Recommend a stove for this space

[Swamp_Yankee]

New guy here. We've been in our "new" house for almost a year now. The house is approximately 150 years old, having started its life as a barn (build date unknown) and then converted to a house sometime in the 1880s. It was then added onto in fits and starts over the years, with the latest a major renovation (basically adding an entire second floor) in 1998 that also saw an update of all of the systems. Windows are good with either Andersen casement windows or quality vinyl double hungs all around. Insulation on the second floor is pretty good since it was constructed in the last 20 years, but insulation on the first floor is unknown. Heat is hydronic baseboard fed by a Buderus oil boiler. The Buderus is extremely efficient, but heating an old 2600 SF house with oil still isn't cheap.

In our previous house we heated with an Englander 28-3500 add-on furnace tied into the ductwork so I have plenty of experience with wood, but not "regular" stoves having jumped right into central heating. The new house had an old stove that the previous owner had burned anthracite coal in, but not for a few years. I'd like to replace this stove with a newer stove with a decent sized firebox and viewing window. The first floor lends itself well to wood heat as it is extremely open, about 1300 SF in all-the only areas that are behind doors are the bathroom and the laundry room. I'm hoping to mostly heat the first floor with wood and rely on the oil heat for the second floor (they are zoned separately). Here are some pictures of the current stove and layout:

The chimney appears to be in good shape-Class A stainless steel with proper height above the peak, bracing, cap, etc...just needs a good cleaning. I'd like some suggestions on a good quality stove that will supply plenty of heat to a large open space? Sticking with Englander the 30-NC comes to mind... I do realize that I will likely need more floor protection and that couch is not staying there-it was given to us but we have no use for it. Its headed to the county dump this weekend.

 

[begreen]

Nice house! In large value stoves the Englander 30-NC or 50SSW02 would work. The Drolet Baltic II or HT2000 are also good choices.

 

[Swamp_Yankee]

Nice house! In large value stoves the Englander 30-NC or 50SSW02 would work. The Drolet Baltic II or HT2000 are also good choices.

Thanks! Will post some pictures elsewhere on the forums soon-the house is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for us and exactly the kind of place we want to raise our family (two girls and one on the way). Also thank you for introducing me to Drolet-I don't believe I had ever heard of them prior to now. They seem essentially the same in terms of specifications, but I prefer the look of the Austral II. Definitely worth doing more research. Again, downstairs has about 1300 SF to heat. The first photo was looking toward the stove from the formal dining room off the back of the house, the second photo was looking toward the stove from the living room off of the side. Both are connected via 4-6' wide entryways with no doors, so my hope is that once the stove got going the heat would be distributed evenly throughout the first floor. You can just see the staircase to the second floor on the right of the first photo which is not too far from the stove, so hopefully some heat would make its way up there as well, but again, the first and second floor are zoned separately, so at the very least I'll be taking a big heating load off the first floor. The second floor is also much better insulated than the first floor.

 

[barnaclebob]

Do you know whats under the hearth? You need to make sure the R value of the hearth matches what the rating of the stove is if there are flammables under it.

I'll put in the plug for the Woodstock Progress Hybrid if its in your budget. It meets your desire for a good viewing window and great fireshow.

Also those floors look amazing.

 

[Swamp_Yankee]

Do you know whats under the hearth? You need to make sure the R value of the hearth matches what the rating of the stove is if there are flammables under it.

I'll put in the plug for the Woodstock Progress Hybrid if its in your budget. It meets your desire for a good viewing window and great fireshow.

Also those floors look amazing.

The old slate tile is right over 2x6 pine boards. The whole area where the stove is was a porch that was closed in years ago. I'm planning on building up the hearth with steel studs and cement board with a decent air gap, then face it off with brick or stone.

Thanks for the compliment on the floors! They are not original but the idea was to make them look as though they were. Sadly there are original wide plank pine boards underneath but sometime in the 40s or 50s asbestos tile was laid over everything. That in turn was covered by carpet. We decided to encapsulate it, lay plywood over it, and then have the pine flooring installed. I ordered it from a wholesaler in South Carolina and it was installed and finished by a former student of my wife's who is now in business for himself.

 

[begreen]

Drolet and Century are SBI's value lines. SBI also makes Osburn, Flame stoves. The Austral II has the same firebox as the Baltic II, but without side shielding, so it needs larger clearances and will be more radiant. I suggested the Baltic II after seeing the couch close by the stove.

Looking at the pictures I think the heating will be pretty good on the first floor and a significant amount heat will convect upstairs as long as there isn't a closed door at the top.