New to wood heating

[MassWeather]

New member here, I've read through the pinned posts and if possible, I'm more overwhelmed now than I was before I knew nothing. Now that I've read and researched, I think I know less than nothing. Is that possible?

We live in Massachusetts and this winter has broken us. We have a drafty 2400sqft+ house with a drafty fireplace and want to supplement our oil heat with something that is more enjoyable to look at than our oil delivery truck, cheaper over the long term, and also provides emergency heat when the power goes out. We've been debating this since we bought the house and think we finally want to take the plunge.

We want to place a wood insert into our existing fireplace and hope to have it heat the whole open concept first floor (1200sqft) and if some heat makes it up to the second floor, that's great. I've been to several dealers and have it narrowed down (I think) to the Pacific Energy Super Wood, the Osborn Matrix insert, or the Obsurn 1600. The dealers have looked at our specs on our fireplace/chimney and those will work. Open to any other suggestions you might have.

1. I'm afraid I'm getting in over my head. We would like to use this as primary heating for the first floor during the worst of the winter months and then supplemental when we feel like it beyond that. I'm home by myself with 3 small kids all day long and afraid of spending too much time / effort adding logs and getting it going. My husband and I are not the handy woodsmen types to say the least. I'm prepared to throw logs into a fire over the course of a day and make my husband clean out ash and call a chimney sweet once or twice a year. Am I looking at more work than that?

2. Any specific suggestions between these choices or beyond them? I hate to spend too much money because this is probably not going to be the primary heat source for the house, but at the same time, I'm expecting to live here for the next 20-30 years and want something that will work well long term. My rough calculations have us recouping the investment in a wood insert versus pure oil heating within the next 5-10 years, which is good enough for me.

3. What aren't I considering?

Help!

 

[FTG-05]

Dry well seasoned wood. Which can take years to season (worst case). Most wood will season in a year +/- depending on species.

How much do you have put up right now?
Where are you going to get your yearly supply?
Chainsaws, splitter, place to store it?

Good luck!

 

[MassWeather]

Dry well seasoned wood. Which can take years to season (worst case). Most wood will season in a year +/- depending on species.

How much do you have put up right now?
Where are you going to get your yearly supply?
Chainsaws, splitter, place to store it?

Good luck!

Thanks! Our next door neighbor happens to own a tree removal company and sells seasoned firewood. Our plan was to purchase from him and store covered with a tarp.

 

[Shaun643]

Same as FTG-05 said other than the stove next big price tag will be a good chain saw.... You get what you pay for buy cheap and fix problems all the time or buy a good saw that last along time. Next big coast is a wood splitter. Also the wood supply you with need. If you have access to wood that's great. Their is also all the time spent getting and processing the wood do you have room to season and store the wood. Do you have a truck to move the wood or a trailer. If you don't have these things save time and find a local person who sells wood. But you will still need to season the wood. Just have it stacked up in single rows in the open so sun and air can get to it. Have it stacked up by March or April most wood will be dry by fall 6 months minimum. Also a good idea would be a moisture meter to make sure wood is dry enough to burn. Remember heating with wood is not just pushing a button or flipping a switch it's gonna be a way of life. If you don't have the time to cut and process wood or don't want to spend the money on a splitter. Buying wood will be your best option. I still would recommend a small chain saw a splitting maul or axe and a moisture meter. Never stack your wood on the bare ground. Stack on 4x4 rails or pallets alot of time you can get them free. I also think if you do go the wood route you will find you will use it more then occasionally and might get into it full time it's a very enjoyable heat and very relaxing. Enjoy. Please ask more questions if needed

 

[MassWeather]

Same as FTG-05 said other than the stove next big price tag will be a good chain saw.... You get what you pay for buy cheap and fix problems all the time or buy a good saw that last along time. Next big coast is a wood splitter. Also the wood supply you with need. If you have access to wood that's great. Their is also all the time spent getting and processing the wood do you have room to season and store the wood. Do you have a truck to move the wood or a trailer. If you don't have these things save time and find a local person who sells wood. But you will still need to season the wood. Just have it stacked up in single rows in the open so sun and air can get to it. Have it stacked up by March or April most wood will be dry by fall 6 months minimum. Also a good idea would be a moisture meter to make sure wood is dry enough to burn. Remember heating with wood is not just pushing a button or flipping a switch it's gonna be a way of life. If you don't have the time to cut and process wood or don't want to spend the money on a splitter. Buying wood will be your best option. I still would recommend a small chain saw a splitting maul or axe and a moisture meter. Never stack your wood on the bare ground. Stack on 4x4 rails or pallets alot of time you can get them free. I also think if you do go the wood route you will find you will use it more then occasionally and might get into it full time it's a very enjoyable heat and very relaxing. Enjoy. Please ask more questions if needed

Thanks! Just to be clear, if I'm buying firewood to be delivered to my house, I shouldn't need a chain saw or anything right? We are trying to make sure that whatever stove we buy can accept 16-18" logs so we don't need to chop wood.

My plan is to buy either a cord of seasoned firewood delivered (running about $300/cord for my area) and then stack it on pallets and cover with a tarp. My neighbor who sells firewood from his tree company recommended buying green wood in early spring and letting it sit to season. Given the price savings ($50-$70), I think we'll probably do that when we can. We'll definitely pick up a moisture meter, thanks!

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Thanks! Just to be clear, if I'm buying firewood to be delivered to my house, I shouldn't need a chain saw or anything right? We are trying to make sure that whatever stove we buy can accept 16-18" logs so we don't need to chop wood.

My plan is to buy either a cord of seasoned firewood delivered (running about $300/cord for my area) and then stack it on pallets and cover with a tarp. My neighbor who sells firewood from his tree company recommended buying green wood in early spring and letting it sit to season. Given the price savings ($50-$70), I think we'll probably do that when we can. We'll definitely pick up a moisture meter, thanks!

If you have the room buy 3 full chord. Rule of thumb around here is to have a 3 year supply on hand at all times. If you start burning on a regular basis you will probably need more firewood than that. Even though you are buying wood from your neighbor you will still want a decent axe for adjusting the size of your splits to fulfill the needs of the stove at any given time (kindling, small splits, medium splits, etc.).

 

[Shaun643]

Thanks! Just to be clear, if I'm buying firewood to be delivered to my house, I shouldn't need a chain saw or anything right? We are trying to make sure that whatever stove we buy can accept 16-18" logs so we don't need to chop wood.

My plan is to buy either a cord of seasoned firewood delivered (running about $300/cord for my area) and then stack it on pallets and cover with a tarp. My neighbor who sells firewood from his tree company recommended buying green wood in early spring and letting it sit to season. Given the price savings ($50-$70), I think we'll probably do that when we can. We'll definitely pick up a moisture meter, thanks!

The reason I would still recommend a chain saw is just in case you get some logs that are a little too long. If you can get green wood from your neighbor that's a good idea. The sooner you get it the better so it has more time to dry. I would get more then a cord of wood but starting with a cord is good if that's what you can afford then when you can buy a face cord here and their. As far as stacking your wood make sure it's split first and make sure you spend some time making small splits for starting the fire (Very important and often forgot about). Also once you have your wood all stacked u it is your choice to cover the pile but if you do don't cover the whole pile just the top so sun and wind can still get to the wood. I personally don't cover my stacks and for me they always dry in time. Also when you stack the wood try to stack where it will get the most sun and wind.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Stack bark down as well.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

1. I'm afraid I'm getting in over my head. We would like to use this as primary heating for the first floor during the worst of the winter months and then supplemental when we feel like it beyond that. I'm home by myself with 3 small kids all day long and afraid of spending too much time / effort adding logs and getting it going. My husband and I are not the handy woodsmen types to say the least. I'm prepared to throw logs into a fire over the course of a day and make my husband clean out ash and call a chimney sweet once or twice a year. Am I looking at more work than that?

Help!

Yes, it’s a bit more work than that, but a warm house and lower oil bills will probably be worth it. There’s a bit of a learning curve in learning what works best for starting a fire and maintaining a fire in each particular setup. Read the manual of whatever stove you get, do some reading here, watch some videos.

We used to burn a medium-sized fireplace insert in our finished basement. It improved the space immensely, taking it from rarely used in the winter to the room where my kids chose to hang out. After a couple of seasons, we started using it 24/7 to provide most of the heat for our house. We didn’t have huge heat bills to begin with, but it brought them down to very little.

We processed our own wood, so that took a lot of time. If you’re buying from a neighbor, that will make thing easier as long as the wood is cut to fit your stove. Open fireplaces can handle longer or irregular wood better sometimes, so you will need to make sure that your neighbor can supply what you need.

As to tending a fire during the day, it takes some time. It’s not quite just throwing splits on an open fireplace, but it’s pretty easy. Woodstoves burn in cycles, so you get down to a bed of coals and reload when you need heat or let the fire go out if you don’t. Reloading on coals is quicker than a cold start, but you do need to take some time to make sure the fire establishes itself and then you can set the air control lever where it works well to maintain a good clean burn.

I tended my stove with four kids at home. Sometimes I would put everyone down for a nap or in quiet time and do it. Sometimes the older three would be with me (the baby napped a lot, so he wasn’t usually down there). Sometimes it was annoying to need to tend the fire at a particular point (kind of like when the baby needs a diaper change right when you’re hands a full of something else), but woodstoves can wait at the end of a burn. (What you don’t want to do is load wood and then leave it unattended. I just always stayed with the stove. Some people on here use phone timers to remind them to go back.) If you really can’t manage at some point, don’t reload and let the oil pick it up. Other times, it was kind of a good way for us all to change activities and press a reset button of sorts. My oldest got interested enough to care about about different species of firewood, different loading techniques, and she would even comment on primary or secondary flames.

We have since moved from that house to a land of little winter. The number one physical thing my three older kids miss is the woodstove. (My husband and I probably agree, too, though we’re focusing on insulation first.)

Anything can seem overwhelming when you’ve got three little ones to care for, so you’re right to think about it beforehand. This is a great forum. Ask all your questions. People will answer.

 

[MassWeather]

Thanks so much everyone! We put a deposit down on the Napoleon Oakdale 1402 insert today (we still have time to change our mind). It does up to 2000sqft, so it should definitely do our whole first floor plus some. We are expecting install before the end of the month.

We currently have 16" of snow on the ground and no cleared space or set up for the wood. I'm thinking of starting out buying a cord of kiln dried wood (roughly $100 more per cord) and storing it in my basement so I can get the hang of it with really good, dry wood. Is this worth the extra cost for the first go around?

I'm going to purchase a moisture meter for the once I eventually start purchasing regular wood. I'm looking for less than 20% correct? Is this species specific? Other than avoiding softwoods, is there a type of wood I should be requesting when purchasing?

 

[MassWeather]

Yes, it’s a bit more work than that, but a warm house and lower oil bills will probably be worth it. There’s a bit of a learning curve in learning what works best for starting a fire and maintaining a fire in each particular setup. Read the manual of whatever stove you get, do some reading here, watch some videos.

We used to burn a medium-sized fireplace insert in our finished basement. It improved the space immensely, taking it from rarely used in the winter to the room where my kids chose to hang out. After a couple of seasons, we started using it 24/7 to provide most of the heat for our house. We didn’t have huge heat bills to begin with, but it brought them down to very little.

We processed our own wood, so that took a lot of time. If you’re buying from a neighbor, that will make thing easier as long as the wood is cut to fit your stove. Open fireplaces can handle longer or irregular wood better sometimes, so you will need to make sure that your neighbor can supply what you need.

As to tending a fire during the day, it takes some time. It’s not quite just throwing splits on an open fireplace, but it’s pretty easy. Woodstoves burn in cycles, so you get down to a bed of coals and reload when you need heat or let the fire go out if you don’t. Reloading on coals is quicker than a cold start, but you do need to take some time to make sure the fire establishes itself and then you can set the air control lever where it works well to maintain a good clean burn.

I tended my stove with four kids at home. Sometimes I would put everyone down for a nap or in quiet time and do it. Sometimes the older three would be with me (the baby napped a lot, so he wasn’t usually down there). Sometimes it was annoying to need to tend the fire at a particular point (kind of like when the baby needs a diaper change right when you’re hands a full of something else), but woodstoves can wait at the end of a burn. (What you don’t want to do is load wood and then leave it unattended. I just always stayed with the stove. Some people on here use phone timers to remind them to go back.) If you really can’t manage at some point, don’t reload and let the oil pick it up. Other times, it was kind of a good way for us all to change activities and press a reset button of sorts. My oldest got interested enough to care about about different species of firewood, different loading techniques, and she would even comment on primary or secondary flames.

We have since moved from that house to a land of little winter. The number one physical thing my three older kids miss is the woodstove. (My husband and I probably agree, too, though we’re focusing on insulation first.)

Anything can seem overwhelming when you’ve got three little ones to care for, so you’re right to think about it beforehand. This is a great forum. Ask all your questions. People will answer.

So helpful, thank you for your insight! I'm hoping my kids get into it. I have a feeling this is going to end up being something all of us really enjoy.

 

[MassWeather]

Stack bark down as well.

Clearly I have young children, all I can think about is the argument about this in the movie Frozen. Now I know!

 

[Shaun643]

Thanks so much everyone! We put a deposit down on the Napoleon Oakdale 1402 insert today (we still have time to change our mind). It does up to 2000sqft, so it should definitely do our whole first floor plus some. We are expecting install before the end of the month.

We currently have 16" of snow on the ground and no cleared space or set up for the wood. I'm thinking of starting out buying a cord of kiln dried wood (roughly $100 more per cord) and storing it in my basement so I can get the hang of it with really good, dry wood. Is this worth the extra cost for the first go around?

I'm going to purchase a moisture meter for the once I eventually start purchasing regular wood. I'm looking for less than 20% correct? Is this species specific? Other than avoiding softwoods, is there a type of wood I should be requesting when purchasing?

Good luck to you stay in touch and ask any questions. As far as under the 20% moisture content around 15 is better but to answer your question it is not species specific at all any wood you burn should be under 20%. As far as what kind really no need to be picky any wood will work fine soft woods for less heat in spring/fall and harder woods for more heat in winter or a mix of wood in winter.

 

[Tar12]

" My neighbor who sells firewood from his tree company recommended buying green wood in early spring and letting it sit to season" Spring to fall is no where near long enough! DO NOT take anyones word on so called seasoned firewood!This is the biggest pitfall for new burners! A moisture meter is your friend! Test before you buy...if they balk at letting you test walk away with your hard earned money still in your pocket! Stay 2-3 years ahead..this is the only way to ensure you will have properly seasoned wood to burn.and a cord will not last very long if burning daily...

 

[brazilbl]

Just in case you find yourself low, if not out of dry, seasoned wood, you might want to consider the compressed sawdust products (such as Eco or Bear bricks, or larger, log-like units like North Idaho Energy Logs.)

They burn consistently, and will provide heat in a pinch. Some users out here remark that they burn these compressed sawdust logs exclusively.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Clearly I have young children, all I can think about is the argument about this in the movie Frozen. Now I know!

I haven't seen the movie yet, however, I have an 18 month at home and another on the way. So I'm sure it's a matter of time before the movie finds its way to my tv.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

We currently have 16" of snow on the ground and no cleared space or set up for the wood. I'm thinking of starting out buying a cord of kiln dried wood (roughly $100 more per cord) and storing it in my basement so I can get the hang of it with really good, dry wood. Is this worth the extra cost for the first go around?

You will still want to check the moisture content of your "kiln dried" wood. From what I have read here, most of the time this means the wood has been heated high enough and long enough to kill of the bugs. Not necessarily long enough to bring MC (moisture content) down to a good burnable percentage. When you check MC you need to have a piece of firewood at room temp for 24 hours. Resplit it in the middle of the piece and push the prongs of your meter into the freshly exposed face. Prongs should be parallel with the grain of the wood. 20% is acceptable, 18 is better, 15-16% is ideal.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Also if swinging an axe is not up your ally they do make electric splitters that should handle some of your splitting needs.

 

[jscs.moore]

Thanks! Just to be clear, if I'm buying firewood to be delivered to my house, I shouldn't need a chain saw or anything right? We are trying to make sure that whatever stove we buy can accept 16-18" logs so we don't need to chop wood.

My plan is to buy either a cord of seasoned firewood delivered (running about $300/cord for my area) and then stack it on pallets and cover with a tarp. My neighbor who sells firewood from his tree company recommended buying green wood in early spring and letting it sit to season. Given the price savings ($50-$70), I think we'll probably do that when we can. We'll definitely pick up a moisture meter, thanks!

I'm fairly new to this and in my third winter season burning with my insert. In the end I have to say it IS all about the wood. You have to have yard space to store it and make sure it is seasoned. I learned the hard way with my first wood deliver of 2 cords of unseasoned wood. I tried burning some loads but it was not burning efficiently or hot enough. Started getting kiln dried wood, but even then realized it typically is not below 20%MC and is often around 24 to 25%...usually only dried enough to kill the bugs living in the wood. I asked around a lot and found a really good, reliable wood dealer that sells quality hard woods cut to stove length 16" splits. But even still, I found the larger splits were not dry enough and had to purchase a splitting axe to cut them down in order for them to dry faster.
I would recommend you don't underestimate the need to be a few years ahead and always have dry, seasoned wood (15 to 16%MC) on hand to burn when you want it and need it.
Right now in my area of eastern PA we are sitting at the very end of a 3 week polar vortex with outside temps and wind chills in the single digits. I ended up burning thru a lot more wood than expected and my wife and I decided to stop burning and run the heat pump full time in order to conserve the rest of our seasoned wood since we have a full two and a half months of winter ahead. It is literally killing me to sit in my family room looking at my cold, empty, insert because I don't have enough dry wood to burn 24/7 for the rest of the winter. We do have enough for sever winter storms or prolonged power outages and that is the compromise we had to make
So just don't underestimate the need to get 2 or 3 years ahead with your wood supply. I three seasons into this and finally realizing how important it is!

 

[illini81]

Hi MassWeather, I'm new to woodburning this year as well. Welcome to the party! I want to encourage you to spend as much time on hearth.com as you can. There is definitely a learning curve to heating with wood, and there are going to be times that it is frustrating, and times that it is more work than you thought you had bargained for. At least that has been my experience this year. But the pros (a house as warm as you want it to be for free or for a reasonable price, a beautiful focal point in your home that everyone congregates around, having something to look forward to in the winter, to name a few) far outweigh the cons.

Also, if you can, I'd encourage you to find someone who has the same stove as you do and bug them with questions. I've learned a lot from other Enviro owners on hearth.com, and I think it has really short-circuited my learning curve so far.

Happy burning!

 

[zig]

In the future your going to make boneheaded rookie mistakes; probably the same ones I and everybody here made. Still, 2-3 years ahead on wood, a good ax or mall and time is all you need. You don't need the latest and greatest because it's a heater and about function lot looks. The hearth will be dirty, wood chips and bark scattered through the house and you will be warm and happy.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Stack bark down as well.

Except bark up on the top row or two or three to shed the rain most effectively.

 

[Woody5506]

Don't get too psyched out over it, it's not rocket science. Find a place to store wood, let it season, and burn away.

Learn how the stove runs. Pay attention during start ups, watch what the chimney does (smoke wise) and learn how to really control the fire. It will all become second nature for you.

 

[maple1]

Plan out now where you are going to stack your wood, and your entire handling process. You should try to find room to stack at least two years worth. More would be all the better - the more room you can find, the longer it will have to dry, then it won't matter how dry it isn't when you buy it and you can remove that worry from the equations completely. And should be able to reduce your wood costs by buying it non-seasoned (cheaper per chord), and also the drier it is when you do burn it, the less you will burn. Ideally the current winters wood would be stacked out of the weather. A small electric splitter might also be something to consider, they are great for re-splitting wood smaller without worrying about making too much noise or fumes. (Not knowing your neighbor situation). Smaller split wood dries better. If you are buying wood already cut to length - maybe an electric chainsaw for the odd 'too long' one you might encounter. Or you could cabbage by with other tools you might already have or have other use for - like a circular saw or recip saw. Or even a hand saw, all assuming there wouldn't be much of it you're having to do.

As long as you are getting the stove installed by a competent installer, the stove side of things should fall into place. Long term, it's the fuel side of things that usually turn out to be most important and what you have most control over - quality and quantity. As mentioned above, the pressed wood fire brick products are worth looking into - likely drier & even cheaper than kiln dried fire wood. Or maybe even cheaper than any 'dry' firewood you can buy, depending on local situation. Even mixing that stuff with real wood can give great results.

 

[Rory902]

We bought a napoleon 1402 insert 3 years ago. For the most part it's a really great insert. My only real complaint would be the fan can be a bit loud, and for power outages, it only puts out about 25% as much heat with the fan not running. It heats the first floor of our house great, and throws a little bit of heat to the bedrooms upstairs, but not much. We burn 2 cords per winter and have cut our oil bill by about 40%. That said we live in a 115 year old drafty house with spotty insulation, on an island in the North Atlantic. If you're house is well insulated, and you don't live on a cold windy island, your results will probably be better.

What I've come to realize in 3 seasons, which everyone realizes eventually is it's all about the wood. Burning wood is actually a lot more about hoarding wood that it is burning it.

1) Finding a good source. Sounds like your neighbour is a good start.

2) Stacking it. do it a bit at a time, don't try to be a hero. Stack it on pallets, try NOT to think of it like a game of Tetris, leave some space for air to get in, and cover it on top, but leave the sides open for air and sun. Also think about logistics of getting in the house, the closer you stack to the house, the less you walk every time you bring a load inside.

3) splitting it for kindling and smaller pieces when your just getting the fire going. If your buying it "cut and split" like you mentioned, you won't have too much serious chopping to do. Invest in a plaid jacket and a tuque, adopt a fake accent, it's fun!

4) Hoard it.
It's inconvenient but true, even if your buying wood sold as "seasoned", it's not likely to drop below 20% moisture (bare minimum) or ever see 15% (pretty much ideal) within a year of purchase. The seasoned wood we buy cut and split is usually 25-30% moisture when it arrives.
The first year we tried to burn it from day 1 after delivery, it was a disaster.
The second year we had it stacked and protected from rain for about 3 months before burning, moister levels averaged around 23% in the fall and 21% by the end of the winter. We kept a few days worth of wood near the stove, and got decent results if the wood had a couple of days to warm up, but not great.
This year we built a proper wood shelter, and had everything stacked and protected for 6 months (June-November, lots of sun and wind... so much wind.) before we started burning and we've finally reached a reliable 20% reading on our wood stack. We still try to keep a few days worth inside and usually get to around 18% by the time it goes in the stove. Night and day difference, the wood puts off noticeably more heat, heats up faster, and lasts longer.
This spring we're buying a double order and keeping the second half stacked and protected for 18 months, that's about as much of our yard as we can devote to wood storage.

In short, and maybe what I should have written instead of the big ramble above is. The napoleon 1402 has been easy to use and very forgiving. the wood storage strategy has proven far more challenging.