The Paradox of Wood Stoves

[TelePE]

I thought that I would share this column from today's Denver Post.

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_4777589




...waiting for delivery of my new Hearthstone Homestead.

 

[MrGriz]

Burning wood for heat is definitely not for everyone. For me one of the great joys of burning wood is the connection it gives me to the outdoors and nature. I would bet that it is that way for a majority of those who heat with wood. If one's goal is to isolate themselves from the outdoors, pushing a button or two on the thermostat and writing a check to the utility company is probably the way to go. Of course if you pay your bill online, you can save a trip outside to the mail box to send your check.

I have read it here several times, burning wood warms you twice. I would say it's even more than that. Scrounging, cutting, spliting, stacking, moving, loading and burning all provide good exercise and a sense of accomplishment. I used to just write the check; now that I'm here, I'm home. ;-)

 

[Jay Shank]

Burning wood for heat is definitely not for everyone. For me one of the great joys of burning wood is the connection it gives me to the outdoors and nature. I would bet that it is that way for a majority of those who heat with wood. If one's goal is to isolate themselves from the outdoors, pushing a button or two on the thermostat and writing a check to the utility company is probably the way to go. Of course if you pay your bill online, you can save a trip outside to the mail box to send your check.[/quote]
When we did write the checks the house was not warm.Keep temp at 62 and still wrote big checks.Now no checks and it 73 in here and i love it.

I have read it here several times, burning wood warms you twice. I would say it's even more than that. Scrounging, cutting, spliting, stacking, moving, loading and burning all provide good exercise and a sense of accomplishment. I used to just write the check; now that I'm here, I'm home. ;-)

I enjoy the whole wood thing from cutting to slitting to stacking. Just really enjoyable way to spend time and save money.Also way more relaxing to sit and watch the
Fire burn then watch the meter spin

Jay

 

[kd460]

I'm with you guys. I enjoy just about every aspect of processing wood. It gets me out in the dead of winter, gives me a reason to "get away". The work does not bother me and it is great exercise. The "dirt" in the house, well, that can be cleaned.

It's gonna be really hard to deal with it when I get to that age where I am no longer physically able to do those things. But, hopefully, thats a long way off. KD

 

[ecfinn]

Agreed. Good article. I'm still a newbie at this woodburning for heat thing, but I already enjoy the connection to the outdoors. I love being outside. Always have. If I could find a way to do my dayjob outside I would, but my desk and laptop would get too cold I think. :-( Now I just need to get better at planning/organizing my firewood piles...

Eric

 

[Jay H]

First thing I did when I bought my first house (1 year anniversary this past Dec 2nd) was look into Wood Stoves.

I looked into solar electric, solar domestic water, geothermal. All of it is not practical for me due to various reasons (too many oak trees shade my house, no good southern exposure... No geothermal contractors in my area..etc. etc.). but something I've always likes are wood stoves. But as mentioned here, I love the outdoors and I love burning wood so the first major project I did when I bought my house was get a wood stove installed. Now I'm working on the secondaries, insulation in my attic, refinishing my bathroom... working on the basement... but the wood stove is in and I am HAPPY!

Jay

 

[Roospike]

Per the web link:

Getting the wood from the backyard pile is another connection to the outdoors. The daily excursion generally involves trundling the wheelbarrow from the front porch back to the alley zone, splitting some wood and filling the wheelbarrow, then back to the front porch, where I'll bring it in an armload at a time - five or six chunks - as needed.

******** :bug: **********

Splitting wood as needed?

 

[Corey]

That is a good point, Roo. I do get the feeling that the guy is kind of an armchair burner. If he was full fledged, he surely would do all the splitting / stacking / etc while the weather was warm and probably would have given up the 70's era air-tight stove in favor of a more modern model by now.

Corey

 

[coldinnj]

coal burners get the outdoors too.
Especially when we can't wait forthe delivery so we go to the breaker to get the load ourselves, then as we don't have a dump truck anymore we hand shovel / unload 3 ton into the basement window to the bin, in the freezing rain.
Ah the connecting is so nice. Ok, I lied, I'll take the delivery guys unloading, my outdoor trip can be left to opening the coal door/ window. Then a nice walk in my woods at my leisure.
Maybe even to dump the ashes on the nasty neighbors property, (not serious of course).

 

[TelePE]

It's good to see the response that Ed's column generated.
A few notes:

In Salida. Co (where we live) we are in the banana belt of the Rockies. Even though we are at 7000 ft. we live in a high desert climate surrounded by 14,000 ft. peaks. Cold nights and warm, sunny days are the norm. There is normally a good time of day to go out and split a little firewood. (We get about 10 inches of moisture a year).

As far as I know, Ed does heat primarily with wood. His house, (like mine), is a late 1800's brick home. The R-values of these homes are about 3-5 in the walls. They were built with several small coal burning pot-bellied stoves through out the home for heat. The only way to keep them warm in the winter is the radient heat from a wood burner. With a fire burning they are warm and cozy. The folks who have "modernized" their heating systems (either gas forced air or hot water base board) have large heating bills and cool homes. Even the amount of heat put out by our Majestic Cookstove was enough to heat half of our house, and that is burning kindling only since the firebox was so small.

Ed and his wife publish a magazine (Colorado Central) from their home. I think that splitting wood daily is a way to get outside and clear the head.

Our Majestic is gone while we await the delivery of our new soapstone. I miss the fire (and warmth!) in our home...

 

[MrGriz]

I'm surprised to hear that Ed is a full time burner. From the article, I got the impression that he was more of a weekend warrior.

 

[tjg911]

i agree with the 1st 2 guys comments. i honestly enjoy winter especially heating with wood. i honestly hate march because the winter is ending and so is the fun of burning wood. maybe i'm wierd but i've been doing this since 1992.



the article sounds like a lot of whining and poor planning other than the ash removal, but why use or buy a stove WITHOUT an ash pan?



tom

 

[wahoowad]

I like burning the wood roaches that hide in my splits. I see you trying to hide you little bastard!

 

[suematteva]

To me it read like it was really work....EVERY aspect of it is fun for me...even wheelbarrowing the 150 ft between the woodshed and the house....

The couple times every winter when we get boiler plate cold...and you are bringing in the apple and the hardhack its like you won the blue ribbon.