Not the greatest news...

[tiggere]

Well guys (and gals)...looks like my quest for getting the stove up and running within the next couple weeks has been put on hold until further notice...my wife noticed a drip on the windshield of the car while it was parked in the carport...after getting up there and tearing into I find we have a roof leak...so I go on the roof to do some inspecting only to find the addition that was added in 94 has shingles that are literally crumbling and the chimney flashing is in bad shape and needs to be redone...so three quotes later looks like I will get an $8500 roof over having a liner put in...you know what they say...when it rains it pours...maybe next year...

I might go ahead and pull the old insert and get everything ready for a new stove insert over the summer...I think I could put the new liner in and insulate it after watching the videos so that should save some money...now the question is would you guys replace it with a wood stove or a pellet stove since I am starting from a clean slate...btw...the chimney flue and screen/cap have zero creosote in them...all the roofers looked in and said it was clean as a whistle...more than likely it was cleaned after her grandparents used it and they never used it again...her grandmother said they may have burned 15 fires total in it...

 

[Wood Duck]

Bummer. I'd go with a wood stove and start collecting wood right now. Wood is more interesting than pellets, since each type of tree and each piece of wood is unique, so each fire is unique. Also, wood can be collected if you have the time and want to save money, or you can buy logs, or you can buy it cut and split. It is nice to have options in case prices go up or your finances change. With a pellet stove you have to buy the pellets even if the price goes up. It took me two years to get my wood stove installed, although I didn't have an excuse as good as you do. The good part was that I was three years ahead on firewood when I finally got the stove, and I have been burning nice, dry firewood right from the start.

 

[BrotherBart]

That is a bummer. Like a friend of mine says Life has a way of jumping up and slapping the $^*% out of you every once in a while.". As to cord wood or pellet, something you have to decide. If you are going to be buying wood a pellet stove becomes a little more in line. Lots of mechanical and electrical stuff with them though. I have one that I have had for three years and just burned two bags of pellets the first time I fired it up and then mothballed it for later. Next season it is going to work. Because Home Depot here threw a hell of a pellet sale last month and it is quick on and off in the basement when I need to work down there. But the wood burner will still be the one hauling the freight for keeping the house warm.

 

[tiggere]

yeah...thats a good point about burning wood...its alot cheaper due to the upfront labor to get it...kinda bummed though so I hooked the little jon boat up and gonna go try and gig some flounder tonight...gotta do something to eat...sure aint got money for food now ...

 

[Intheswamp]

yeah...thats a good point about burning wood...its alot cheaper due to the upfront labor to get it...kinda bummed though so I hooked the little jon boat up and gonna go try and gig some flounder tonight...gotta do something to eat...sure aint got money for food now ...

...and if things get tough it's rather hard to find a pellet tree.

Flounder???...flounder is good....I like flounder. <yummmm>

What type of roof are you going with???...shingle or metal??? It actually would be a good time to get the liner installed while you're not worried about messing the roof up walking on it....just a thought.

Just re-roofed ours year before last...replaced a 60 year old asbestos roof with metal...it hurt, but I want have to do it again.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[prescottonian]

Tiggere ,
This is my 2 cents .I had a pellet stove in a cabin . Soon after purchasing the stove the pellets doubled in price . Unless you have a cheap source of pellets, corn etc. , it's not a cheap way to heat . If you don't use a hard wood pellet you will not get the btu's . The stove that I owned was and extremely noisy because there are 2 blowers in them . One to stir up the burning pot and one to to blow across the heating tubes . On the plus side they they are very convenient , great heat and you don't have the hassle of loading as often .

 

[Beetle-Kill]

prescottonian, I hear ya'. I'm not gonna knock pellet stoves, but I'm sticking with wood. I used my Castille for primary heat for years, and it's being used as I write by my renters(only reason it's still in my Sig.), But the cost of fuel, along with the requirement for electricity has turned me off. I will add that the Castille is a really good pellet stove.

 

[nate379]

Wow $8500... how big is that roof?

I did a roof on a 16x20 shed this fall and I was into it about $650 for everything. That was with the top of the line architectural shingles.

Did a metal roof on a 45x70 building a few years ago and we were in that under $2500.

 

[Shari]

We put our stove in Feb. 2010 - THEN had a roof leak in August 2010. Roof cost was $12,400 - and yes, we had 3 bids.

 

[BrotherBart]

We put our stove in Feb. 2010 - THEN had a roof leak in August 2010. Roof cost was $12,400 - and yes, we had 3 bids.

Yep. Best bid I have on a roof for this place is twelve grand.

 

[nate379]

What are you guys roofing with, shingles make out of gold and encrusted with diamonds?

If you rough figure a 2000 sq ft roof you are looking at about $1200 in shingles, $150 in felt, $200 in flashing, and maybe $50 in nails.... so where is the other ~$10000 going?? That is a TON of beer and pizza for friends to help out!

 

[Shari]

Hip roof here..........removed 2 layers, new roof with angled garage (w/valley + separate ridge), bump out bedroom wing (w/valley + separate ridge) & 12x20 covered patio which was a complete tearoff down to rafters & rebuild..... 6 additional roof vents also.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Shari, sounds on par. How many squares total?

 

[Shari]

Shari, sounds on par. How many squares total?

I think I knew that # at the time but it escapes me now. I do know I've got 1-1/2 +/- extra squares stored in the shed.

All I can say is 3 of us in the neighborhood had roofs put on the past summer. I am REALLY glad I used the company I did - the other two homes roofs look like you-know-what and their roofer didn't even replace the chimney flashing. My guys were neat, knowledgeable, courteous & timely - what else could one ask for? The crew here was 3 guys & the job would have been done in a week but we had 60+ mph winds for at least 1-1/2 days so that put them a little behind. The neighbors had a different company - 12+ guys, a 6 month old dog chained to the bumper of a truck and a boom box going all the time - all those guys were interested in was what bar they were going to hit that night and hollering across the roof to find out who else was bar hopping with them. My guys (father + 2 sons) were quiet, neat, knowledgeable, courteous & timely - what else could one ask for?

 

[Beetle-Kill]

You did good. My story is different, but it worked out in a strange way. I went cheap, paid half down, they did the work but there were inspection issues. End result, they're out of business, my roof passed, I sold off the excess squares of shingles, and the roof cost $3600, including full Grace shield all the way to the ridges. BTW, I don't know why they're out of business, tried to contact them for about a year and gave up. I still owed them $4,250.00. Oops.

 

[tiggere]

well darn fish didn't want to play nice either...its still a bit cold for them...saw one about 12" and that was it...gotta be 14" to be legal but I don't like to mess with them unless they are 16" or better...just not enough meat on those 14 inchers...

as for the roof...got 36 squares here...but we are at the beach and have frequent hurricanes so things cost a bit more for "insurance" purposes...we have to meet wind codes for homeowners (basically just a way to jack the rate up)...metal roof quote was 13k...second quote for architectural shingles was 10k...last one was a national roofing company and apples to apples with #2 quote (same shingles from same mfg) and they beat them by 2k...and had a better warranty, better underlayment, new copper flashing around chimney, and a new power exhaust fan...on top of everything that #2 quoted...quess who we are going with ...not to mention they have been in business for almost 100 years so I think they will be around a bit more...50 year warranty on shingles with 130 mph wind rating for 15 years...pretty darn good...

How hard is it to bust out the old damper in the chimney?...I spoke with the chimney guys and they said they remove the old damper and remove a course or two of brick to get the liners to the stoves...then I assume I would need a block off plate to cover the void...

 

[snowleopard]

Wood, for all the good reasons listed above, with a special emphasis on the fact that it needs no electricity. In your case, you don't live in the killer-cold country, but weather could wipe out your power supply.

Pity about the roof, but terrific that your wife was attentive enough to recognize that there was a discrepancy and pursue it--good that you caught the problem before more harm was done.

You sound handy. Is replacing the roof yourself a project you'd even consider doing?

 

[SnapCracklePop]

You sound handy. Is replacing the roof yourself a project you'd even consider doing?

+1

I will be needing a new roof in the next few years, and I plan to do it myself. I'll be maybe 72 by then... I've worked on 4 asphalt roofs and one metal roof with Habitat for Humanity.
It's my least favorite part of the building trades, but it's doable.

And I hate paying someone for something I can do myself...

Nancy

 

[tiggere]

I probably could but its not worth it to me to take a chance...you only get the upgraded warranty if a certified installed does it...the shingle MFG actually comes out and grades the installers on the job they did and the MFG is the ones that gives you the warranty...if it does not pass their inspection the roofer has to come back out and fix anything that is wrong to make it meet their standards...even if the roofers go out of business with the MFG warranty they (the shingle MFG) will have another master certified company (and only master certified company) come out and do the work to make it right...

I do like the wood option but any stove I got would have to have a fan...so that would need power...obviously it would still hold a fire if the power was out and we could huddle around it...I was looking at a freestanding in the same hole the insert is in but think an insert would be better...might have an issue with opening size and what stove will fit but I will know more once I get the old one out...

 

[nate379]

That is large roof!
I was figuring an average house, 40x40 with a 6x12 pitch, that would be about 2000 sq ft of roof.


No building codes like that here, but many people do metal cause of the winds. My shingles are supposed to be ok to 110mph. If the wind is over that I think I have other things to worry about. 60-70mph isn't uncommon though.

as for the roof...got 36 squares here...but we are at the beach and have frequent hurricanes so things cost a bit more for "insurance" purposes...we have to meet wind codes for homeowners (basically just a way to jack the rate up)..