Nosey neighbor, "Tell me about wood heat." :)

[Shari]

Well, we are rolling here with our woodstove. Hauled a couple of loads closer to the house last night. A neighbor (who heats with oil) wandered over seeing us bringing the wood up. She wants to 'know a little more' about what we are doing for heat. Where should I start? I know, tell her about hearth.com!

It was in the lower 40's last night. Inside it is currently 75.8 degrees.

I read in the newspaper today heating oil (which we formerly used) is priced 20% higher than last year. ($2.29 up to $2.79/gallon).

Our 'heating costs' for this year will amount to the $75 I paid for 1-3/4 cord of hickory plus $0 for all the free wood I scrounged.

Shari

 

[wendell]

Yeah!!

 

[CJW88]

It was in the lower 40's last night. Inside it is currently 75.8 degrees.

I read in the newspaper today heating oil (which we formerly used) is priced 20% higher than last year. ($2.29 up to $2.79/gallon).

Our 'heating costs' for this year will amount to the $75 I paid for 1-3/4 cord of hickory plus $0 for all the free wood I scrounged.

Shari

I think that this right here is what I would tell her.

 

[Pagey]

If you don't mind inviting neighbors in, there's no substitute for standing/sitting by a wood stove on a cold day. Based on casual conversation, you can probably pick up what "level" you can talk to the neighbors about heating with wood. Some folks are more technical, and in that case you could probably go into more detail about things like secondary combustion. With others, you might have to start out by simply saying things like the stove "uses new technology" to "burn the smoke" before it can leave the stove. And of course it would be a disservice to not explain that dry, seasoned wood is key, along with a safe, by-the-book installation.

Heating with wood, to me, is almost as much of an emotional investment as a time/financial investment. People have to understand that there can be significant up front costs (that later pay for themselves and then some). They also have to understand that getting ahead the first year or two is time consuming (but, hey, you're going to spend that time doing SOMETHING anyway, whether it's cutting/splitting/stacking or vegging out in front of the TV). But above all else, heating with wood is something you have to love - because it is work, and it is messy.

But it sure beats sitting around on a cold winter's day waiting on the thermostat to fall low enough for the gas/oil/electric to cycle again so you can feel warm for the 15 minutes its running and spinning a meter.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Well, we are rolling here with our woodstove. Hauled a couple of loads closer to the house last night. A neighbor (who heats with oil) wandered over seeing us bringing the wood up. She wants to 'know a little more' about what we are doing for heat. Where should I start? I know, tell her about hearth.com!

It was in the lower 40's last night. Inside it is currently 75.8 degrees.

I read in the newspaper today heating oil (which we formerly used) is priced 20% higher than last year. ($2.29 up to $2.79/gallon).

Our 'heating costs' for this year will amount to the $75 I paid for 1-3/4 cord of hickory plus $0 for all the free wood I scrounged.

Shari

Wow, cheaper than it is here. It was $2.79-2.89 a gallon most of last year. Haven't checked this year... cuz I don't need to, anymore.

 

[Badfish740]

Even though I live in a neighborhood full of people who burn wood I'm kind of the oddball. From all outward appearances many folks in my area are "recreational burners" in the sense that they have a small stove in the family room, etc...and almost treat it like a fireplace ie: they burn when they have company over for ambiance or on the weekends when they are around the house. They get a cord delivered by the local firewood guy right about now and that lasts them until the Spring. Then there's me... :lol: My woodshed is bigger than the shed that my neighbor (who also burns wood) keeps all of his outdoor power equipment in, I have two chainsaws, a log splitter, a chimney brush set, various wedges, mauls, sledges, etc...and on any given day I'll arrive home with a truckload of who-knows-what-kind of scrounged wood or better yet, pallets, which then are stacked all over my yard. The only time my chimney stops smoking during the winter is when I'm up on the roof cleaning. Oh yeah, and I'm addicted to this place

 

[AKSHADOW]

Fairbanks, AK - $3.05 a gallon. Thats the lowest price in town...

 

[RoseRedHoofbeats]

I actually first started to think about getting a wood stove when I noticed a neighbor of mine had a stovepipe, so I knew it was possible to put one in a trailer! I'd go ahead and give the basics (and the URL of course, I would have been SOO much better off if I had found these forums sooner!) and see what's up. Ours is a missionary religion. =P

~Rose

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well, we are rolling here with our woodstove. Hauled a couple of loads closer to the house last night. A neighbor (who heats with oil) wandered over seeing us bringing the wood up. She wants to 'know a little more' about what we are doing for heat. Where should I start? I know, tell her about hearth.com!

It was in the lower 40's last night. Inside it is currently 75.8 degrees.

I read in the newspaper today heating oil (which we formerly used) is priced 20% higher than last year. ($2.29 up to $2.79/gallon).

Our 'heating costs' for this year will amount to the $75 I paid for 1-3/4 cord of hickory plus $0 for all the free wood I scrounged.

Shari

Shari, that is a great opportunity to help out a neighbor and I hope you gave them other good answers too. It is always good if you can help out a neighbor and in this case you can do some teaching. Good luck.


Our heating costs this winter will be the cost of gasoline and oil used in cutting and splitting the wood plus hauling it from our woods to our house. Probably in the neighborhood of $30 at most.

And to think, I recall when my wife and I about went through the ceiling when the price of heating oil raised from $.12 per gallon to $.14 per gallon. We really thought that was highway robbery. We went back to heating with wood and have never been sorry.

 

[Pagey]

Wood?! I thought you burned cats in your stove, Dennis! :lol: So much for ridding the world of those stubborn, independent creatures.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Wood?! I thought you burned cats in your stove, Dennis! :lol: So much for ridding the world of those stubborn, independent creatures.

Only when the glass needs cleaning....

 

[Pagey]

Wood?! I thought you burned cats in your stove, Dennis! :lol: So much for ridding the world of those stubborn, independent creatures.

Only when the glass needs cleaning....

Bwahahaha!

 

[PapaDave]

Great opportunity, Shari, to share some of your knowledge with someone who sounds like they might be interested in burning wood.
Seems like whenever I try extolling the virtues of wood burning, eyes begin glassing over.
Must be my delivery. I guess most folks don't enjoy being tied to a chair. :ahhh: :cheese:

 

[albertj03]

As soon as temps started dropping the heating oil started climbing. I think it's about $2.80 a gallon on average here which is up from last year. Unfortunately I still need to buy oil because I can't heat my second floor with my stove since it is in the basement but I love being able to cut my oil bill at least in half with wood off my own land.

 

[jeff_t]

My neighbors always comment about the pleasant smell of woodsmoke they get thru the winter. The last couple of winters it's been almost all ash with a little bit of hickory, so it actually is pretty pleasing. Hopefully they aren't out this evening and get a whiff of the boxelder I just tossed in.

 

[raybonz]

I've switched over to heating my house with the hearth.com forum.. There is lots of hot air in here in fact it's so hot sometimes I need to open a window lol

Ray

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Easy now Ray!


Jeff, get hold of some poplar or willow and see if the neighbors still like your burning. Better yet, if you could get some thorn apple. Nasty smelling stuff it is.

 

[Shari]

Easy now Ray!


Jeff, get hold of some poplar or willow........

Another of our neighbors has had a willow tree laying on the ground for almost 5 yrs. My 'firewood eyes' don't even see it laying there, rotting. I did offer to cut it up and haul it to the recycling place but the neighbor turned me down.

Shari

 

[firefighterjake]

I can't tell you the number of people I've told about hearth.com . . . including folks where I have done the woodstove or pelletstove inspection on . . . some folks you can tell are interested and some folks simply are just hoping and praying you just approve the install and move on.

 

[Badfish740]

I can't tell you the number of people I've told about hearth.com . . . including folks where I have done the woodstove or pelletstove inspection on . . . some folks you can tell are interested and some folks simply are just hoping and praying you just approve the install and move on.

Funny-I had just the opposite experience. I spent tons of time researching on hearth.com on what to buy, then I finally got my furnace, and essentially built a safety factor of 3 into everything I did (ie: 3" of air space between heatshield and floor joists as opposed to 1", 6" clearance from double wall flue where it passes through the wall instead of 2", etc...) for my own peace of mind. When I finally got the inspection (after sending detailed drawings and specifications) the inspector wasn't in my basement 2 minutes before he slapped an "Approved for Fire Protection" sticker on it.

 

[firefighterjake]

I can't tell you the number of people I've told about hearth.com . . . including folks where I have done the woodstove or pelletstove inspection on . . . some folks you can tell are interested and some folks simply are just hoping and praying you just approve the install and move on.

Funny-I had just the opposite experience. I spent tons of time researching on hearth.com on what to buy, then I finally got my furnace, and essentially built a safety factor of 3 into everything I did (ie: 3" of air space between heatshield and floor joists as opposed to 1", 6" clearance from double wall flue where it passes through the wall instead of 2", etc...) for my own peace of mind. When I finally got the inspection (after sending detailed drawings and specifications) the inspector wasn't in my basement 2 minutes before he slapped an "Approved for Fire Protection" sticker on it.

You must have given him a better bribe than what I get to do the expedited approvals.

For the record, I don't get any bribes . . . although sometimes the restaurants offer me a cup of coffee . . . which would be nice . . . except I never learned to drink the stuff.

 

[heatwise]

I quit trying to educate anyone about heating with wood ages ago. It's in my blood and has been handed down from my dads side of the family. I feel like I'm an outcast and am looked down on for trying to be cheap.it's not about the savings . I haven't calculated the costs but I'd rather pay up front for stoves, chainsaws and everything else that goes along with this great lifestyle. If someone is truly interested and is genuine then I guess I'll answer questions or better yet send them to this great site. Gotta go stack wood, pete