New Home - 1st Stove - Endless questions....

[denicio]

We are about to build our forever home on 5 heavily wooded acres. The wife and i have picked out a design that has a fireplace. We want to keep the fireplace look of the home but have finally landed on a Wood Burning Stove Insert for the fireplace. The house is a single story, 2500 square feet and this stove is not intended to be THE single heating source. Its for heat, looks and ambience.

My brain works in nerdy ways so my questions may not be conventional.

1. There are some inserts that stick out a bit like the Lopi Freedom Bay. Does the fact it sticks out a bit give greater heat in the room? OR is the extra heat so negligible that its not a big deal.

2. I have narrowed down brands to Lopi Freedom bay, Pacific Energy Summit and FireplaceX 36 Elite. Are these all equal and its just a tossup or are there benefits over the next in this lineup? Is there one that stands above the rest?

We have no dealers in the area that have a showroom with these so its gonna be bought sight unseen and by recommendations.
I am a newbie to all of this too.

Thanks,
Denicio

 

[bholler]

If it was me i would be looking at high efficency zero clearance units. They will cost far less than building a masonry fireplace and then putting an insert and liner into it. And it can actually look better.

 

[denicio]

If it was me i would be looking at high efficency zero clearance units. They will cost far less than building a masonry fireplace and then putting an insert and liner into it. And it can actually look better.

Tell me more. I just started my search on all things wood burning stove. Do you have links that you can share of the ones you mention?

 

[jetsam]

An insert that sticks out is a large advantage if it's being used as a heater, especially if you lose power. The more it sticks out the better. In fact, a freestanding stove is best of all, and since you're building....

If the stove is primarily a decoration, buy whatever your wife likes and forget about whether it works well.

 

[bholler]

An insert that sticks out is a large advantage if it's being used as a heater, especially if you lose power. The more it sticks out the better. In fact, a freestanding stove is best of all, and since you're building....

If the stove is primarily a decoration, buy whatever your wife likes and forget about whether it works well.

Honestly i think the advantages are greatly exagerated. Most only stick out a little and the top is usually a convective top anyway so not much radiation there. And in most you still get quite a bit of natural convection even without the fan. So i agree they are a little better but not enough that it would influence my decision.

But again a masonry fp with an insert and liner will easily be triple the cost of a good zc unit.

 

[bholler]

Tell me more. I just started my search on all things wood burning stove. Do you have links that you can share of the ones you mention?

Do a search for high efficiency zero clearance our built in fireplaces there are many available from many different manufacturers. It all depends on the size and look you are going for.

 

[denicio]

Thanks Ya'll.
So, with ZC i wont need a masonry chimney...right? That will be a large savings for sure. I suppose we could make the hearth give the appearance of a fireplace that rises to the ceiling but then just not have a stone fireplace. FYI, here is the design we plan on building (with some modifications).

https://www.thehousedesigners.com/plan/pleasant-cove-4838/

 

[bholler]

So, with ZC i wont need a masonry chimney...right?

yes

I suppose we could make the hearth give the appearance of a fireplace that rises to the ceiling but then just not have a stone fireplace.

Yeah you can finish it in just about any way you want. Each one will have different requirements as far as combustible materials for the finish wall but you have lots of options.

Just d a google search for high efficiency zero clearance wood burning fireplace and you will see lots of examples. see what appeals to you and come back with questions there are guys here that know allot about them.

 

[Poindexter]

I am going to guess the fireplace goes in the family room.

Do you have a prayer of putting a freestanding wood stove in the corner of the dining room? I didnt look at the plan for the second floor.

I suppose its less critical in TN, but if I am felling trees and splitting rounds I want every BTU in the house.

 

[denicio]

After a TON of research over the weekend it looks like the ZC stove insert is gonna be the way to go. We'll dress the interior up to give the appearance of a chimney but save a TON of money by not having to have a full chimney. We will even go so far as to create a stone chimney cap to keep the cottage look from the outside. Thanks for all the input folks.

 

[denicio]

I am going to guess the fireplace goes in the family room.

Do you have a prayer of putting a freestanding wood stove in the corner of the dining room? I didnt look at the plan for the second floor.

I suppose its less critical in TN, but if I am felling trees and splitting rounds I want every BTU in the house.

Poindexter, winters here are not as harsh as up north. This will be for heat but its also for room ambiance. We have about 2, maybe 3, months of winter temps (Dec-Jan-Feb) and only see snow once a year if we are lucky.

 

[Highbeam]

No stoves require a masonry chimney. Just as with the interior "fake" fireplace you can make your chimney a " fake" masonry thing. You have lots of options.

 

[bholler]

No stoves require a masonry chimney. Just as with the interior "fake" fireplace you can make your chimney a " fake" masonry thing. You have lots of options.

Fireplace inserts do, other than that yes you are correct

 

[iron]

here's an example of my ZC fireplace. FYI: to be clear, it's not ZC + insert. the insert is what you'd get if you already had a fireplace there and were just cramming something inside of it.

 

[Ashful]

Don't quickly dismiss the idea of a freestanding stove on a hearth, as it provides the most heat at very low cost. Again, no masonry chimney needed, just a non-combustible hearth.

I've been hanging out here so long, I can identify the owners of about half of these photos:

https://www.google.com/search?q=woo...AUICygC&biw=1210&bih=822#imgrc=0X0rT8GV2I_iKM:

 

[jetsam]

Don't quickly dismiss the idea of a freestanding stove on a hearth, as it provides the most heat at very low cost. Again, no masonry chimney needed, just a non-combustible hearth.

I've been hanging out here so long, I can identify the owners of about half of these photos:

https://www.google.com/search?q=woo...AUICygC&biw=1210&bih=822#imgrc=0X0rT8GV2I_iKM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=crazy+wood+stove&btnG=&biw=1210&bih=822&tbm=isch
https://www.google.com/search?q=crazy+wood+stove&btnG=&biw=1210&bih=822&tbm=isch

That one's more fun!

 

[Ashful]

Ah, hadn't seen that Volvo edition wood stove in a few years!