Wood Stove Decision Advice

[Mtnfresh]

A big warm happy hello ya’ll from the sticks of Montana! New member and first time post. Thank you for all the great threads and info you have shared.

Some Advice to choose which stove to get would be much appreciated. First time stove buyer. Grew up with one at the parents house and our cabin but first time buying one for my own use.
I am building a cabin in the deep woods here in Montana and it obviously can get a bit cool here. My cabin will just be one level and maybe 1400sq give or take and possibly add on in the future. Will spend the falls and winters here.
Budget for all the goodies (Stove, pipe, any add ons etc) would be about $2000 - $2500 and could go more if it made sense.
budget isn’t a deal breaker.

Was kind of leaning toward the Englander 32NC or a Drolet after devouring the threads here.
Question, is there any problem with getting the 32NC (2400sq) VS the 2000sqf model. Price is not an issue but is it a problem to have something overkill? I usually lean toward more is better.
so would the 2400sq model 32NC or the 2000sq model Be more ideal to have?
Also in this price range would you recommend anything that would be better or more sexy in your opinion?

any other add ons to make the system better or convenient would be appreciated as well.
pretty “stoked” about This purchase
Like picking up another “man card”!!
Thank you for all your help!

 

[begreen]

Welcome. To determine the stove size, tell us a bit more about the cabin. How open will the floorplan be? How well insulated will it be? Will the floor be slab or crawlspace? Also, one story or two? High ceilings or normal 8'?

 

[Mtnfresh]

Hey Begreen! 1 level 16x36 As main living space, very open and then 2 bedrooms off of it. Higher Ceilings 12-14ft in Main and reg 8 in bedrooms. No crawl but fairly well insulated timber frame type build with slab walls.

 

[begreen]

Sounds like the Madison would cover it if the floor slab is well insulated too, but the NC32 should also work. What will be the primary heating system?

 

[Mtnfresh]

This wood stove will definitely be the primary Heating system. It’s completely off grid. I will have some backup propane heaters more for emergency or backup if needed and in the bedrooms when needed. Otherwise it’s full time Wood Burning Heat!

 

[Mtnfresh]

Any disadvantages of going with a bigger stove like the NC32 in a space this small?
other than price?

 

[begreen]

The disadvantage will be during milder weather. The fires will need to be partial loads to avoid overheating the place. Maybe just feed the fire a log or two at a time. Also, without a ceiling fan, a lot of heat is going to pocket up at that 14' ceiling peak. It needs to be circulated or the place may feel cold from chair level down, with the temp at the ceiling peak in the 90s.

Is this a part-time camping cabin or full-time dwelling? If for weekends and holidays, then put in a big stove. It takes a huge amount of heat to move a home up from freezing to comfortable ambient temp.

Do you have several cords of wood already split and stacked? Well seasoned firewood is going to be essential.

 

[moresnow]

Any disadvantages of going with a bigger stove like the NC32 in a space this small?
other than price?

1400 sq ft planned. Possible future addition being pondered already.
Montana.
Proven temps far below zero.
Planning on the stove carrying the major heat requirements.
Off grid.

Guessing the advantages/safety margin provided by a large stove far outweigh the misery of battling a undersized stove.
My opinion.

 

[Mtnfresh]

#Begreen: Full time for the most part in the fall and winters. Got lots of dry wood ready to burn! I am pretty sure I can figure out a fan system as that is pretty important to push that warm air down and around. I am planning on some propane energy as well as some solar so a fan should be fine and good advice for sure.

Kind of my one of thoughts #Moresnow
I just wasn’t sure if there was a better/sexier option than the 32NC in the ball park of price range. Also if it will be a disadvantage when it’s not so cold and don’t need it firing like it is meant to do. Will it still work well with warmer temps of 20-40?

 

[Mtnfresh]

Sorry it’s not 1400 sq feet. That was including the deck. It’s only like 900 sq feet to heat. Main area and one bedroom.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

How windy is your location?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Due too the small cabin size, you may want to look into the clad stoves to moderate heat spikes.

 

[Mtnfresh]

It can get windy like anywhere but overall it’s not too bad. I would say it’s fairly windy there.

clad stoves? Meaning a catalytic stove?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Wind is going to strip heat from a building faster than just cold air.. it provides a rationale for going with a larger stove.



Steel stove wrapped in cast iron.. the thermal mass will help keep the radiant heat from burning your skin off as the stove goes through it's heat spike.

 

[Mtnfresh]

Interesting, which Clad stove do you recommend?

 

[bikedennis]

Soapstone also reduces spikes and evens out the heat. Hearthstone stoves are cast iron and soapstone. Also, look at Woodstock. Haven't found a negative word about them.

 

[clancey]

Beautiful country you are living in but it is very harsh and I have visited several places in Montana especially Cameron., my brother lived there and it was 28 miles from that Yellowstone west gate I believe and they snow mobile there too in that small nice town..When you have twenty below zero a lot of things can happen and you want to be warm..I am glad that you have back up...Get that porch of yours "filled" with wood "now" for it will be much needed later...Its a hard life especially being "off grid"..Not much knowledge about stoves but there are experts here that do know a lot about them...Welcome to the forum and good luck on your "off grid quest"..mrs clancey

 

[begreen]

A cast-iron jacketed (clad) stove acts like a soapstone stove, in moderating the radiant heat, without the caveats. They have not come into the conversation due to the limited budget. Dropping down from 1400 to 900 sq ft also changes the equation. We still don't know if the slab that the building sits on is insulated. If the floor is properly insulated under the slab and the building is well sealed and doesn't have excessive glazing, then a cast iron jacketed 2 cu ft stove will do the job. Lots of ifs. The other alternative would be to get a thermostatically regulated catalytic stove like a Blaze King Sirocco 3.0, or Princess. The advantage there will be a bigger fuel tank without overheating the place, longer burn time in milder weather. The disadvantage is more moving parts to maintain and cost. However, there is a 26% tax credit possibility with these stoves and that includes the cost of installation parts and labor too. That will help defray the costs and will help with the budget, but you won't see the credit until next year's tax return and you need to owe taxes to apply the credit to.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Put more wood up than you expect. You're going to burn much more wood than you think you are. You're learning how to run a new stove.. Also, make sure it's dry. Firewood sellers rarely sell dry wood, even if they say it is.

If you can put up 2-3 years, you'll be prepared. This is especially important if your road gets snowed in and you can't get propane in February.

 

[begreen]

What species of wood do you have already split and stacked? If it is pine, you will need more on hand.

 

[Mtnfresh]

Great advice guys thank you so much!
We have Fir and Lodgepole pine.

it’s not going to be anything super tight and professionally built. It’s just me and my doing the best we can. My dad has a little woodland mills saw mill and we have been cutting up the logs I logged this winter. Just a basic cabin and will do my best to insulate it well. Any recommendations how to insulate the floor?
I would go BK or WS but it’s just not going to be used THAAAT much to justify the cost. Really would like to stay around 2-2500 for Stove and pipe and everything. So in this price range or less what stoves do you guys recommend?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Price out your chimney. Depending on where you place it, you may have used most of your budget.

 

[Mtnfresh]

So do you guys see any reasons not to get an NC32? Or Drolet

 

[bholler]

Soapstone also reduces spikes and evens out the heat. Hearthstone stoves are cast iron and soapstone. Also, look at Woodstock. Haven't found a negative word about them.

You havnt looked hard if you havnt seen negatives about soapstone stoves.

 

[bholler]

So do you guys see any reasons not to get an NC32? Or Drolet

No they are good reliable stoves for the money