What got you started with burning wood?
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HDRock
Minister of Fire
Growing up, my job was burning the trash out in the burning barrel, since then, I like playing with fire 
fox9988
Minister of Fire
topoftheriver
Member
We always had a fireplace or two, and a wood stove or two. One in the barn, one in the basement, Fireplace in the living room. Now I have one in the LR and one in the basement. 4 cords a year does the job more than enough. We like to have some wine and beer in front of the firelight, play guitar, listen to music and enjoy the good old American way of life.
Shadow&Flame
Minister of Fire
Poll doesn't include "Built my first new house in 1977 in the middle of the first oil crisis and had a wood stove and flue installed instead of the fireplace the builder wanted.".
House had a forced air electric resistance central heat/AC unit.
ETA: And bet I am the only person on the forum that ever got handcuffed and read his rights for picking up construction scraps at the curb to take home on his way from work to feed that stove.
House had a forced air electric resistance central heat/AC unit.
ETA: And bet I am the only person on the forum that ever got handcuffed and read his rights for picking up construction scraps at the curb to take home on his way from work to feed that stove.
My story isn't an option in the poll, so ..........Building a new weekend cabin in 2000, my wife wanted a fireplace, no ugly black box stove. They have no view of the fire. Heat for her was not a concern, it was for me. She, had no idea what the stoves had become with full glass doors, rolling balls of fire and secondary burns. One stop at the stove store did it. She agreed we can get the stove if it's Oslo Green Enamel, get the screen to run it without the front door. The screen was never used. She loves fire view and the and heat, 24/7 the only heat we use. The fireplace would have been a big mistake.
Tom
Tom
ETA: And bet I am the only person on the forum that ever got handcuffed and read his rights for picking up construction scraps at the curb to take home on his way from work to feed that stove.
Bart, now that's a funny story. You couldn't convince the cop how stupid this arrest is? How far did it go?
Poll also doesn't include. "I'm a born firebug."
Talked him into calling the builder who told him it was trash that he had to pay to have hauled. He said I was welcome to come by and get any I wanted. Told him after this I would pass. The cop couldn't assume that it was trash. Just doing his job. Seems there had been a lot of thefts from their construction sites and I happened to stop by. In a suit and handcuffs makes for a funny memory. But only many years later.
Be careful out there scrounging folks.
Shadow&Flame
Minister of Fire
Talked him into calling the builder who told him it was trash that he had to pay to have hauled. He said I was welcome to come by and get any I wanted. Told him after this I would pass. The cop couldn't assume that it was trash. Just doing his job. Seems there had been a lot of thefts from their construction sites and I happened to stop by. In a suit and handcuffs makes for a funny memory. But only many years later.
Be careful out there scrounging folks.
I hear ya. After a run in with a cop with the little man syndrome. He gave me the third when I was gathering pallets. Even after the owner of the place told him I could have them...he was still an ass... Just not worth the hassle.
Mr A
Minister of Fire
- My Parents heated by wood
- I'm frugal
- I like the ambiance/look/smell of a fire... I remember going with my Dad and Uncles to cut wood when I was about 12 years old. Mid to late 70's, must have been the oil crisis thing. We lived in an agricultural area on the central coast, Pajaro Valley. It was one of largest apple growing regions. Not so much anymore, now strawberries raspberries, lettuce took the apples place. The farmers were cutting down acres of old apple orchards starting to convert the land about this time to other crops. We didn't have a stove or insert, it doesn't get very cold there anyway,remember dad and uncles all got the wood bug. We had a couple acres and spent the next few weeks scrounging that orchard wood and bringing it home , splitting and stacking, and barbecuing. It was good times. It took 40 years, but I finally got me wood a wood burner, a cold winter, and a lot of wood.
pyroholic
Member
Macpolski
Member
Oregon aloha
Feeling the Heat
This is the second house that came with an insert and was given the insert I currently have. 3 inserts, 33 years and no new stove.This week is the first wood stove purchase I've ever made. I purchased a Kuma Ashwood and am converting my firebox to an alcove/insert as propane is out of the question to heat with for price.
blueguy
Feeling the Heat
clemsonfor
Minister of Fire
Grandparents burned in fireplace. I loved it. Grew upi with out anything. I love fire. And with a house with a FP started burning for heat. Little difference. Wife refussed stove as she likes to look at it (also likes heat though). Took her to the store, she saw the doors and liked them. this was only after going to a friends house with an old craft stove and seeing how warm they got it with GREEN wood. She said OK and now admits we should of gotten the insert years earlier
!
Also even in my mild climate i save a good bit of money on my large uninsulated home, and were warmer to boot!
!Also even in my mild climate i save a good bit of money on my large uninsulated home, and were warmer to boot!
Parents did the wood thing starting during the Arab oil Embargo. Grew up around a Resolute I in the living room and a coal stove in the basement...
(30+ years later, my Dad still has both, though only the Resolute gets used these days)
(30+ years later, my Dad still has both, though only the Resolute gets used these days)
chazcarr
Minister of Fire
Definitely number 1. My wife was always cold, and our oil furnace never seemed to make her warm. I suggested a fireplace insert and she surprisingly agreed. I didn't give her a chance to change her mind and went out and bought one two days later.
She LOVES it and has even started loading it while I am at work. At first she wouldn't touch the "icky wood".
Now she tells everyone who complains about oil to get either a wood or pellet stove. She is glad I went with wood because pellet bags are heavy.
She is also pleased that this has given me a reason to work outside processing wood. I was adding a few pounds due to having a desk job and the wood stove motivates me to get off my butt. Saving over a thousand dollars a year in heating oil is just icing on the cake.
...and as the saying goes "Happy (and warm) wife equals a Happy (and warm) life".
She LOVES it and has even started loading it while I am at work. At first she wouldn't touch the "icky wood".
Now she tells everyone who complains about oil to get either a wood or pellet stove. She is glad I went with wood because pellet bags are heavy.
She is also pleased that this has given me a reason to work outside processing wood. I was adding a few pounds due to having a desk job and the wood stove motivates me to get off my butt. Saving over a thousand dollars a year in heating oil is just icing on the cake.
...and as the saying goes "Happy (and warm) wife equals a Happy (and warm) life".
DevilsBrew
Minister of Fire
- Apr 21, 2013
- 687
Grew up with the snowbelt culture where it is very common to heat with wood. My family split between electric and wood.
My childhood best friend had a masonry fireplace/oven in their kitchen. Loved it.
My ex husband was a big burner. We would have fires inside and out whenever possible. He even warped the metal stove from using it so much.
I got into alternative stoves when a guy offered a crazy solution to replacing my broken toaster oven.
My childhood best friend had a masonry fireplace/oven in their kitchen. Loved it.
My ex husband was a big burner. We would have fires inside and out whenever possible. He even warped the metal stove from using it so much.
I got into alternative stoves when a guy offered a crazy solution to replacing my broken toaster oven.
Heated the shop with wood as far back as I can remember as a young lad tagging along with my father. When I bought the joint I asked myself "Why in the heck ain't I doing this in the house too?". Installed my stove in 2002. 2003 propane hit $2.49 per gallon that winter. And was high again for the next. Two year payoff of the stove. Dumb luck.
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