New to Woodstoves - looking for advice!

[needanewstove]

Hello!

We are hoping to install a woodstove and are looking for some advice on what to get. We have a roughly 3,000 sq. foot home, and are hoping to use a wood stove as supplemental heat for about 1,800 ft. of it. The area is an addition consisting of a large open concept kitchen/living room with cathedral height ceilings on one side and two bedrooms over the other side. The square footage was calculated based on a full second floor because we assumed that we needed extra heat for the cathedral ceiling area. Because this is an addition, with all the doors closed it is a confined space, but if the stove was overdoing it a bit, we could open the doors to the original house and allow some of the heat to escape.

Our plan for burning is to light a fire in the stove when we get home at the end of the day to enjoy the extra warmth and ambiance for the evening. We would also use it for full days on weekends and vacations.

Here is a diagram of the space that we are hoping to install it in:

This is on the non cathedral height side of the room. We know that we need a rear vent stove and we either need one with small clearances so that it can fit back into this alcove or we can put it in front of this alcove, either is fine with use. The chimney is a non-masonry chimney for a gas fireplace that we are going to get ride of. Clearly we are going to need a heavy duty mantle to protect the TV.

1) Would you recommend a cast iron stove or steel stove? - we were thinking steel because it heats up quicker

2) What size stove would you recommend?

3) Any particular models that you would suggest?

Thanks for the help!

 

[tabner]

How high will the chimney be? (i.e. is it going up two stories or one)

As far as size, I think go the biggest you can fit. Can always have a smaller fire in the bigger stove, but you can't have a bigger fire in a small stove. You may find you like heating with wood, or lose power, or work from home, etc and in that case a big stove gives you the ability to do more serious heating with it - should you ever want to.

Cast vs Steel, I have a cast iron stove with soap stone lining (instead of firebrick), and i can have it up to temp and pumping heat into the room in about 30 mins. Since your house has a main heat source which will be running all day (i.e. oil, electric, etc) you won't really be in a race to get heat out of the stove the second you get home, the way you would be in say a cold cabin you just visit on the weekends. So I don't think this should be a deciding factor. (not saying steel is bad, i'm just saying i don't think this should be a high priority factor. Go with brand quality and other factors first)

 

[stoveliker]

I agree with the above (steel/cast, and in particular chimney height - meeting requirements there is important for any stove to work well).

I would also suggest to go with a tube stove, not a cat stove, because of cat stoves sometimes/often (depending on your preference) having less or no visible flames.

What style of stove do you like aesthetically; classic or modern, enamel or cast? Note that there are less rear-exit stoves than top exit stoves, I believe.

Finally, I hope there is a ceiling fan in the cathedral ceiling part - otherwise the heat will pool up there.

 

[needanewstove]

Thanks for the advice!
- Yes there is a ceiling fan in the cathedral ceiling
- The chimney is two stories tall
- We prefer a more classic rather than modern look

 

[stoveliker]

Jotul, Hampton, Quadrafire (Explorer), Hearthstone make rear vent stoves. The Buck 261 is too, I think.
Cast iron stoves are often more classical in looks than steel stoves.
The chimney should work with most stoves. (And if it's significantly more than 20 ft, keep in mind you might need a flue damper.)