood heat/cooking ever since. It isn't too difficult to figure it out, and you get better with time. Better at managing the fire, the stove itself, the heat you produce.

Wood cookstoves are great. I've been baking 100% of the stuff I bake for over 35 yr. on one or the other. We have one now and a new one on order. I don't like using propane for baking, and I enjoy baking on a wood range, so it works out perfectly for me. My wife does use the range, though she is less fanatic about it.

The cookstoves are the heaviest of all and the bulkiest. They require more fire management than a heat stove. They do, of course, put out heat, a lot of it, and they are so massive that they hold and give off that heat for many, many hours. Overnight, in fact. This is a benefit if you want the heat that long.

However, a regular heat stove is gonna be simpler to learn to use and will heat just as well as a cookstove. It sorta gets down to whether your main goal is to heat living space, to cook, or to do both.

 

[tinkitchen]

BrowningBAR:

We do have another fireplace, on the other side of the house. It's a shoebox-shaped house, long and skinny -- one fireplace in the living room, on the north side of the house, and the kitchen (with its small adjoining rooms) on the south side with the hearth on the opposite wall, abutting the dining room. So yes, we can theoretically install two wood stoves, as our budget allows. This is safe if properly done, yes? And if so, my thinking is that it's smart to start with the wood stove in the kitchen, since that's where we spend most of our time, and as we grow comfortable (in both senses) with wood-generated heat, we can perhaps move the first wood stove to the living room and replace it in the kitchen with a wood cook stove. Does that make sense to you? Anyone else on this thread agree?

 

[cavedweller22]

Not too long ago I picked up a used pacific energy super 27. I had to replace the door and glass gaskets (not difficult, also removed and cleaned baffle assembly. Puts out enormous heat, look for used if on a budget.

 

[krex1010]

I don't see any issue with moving a stove from one part of the house to another, the only issue may be if it is a freestanding stove and you want to move it someplace where you want to vent it into a fireplace, make sure that it will fit and maintain your clearances in both places. I also second the idea of going bigger than small, keep in mind that the square footage that manufacturers claim to be able to heat is pretty much bogus, figure that a stove will actually only heat about two thirds of what they advertise. And one other thing, if you are definitely getting a stove, start getting your wood now, even of you are buying wood that is advertised as "seasoned" you should get it at least six months before you burn it and really a year or more is better. Anyways good luck, do alot of research and get as many prices as you can, and insulate your liner!

 

[BrowningBAR]

BrowningBAR:

We do have another fireplace, on the other side of the house. It's a shoebox-shaped house, long and skinny -- one fireplace in the living room, on the north side of the house, and the kitchen (with its small adjoining rooms) on the south side with the hearth on the opposite wall, abutting the dining room. So yes, we can theoretically install two wood stoves, as our budget allows. This is safe if properly done, yes? And if so, my thinking is that it's smart to start with the wood stove in the kitchen, since that's where we spend most of our time, and as we grow comfortable (in both senses) with wood-generated heat, we can perhaps move the first wood stove to the living room and replace it in the kitchen with a wood cook stove. Does that make sense to you? Anyone else on this thread agree?

If this was me (and over the last three 4 years, it was) I wood avoid the cook stove and just focus on having a warm house. My farmhouse is a big "L" shaped layout. I have a stove located at each of the three "ends" (I count the corner of the "L" as an end). It is completely safe.

Putting the stove in the area in which you spend most of your time is smart. For us the kitchen has a stove installed in the fireplace and above the kitchen is the master bedroom. The pie staircase allows the heat to move up the stairs and heat our bedroom also.

In regards to your budget; if you are persistent, you can find great deals on used stoves.

 

[basswidow]

Sounds like your partner is interested in the cook stove for the nostalga? I would agree they are large and expensive. A novelty - but not practical for cooking everyday. There is a reason wood and coal cook stoves have been replaced with gas and electric appliances.

If your funky home is not too big and drafty, a appropriately sized stove will heat the whole place to include the kitchen you spend more time in. I would be concerned that the heat from the stove in the kitchen (being used to heat the whole house), might be too hot for you to enjoy that space.

Do plenty of research. I would suggest a nice epa stove with an outside air intake and blower. You can pick out a nice cast iron or soap stone stove and perhaps these designs will be pleasing and acceptable to your partner. Some great looking stoves are being made now that are also great performers. A large viewing glass is nice. A good fire is mesmerising.

As for the safety. As long as manufacturer's clearances are adhered to and the flue is acceptable for the stove, good seasoned wood is being used and you inspect the flue once during the season and at the end of the season, wood burning is completely safe and you will love the heat!

Won't be long before the chill sets in - you all are behind on your time line. Perhaps the approaching cold will hasten the decision process. I would say - put the stove in the living area where the existing set up is ready. Get a size that will heat the whole house.

Good luck

 

[BrowningBAR]

Sounds like your partner is interested in the cook stove for the nostalga? I would agree they are large and expensive. A novelty - but not practical for cooking everyday. There is a reason wood and coal cook stoves have been replaced with gas and electric appliances.

If your funky home is not too big and drafty, a appropriately sized stove will heat the whole place to include the kitchen you spend more time in. I would be concerned that the heat from the stove in the kitchen (being used to heat the whole house), might be too hot for you to enjoy that space.

Do plenty of research. I would suggest a nice epa stove with an outside air intake and blower. You can pick out a nice cast iron or soap stone stove and perhaps these designs will be pleasing and acceptable to your partner. Some great looking stoves are being made now that are also great performers. A large viewing glass is nice. A good fire is mesmerising.

As for the safety. As long as manufacturer's clearances are adhered to and the flue is acceptable for the stove, good seasoned wood is being used and you inspect the flue once during the season and at the end of the season, wood burning is completely safe and you will love the heat!

Won't be long before the chill sets in - you all are behind on your time line. Perhaps the approaching cold will hasten the decision process. I would say - put the stove in the living area where the existing set up is ready. Get a size that will heat the whole house.

Good luck

In an old Farmhouse an outside air kit is completely un-needed.

 

[firefighterjake]

Random thoughts . . .

I too would focus on going with a simple to use woodstove for the heat . . . while a wood-burning oven has an appeal they generally are larger and most that I've seen are not EPA . . . which means you most likely will not be burning especially cleanly (although burning hot and using well seasoned wood will help) or as efficiently. As others have said . . . you need to figure what you value most -- heat or cooking. If you value the taste and idea of cooking on wood more -- go with the wood cookstove. If you value the heat more -- go with the woodstove. Me . . . I would go with a good EPA stove and take advantage of the long, clean burns . . . view of the fire . . . and simply do some stove top cooking which a number of our members do . . . some members even cook on the coals . . .

Once you decide which direction you and your partner want to go we can perhaps help you narrow down some choices for you . . . or answer other questions you might have.

Burning down the house . . . I've been a firefighter for some time now . . . I can tell you that the homes that burn down from "woodstoves" generally do not happen in the homes where people have installed their stove per the manufacturer's specifications . . . they generally do not occur in homes where the owner diligently inspects and cleans the system . . . they generally do not occur in homes where people are always thinking about safety.

Where I see house fires caused by woodstoves . . . I see fires caused by the person who fails to read the instruction manual and doesn't pay attention to the clearances and figures if it looks good then it's Ok . . . I see fires where a person doesn't put down the proper hearth . . . I see fires where a person burns unseasoned wood and never cleans their chimney and they have a chimney fire . . . I see fires where a person disposes of their ashes in a cardboard box or plastic pail and puts this container on their front porch or garage instead of using a covered metal pail outside . . . I see fires where a person tries to ignite the wood by using gasoline . . . hopefully you get what I'm saying here . . . woodstoves can be as safe as any other type of heat . . . but you have to pay attention to the details -- it's not as easy as just having an oil burner tech come and service your furnace once a year.

Asthma . . . a number of members here have asthma . . . hopefully they will let you know of their experiences . . . from what I remember most say the EPA stoves burn very cleanly and do not aggravate their asthma.

 

[Battenkiller]

My thoughts are; keep it simple.

This from a guy burning three stoves. %-P

Welcome, TK. These guys will give you lots of great advice. Take it all and digest it, but figure out what your real needs are, and how they fit into your lifestyle. Burning wood is a wonderful and safe way to heat your home, but the best wood stove in the world is no good if you don't have or want to spend the time needed for all it takes. That's what they make pellet stoves for.

 

[basswidow]

[/quote]

In an old Farmhouse an outside air kit is completely un-needed.[/quote]

You're right - these are needed in tighter homes. A non-issue in an older home. But could not using one cause the stove to draw inside air up the flue and thus pull colder outside air in around windows and other drafty spots? (like a fireplace does?). Mine has the outside air intake and it's a feature I like alot.

I would also recommend having a retailer come out and look at your set up and make recommendations. Most will come out and do this at no charge and give you written bids for installing stoves that are just right for your needs.

 

[yanksforever]

Hi, all:

We are looking for a woodstove to heat our funky unrestored kitchen in our funky unrestored wood frame house, and possibly drift some of that lovely heat into other rooms as well. We have the perfect place for one -- a stone hearth and brick wall with flue (fireplace is on other side, in dining room). We are always FREEZING in winter, and our heating oil bills are through the roof. My partner wants a cookstove, even though we already have a regular stove in another part of the kitchen that uses propane, and he is looking on the Internet at Esse (pricey) and something called MBS (Milan Blagojevic, less pricey), made in Serbia of all places. I am thinking a smallish, plain old woodstove just for heat will be easier to install, clean, and use. (Vermont Castings, Jotul, like that. Or maybe a pellet stove.) I worry about accidentally burning our house down -- I'm originally an urban apartment dweller, weaned on steam radiators, and a nervous girl, to boot! Oh, and have I mentioned that two people in our household have asthma? Do cook stoves give out more particulate matter than regular woodstoves? Less? Does it depend on the manufacturer? We've also looked into the soapstone Tulikivis, but they're way beyond our budget -- and crazy heavy, too. Any thoughts much appreciated! Thanks.

Have you thought about insulating your house?

 

[KeepItNatural]

+1 on the insulating.

 

[shawneyboy]

+++ for insulation.... no scense in heating it if it all goes outside quickly anyway.

 

[tinkitchen]

LOL, yanksforever, we HAVE insulated the house (with blown-in cellulose, which I know is not always as effective as house wrap, but was easier for us to manage ) and we have a lot of insulation in the attic and on the basement ceiling, and we have good storm windows, and we've sealed air leaks with foam, etc., etc. It's still a cold house, what can I say? firefighterjake, your comments make a great deal of sense. I will say that friends of ours lost their house to a fire less than a year ago, and their experience had me a little spooked -- but your advice is sound and your point is extremely well-taken. basswidow, I'm not sure it's nostalgia that has my partner so jazzed about the possibility of a cookstove; he loves to bake bread and I think he likes the idea of killing two birds with one stone. (I like to bake bread, too, but a regular old oven works fine for me!) But the comments here have me thinking it might be wise to try to persuade him to jump to my side of the fence, which is to say, the regular (non-cook) woodstove side. (Apologies for all the mixed metaphors here, it's been a long week.) We will continue to ponder, and I will lurk in and around the boards here. You have all been so helpful, I am humbled and grateful. Many thanks.

 

[Dix]

I'm alitle late here, but I've followed your thread.


I'm thinking a wood stove for heat is your first goal, too.


Just so you got one of the "sistah's" point of view ;-)


Welcome to the forums !

 

[KeepItNatural]

My family has a cookstove back on the old farm in PEI Canada... They still have it and still use it everyday, but I'll tell you, visiting up there the times I do... It's not an easy endeavor. You really need to be up on your dry wood supply- you need to have the splits at a particular size, there isn't a "just throw it in there and have it burn for a while" there's a lot of tending to the fire that needs to go on. I don't believe it will be the romantic back to the old way of doing things that it sounds like.