What a great site! I've been reading through the posts over the past few weeks and have tried to do my homework before buying a wood stove. We live in a small, 1100 sf cape in NH with FHA for heat. On the right side is a 12x12 room (on very sturdy posts) - many windows, slider - we call it the sunroom. This is the room we walk into never using the front door. The sunroom opens into the kitchen to the left which then opens into the living room at the front of the house - so it's a pretty open area. Down the hall is the bathroom and two bedrooms at the end of the hall. No need to blast too much heat down there. Two bedrooms upstairs that we normally turn airflow off to unless drying clothes on a rack and want heat up there. Eventually, if we add a full-shed dormer we'd consider cutting in some floor vents so the stove's heat can make its way up there.
We're planning on putting a wood stove in the right corner of the sunroom as it's the corner behind the door when it opens and we've never really used that area. Through lots of thinking and reading we like the concept of a soapstone where the stove never really spikes in heat and remains warm longer. Our main concerns are how will it fit in that area - in a corner with a hearth that needs to accommodate the stove and wanting to make sure we have enough heat for the house but not too much. We do have forced hot air that we have no problem using especially during the time it would take to heat up the soapstone, say coming home after work.
I realize that stoves all list the size house they heat by square footage but it seems that it's not all that simple as that's more the maximum size from what I'm told. At first we were planning on the Homestead but due to the R-value requirements of the hearth with bottom heatshield (2.5) we're concerned that the hearth would have to be very large so for weight concerns on posts and cost of building it, we started looking at the Phoenix and Heritage (1-1.2 R). After talking to the local dealer we are leaning toward the Heritage. BUT, we don't know if this will just be too big for the house - heat-wise and space-wise. Also, we were told that since the Heritage would be in the corner, the installer is required to lock shut the side door so we couldn't even use it.
We think the Tribute would be a much better fit for the sunroom but are concerned that it's too small and won't give the heat to the other rooms - this is what the guy who's going to install it said. Plus, we're concerned with the fact that it only takes a 16" log and has a much less burn/heat times than the Heritage. We'd rather have a larger stove we can have a larger or smaller burn in vs a small stove that that's all you can have.
Also, you were all mentioning the Woodstock but from what I read there's an issue with the space needed behind the stove and in this 12x12 room, I'm afraid it would push the stove too far out into the room.
Your comments are greatly appreciated!
We're planning on putting a wood stove in the right corner of the sunroom as it's the corner behind the door when it opens and we've never really used that area. Through lots of thinking and reading we like the concept of a soapstone where the stove never really spikes in heat and remains warm longer. Our main concerns are how will it fit in that area - in a corner with a hearth that needs to accommodate the stove and wanting to make sure we have enough heat for the house but not too much. We do have forced hot air that we have no problem using especially during the time it would take to heat up the soapstone, say coming home after work.
I realize that stoves all list the size house they heat by square footage but it seems that it's not all that simple as that's more the maximum size from what I'm told. At first we were planning on the Homestead but due to the R-value requirements of the hearth with bottom heatshield (2.5) we're concerned that the hearth would have to be very large so for weight concerns on posts and cost of building it, we started looking at the Phoenix and Heritage (1-1.2 R). After talking to the local dealer we are leaning toward the Heritage. BUT, we don't know if this will just be too big for the house - heat-wise and space-wise. Also, we were told that since the Heritage would be in the corner, the installer is required to lock shut the side door so we couldn't even use it.
We think the Tribute would be a much better fit for the sunroom but are concerned that it's too small and won't give the heat to the other rooms - this is what the guy who's going to install it said. Plus, we're concerned with the fact that it only takes a 16" log and has a much less burn/heat times than the Heritage. We'd rather have a larger stove we can have a larger or smaller burn in vs a small stove that that's all you can have.
Also, you were all mentioning the Woodstock but from what I read there's an issue with the space needed behind the stove and in this 12x12 room, I'm afraid it would push the stove too far out into the room.
Your comments are greatly appreciated!