How to make that woodstove work for you
From my own observations, from talking with some folks who use wood stoves, and from talking with folks who have stoves but don’t use them, I started to mentally think of reasons why it worked for some folks but not others. Figured I’d start a thread and see if I could get some wood stove users to contribute their ideas/suggestions on why the wood stove works for them or maybe why they think it doesn’t for other folks.
Some suggestions I would have for making the wood stove more useable:
1. Proper installation – This means proper setbacks as well as proper venting. The setbacks for obvious reasons. And just because you have a masonry chimney to vent into doesn’t mean you might not be better off putting a liner (SS for instance) in it to improve your draft. Good draft makes it easier to start and use.
2. WELL seasoned firewood – People who were reading wood stove threads a couple months back would have seen me whining about wet firewood. I would consider this #2 right behind installation as a reason why your use of a wood stove might become more hassle than its worth. If your firewood isn’t seasoned (dry), it will be hard to start and won’t put out anywhere near the heat of seasoned wood.
3. Fuel logistics – Have wood transportation/storage in mind when you set it up; If you have to bring all the wood in an armload at a time, it can get to be a PITA. And how much of the house are you going to be tracking through to bring the wood in? And if your indoor woodrack has to be filled every couple hours, the PITA factor goes way up. My own setup is to have a stack near the stove and then a secondary stack in an enclosed area (garage or porch) with the main wood stack out back of the house.
4. Site cleanability – Have the stove/wood set up so that it is easy to clean up the occasional ash/wood/dirt/misc that inevitably will fall on the floor. If you have to drag out a vacuum/mop every time, the PITA factor goes up.
5. Stove location – Occasionally you see where someone has installed a stove in a room that is somewhat isolated from the rest of the house. So they end up with 1 room at 100 degrees and the rest of the house is cold. If practical to do so, locate the stove in a central position in the house to improve heat transfer.
6. Be prepared for more work – Running a wood stove is more work than flipping on the furnace. You have to keep that in mind. Wood has to be brought in, the fire tended, the ash removed, etc.
OK, that’s all I have for now. Got some additions?
jt8
“A free society is a place where it’s safe to be unpopular.”
— Adlai Stevenson
Replies
John
Well that wood stove burns air and sends it up the chimney.. that creates a mini vacumm which is only satisfied with cold air from outdoors..
Find a way to provide that fire with unheated air.
I know there is some debate about make-up air, but I tend to think it is a good idea if practical to do so.
jt8
"A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular."-- Adlai Stevenson
I'd replace #6 with "the right frame of mind" and bump it up to #2 (right behind "proper installation"). You have to get into the whole boyscout mentality and see it as a pleasant ritual, not an annoying chore. The first woodfire of the season is exciting. Chopping wood is fun. And getting a hot blaze going with a single match is about the easiest way in the world to impress your wife, your kids, and your dog.
I'd replace #6 with "the right frame of mind"
It is funny how it can work itself into your consciousness. Driving along in JULY you notice where someone has cut down a tree and you slow down and think, "saaay, wonder if they're trying to get rid of that tree?" LOL, always on the lookout for fuel.
jt8
"A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular."-- Adlai Stevenson
Heated 2 story 5300 sq ft 100% with wood in front room fireplace for close to 30 years (When DW hit 62, said she was to old to cut and split 8 cords/year <G>)
"Fireplace" is 6 ft triangle with doors, poured concrete chimney with 1" liner. Water walls in FP pump water to heat excahngers in forced air ducting. More like an inside wood furnace.
Cast cantilevered hearth 26" high so do not have to bend over to tend fire.
36" access door near fireplace, with large steel deck for stacking wood. Truck or backhoe can pull righ up to it, woodshed 15 ft away.
Nobody included it yet, but I'd say the biggie for saving your back is having a high hearth so you do not have to bend over that you can also stack some wood on.
Raised hearths position the heat higher in the room and can lead to cold floors.
Also it seems the trend right now is for flush hearths.
I like them raised a little-like 4-6".
I don't know that I'd agree that a liner would solve all drawing problems.
Improper stove pipe configuration, poor stove usage, or too short of chimney would be more likely. Occasionally site issues can create strange air currents too. But flue shape ( the main difference between some masonry flues and most liners) is a relatively small factor.
Round flue do draw better, but square one work pretty well also.
In my mind liners are a last ditch effort to fix a failed chimney, not a recommended addition.
#7 Supplement the moisture that the stove eats..dry skin is really itchy, and a pot of water on a hot stove is not always enough.
#8 Beware of air stratification, a great stove will never work well with out at least some kind of disruption to get the heat bubble off the cieling.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Supplement the moisture that the stove eats
Actually, this is one of the myths about wood heat. It's no more "dry" than any other kind of heat. Low indoor humidity in the winter is caused by too much outside air being drawn into the house and warmed - which lowers the relative humidity.
35° outside air at 100% relative humidity drops to 30% RH when it's heated to 70°.
So, to keep the house from drying out, plug all the air leaks and pipe combustion air to the woodstove, even if it's just to a floor register near the stove.
Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
You are right , it just seems dryer, when I am loadin a wheel barrow load of wood in and it's 600 degree flue temp. (G)Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
I had a stove in a small two bedroom house. The thermosatt was in the room with the stove. That alone made for cold(er) rooms outside of the stove room.
Some way to ciculate the heat is a must for comfort. And a good shovelfull of coal once in a while don't hurt if you plan to be away from the stove for a while.
[email protected]
Proper installation includes proper firestops both underneath and between stove and any flammable surfaces, and it also includes proper sizing and length of vent connections and chimney as well as chimney clearances above roof or other obstructions (like trees).
A chimney needs to be a minimum of 15' in height above stove for proper drafting and a too-tall chimney can cause overdrafting. Connector pipe should be limited in total length with no more than two elbows and horizontal runs should be pitched upward. And, if the chimney is venting only the one stove, the flue should be no more than one size larger than the connector pipe (e.g. 7" flue for 6" pipe).
You need to add a category for maintenance. A chimney cleanout is necessary and a chimney venting a woodstove should be cleaned annually. It should also have a rain cap and a bird screen.
Under seasoned wood, you should also mention that unseasoned wood will produce far more creosote and create a fire hazzard.
A woodstove should not only be located centrally, but in an open floor plan so that heat can be naturally distributed without fans, if possible.
And, if it's installed in a tight house, an outside combustion air supply - direct coupled if possible - is necessary to prevent backdrafting of combustion gasses when exhaust fans or driers are running.
And, last, you forgot to mention using a quality, efficient woodstove. New EPA-certified stoves might be a little pricey but they can offer 75% burn efficiency, even without a catalyst.
View Image
Solar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
Edited 2/21/2008 8:17 pm ET by Riversong
Edited 2/21/2008 8:19 pm ET by Riversong
And, last, you forgot to mention using a quality, efficient woodstove. New EPA-certified stoves might be a little pricey but they can offer 75% burn efficiency, even without a catalyst.
Yes, I was tempted to add that when I did the original posting. A more efficient stove means it burns cleaner, gives you more bang for the buck, and less hauling/cleaning.jt8
"A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular."-- Adlai Stevenson
I agree with all. It's a lot of work, I have the acreage to maintain it . It's a annual ritual.I fall and buck up in July. Split and stack September.
#7 The wife say's the bigger the wood pile The bigger the. You know
The hernia? The Chriropracter bills? LOLSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
THE FIREWOOD SONG
Dylan Bustin<!----><!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
In the fall of the year, when you feel the winter near,<!----><!---->
And the days are clear, it really isn't good<!----><!---->
To sit by the fire and want to stoke it higher<!----><!---->
When you could be cutting more wood.<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
From November to March the winter winds are harsh,<!----><!---->
And the fields and the marsh -- they're covered up in snow.<!----><!---->
When you trudge to the shed, you got to shake your head<!----><!---->
'Cause the dagburned pile is gettin' low...<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
CHORUS<!----><!---->
On wood (dry wood), fire wood (hard wood).<!----><!---->
There's not a stove in the world's gonna do you any good<!----><!---->
Without wood (cord wood). We could (you should!)<!----><!---->
Be out cutting more wood.<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
Well the sassafras it burns too fast, it starts the fire but never lasts.<!----><!---->
The swamp pole it likes to smoke, you'll blow it 'til you think you'll choke.<!----><!---->
But hickory is just the tree to remind you of the ecstasy<!----><!---->
Of havin' a pile of good wood.<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
When the kindling is dwindling, the bottom logs get soggy,<!----><!---->
Those ricks of sticks and racks of stacks, they make you wonder where they go.<!----><!---->
And barnfulls of armfulls, they only last a week or so,<!----><!---->
And then you'll be hurtin' for wood...<!----><!---->
CHORUS -- I said wood ...<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
The Scandia and the Yotul brand, they're made so far across the sea.<!----><!---->
The Fisher kind, the Timberline, they're made here in the count-a-ry.<!----><!---->
With all the rest put to the test, the one I like the very best<!----><!---->
Is the one my Uncle Wade made for me.<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
He took an oil drum and welded some pi-iping from the septic tank,<!----><!---->
And fore and aft he cut a draft and then he made a damper grate<!----><!---->
From an old broom in the back room, and painted it fire engine red,<!----><!---->
And said, "Now watch it consume..."<!----><!---->
CHORUS -- your wood ...<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
When the Spring rolls around and I spade the muddy ground,<!----><!---->
I have often found I put my saw away.<!----><!---->
The shed is empty and yet you can lay a bet<!----><!---->
That I'll forget to be cutting more wood.<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
The old timers say cut a little every day<!----><!---->
And stack it away to season well.<!----><!---->
But from March to November I rarely do remember<!----><!---->
December will find me in a rut...<!----><!---->
<!----><!---->
CHORUS -- without wood (dry wood), fire wood (hard wood).<!----><!---->
There's not a stove in the world's gonna do you any good<!----><!---->
Without wood (cord wood). We could (you should!)<!----><!---->
Be out cutting more--> (put it in the oil drum...what do you think your saw is for
...you can always use some more...) -->wood.
Edited 2/21/2008 9:16 pm ET by Riversong
#3 Fuel Logistics. I don't like keeping firewood inside the house, way too messy with bugs, dirt, and bark.We keep 4 racks on the porch... three wheelbarrows fill a rack, and a rack lasts about a week. Real easy to sweep off. We carry it inside as we need it in a closed end sling thing, no mess, and it holds a lot more than Mrs 'Snort's arms<G>If low humidity is a problem, get the mrs a bunch of live orchids and sprayer, makes it just like Hawaii... Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,
Winterlude by the telephone wire,
Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
The moonlight reflects from the window
Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.
We took ours out which i regret, But we had no room, The doc said it was bad for my allergies {dont really believe that} and we put in a gas furnace, Its not really cold here and ours was ok for a few weeks a year, I love the wood heat but worried about our insurance, The best thing i did was put in one of those heater fans that go in the pipe, That put out a lot of warm heat, Before that we put a fan behind the woodstove.
My home insurance didn't go up when I installed mine. The insurance company wanted details and pictures of the installation, but didn't raise my rates.
jt8
"A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular."-- Adlai Stevenson
Stove works much better when the chimney is in the centre of the house instead of on an outside wall. Ours stove is in the middle of the open plan main floor and masonry chimney runs through the master bedroom upstairs. Steady fires in winter load the chimney mass with heat that otherwise bleeds away and it radiates for hours. Makes for better chimney draw and easier cleaning too.
Putting in a good wood burning system is a commitment that is expensive and labor intensive. Just about like deciding to have kids or pets. ;0)
Lots of fun and enjoyable at first and then..........
Continued maintenance and a reliable source for resupply must be considered along with the safety aspects.
I bought and installed my own stove 27 years ago but we moved two years ago. I miss having it. We now have a smaller home with a fireplace we enjoy, but do not rely upon it for heat. I no longer cut my own due to a bad heart but I need exercise so I have a new small electric/hydraulic splitter in the garage. A wheel barrow full a couple times a week is enjoyable to do. There's a bit of lifting, bending and hauling involved.
I think that most who have systems but no longer use them simply become tired of the routine. They get lazy. Age and health issues also may kick in years later and after able bodied help (kids) move out.
I also remember several neighbors that installed systems but did things on the cheap. They didn't do proper installs and used inferior products. They were the ones that became disenchanted with performance and also amount of labor involved and said they'd never have another such set up.
Do you sell/install stoves and inserts John?
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
We now have a smaller home with a fireplace we enjoy, but do not rely upon it for heat.
Is the fireplace large enough for an efficient insert? I've always wondered how well they work. Some manufacturers make it sound like they're just as good as a wood stove, but I've never seen one in operation.
I also remember several neighbors that installed systems but did things on the cheap. They didn't do proper installs and used inferior products.
I think that is a problem with a lot of folks. These are often the folks who think "stocking up on firewood" means getting a couple bundles at the gas station.
Do you sell/install stoves and inserts John?
No, just enjoy wood stoves for various reasons: you've got heat when the power is out, you're not chained to the nat.gas folks for that heat (so no big surprise in the mail at the end of a cold month), I like to sit and watch the flames, like the radiant heat coming off of it. In some ways, it is kinda like chocolate is for some folks.jt8
"A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular."-- Adlai Stevenson
We have a new, manufactured home. When we placed our order we asked to replace the built in TV/entertainment center with a fireplace. The salesman was surprised and asked why. I told him I could put a TV anywhere but the primo spot in the design of the house was perfect for a nice fireplace. I don't regret the choice, either.
I wanted a unit that was factory installed, not altered after the fact. I figured if they could supply it it would have to meet local fire codes and be compliant to insurance standards for them to offer a warranty. It was and they did.
It is a metal fabrication with a firebrick lining. A nice looking unit but as with most fireplaces does not generate as much heat as I would like. It does have a recirculating fan and glass doors.
It would be nice to see such a unit patterned after the Rumford design, which I think is probably the most efficient of fireplaces. I'll have to do some research and maybe plan a retrofit in a couple of years. For now, however it gives us fair heating and a lot of enjoyment.
On the woodstove in the previous home I believe I spent more on flue than I did the stove. I mounted it to exit the wall above the stove and climb the outside of the house for two+ stories. Double wall stainless with an outside clean-out Tee. It was so easy to clean and looked as good in and out after 25 years as it did the day I installed it.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
Edited 2/22/2008 1:06 pm by oldbeachbum
"On the woodstove in the previous home I believe I spent more on flue than I did the stove"I had a three story masonry chimbley built, it was a couple grand. Way more than the free Intrepid a buddy gave me!Didn't put stove for three years, first fire the terra cotta thimble cracked<G> Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,
Winterlude by the telephone wire,
Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
The moonlight reflects from the window
Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.
Ouch!...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
It was okay, I had some some big band clamps<G> Winterlude, Winterlude, my little daisy,
Winterlude by the telephone wire,
Winterlude, it's makin' me lazy,
Come on, sit by the logs in the fire.
The moonlight reflects from the window
Where the snowflakes, they cover the sand.
Come out tonight, ev'rything will be tight,
Winterlude, this dude thinks you're grand.
oldbeachbum.
three questions..
First was the fireplace on an outside wall?
and second did you have a way to take care of make up air?
Third what method was used to seal off heat losss up the flue?
The reason I ask is on Mythbusters they showed how the use of a fireplace actaully cooled down rooms remote from the fireplace creating a net loss..
Second on the outside wall issue if much of the heat was focused on an outside wall much of the heat energy was lost.
The third question should be self evident..
Edited 2/22/2008 6:10 pm ET by frenchy
The unit is on an inside divide between two rooms. The divide has a linen closet in the end that faces to a hallway. I would say the wall/divide is 26-28 inches deep.
The fireplace takes the place of an entertainment center that was large enough and deep enough for a 52" TV and all related components that would include DVD player and stereo system. That's why the salesman thought I was nuts. They were to provide a wide screen and DVD player as part of the package. (40+ incher I believe)
The make up air.....I don't really know to be honest about it. I should know, huh?
The flue is fitted with a standard damper that you pull/push a lever for. Not designed too well, I have to say. In addition, there are the glass doors which stop drafts while embers/coals are cooling. You may also keep them closed while a fire is going and use the recirculating fan. I find the fan a tad too noisy and the heat output without it is decent.
The fireplace in our other home had no glass doors and the heat loss in the rest of the house was quite evident. I installed some a couple years after we were in the house. That house had both the fireplace and the woodstove I installed. Fireplace upstairs, woodstove downstairs. Split entry home with cathedral ceilings and daywalight walk out downstairs. It was large and drafty until I got busy with it over the years.
The new house is smaller and quite tight and comfortable. We are in a coastal climate with lots of winter dampness and high winds. It is all electric and the power bill is surprisingly modest. Overall, I'm very pleased.
...The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
oldbeachbum
Since it's on an interior wall at least you aren't like so many who put the fireplace on an outer wall.
Especially if it's a masonary fireplace.. those usually have no insulation whatever seperating the masonary from outside.. On cold days if the fire hasn't been on for a while you can put your hands on the bricks and feel just how much cold is being transfered indoors..
Add to that the heat lost up the chimney even with the damper closed and it's like leaving a window open. A very big window!
In answer to the question, "do inserts work as well as woodstoves"?...
We have an insert that was installed into an existing fireplace. It's a bit fussy to get going (neds small logs) but it heats very well. The insert has a fan built in that circulates air crom the room around the back of the insert and out again. Very efficient.
Plus, the small size gives me a place to store all of those dovetails I can't cut after I've read the article in Fine Woodworking...
"Honey, will you please make some sawdust and track it across the carpet?"
"Yes, dear..."
The room with the stove should have a firewood bin with a capacity of two days' worth of wood. This bin should be located on an exterior wall. The back of the bin should include an insulated, hinged door that opens to the exterior, the mudroom, or (ideally) the attached 6-cord woodshed. That way the bin can be filled from outside the house.
I included such a bin when I designed my house and I'm very glad I did.
>>>The back of the bin should include an insulated, hinged door that opens to the exterior, the mudroom, or (ideally) the attached 6-cord woodshed.That's a great idea. I had planned something similar but for various reasons we had to change the plans. I now settle for a wagon of wood parked on the deck and an exterior door right beside the stove. It's not quite as handy as your idea, but greatly reduces the amount of dirt brought in by wood.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
Scott,
I did the door "thing" and I highly recommend it....The unspoken word is capital. We can invest it or we can squander it. -Mark Twain...Be kind to your children....they will choose your nursing home....aim low boys, they're ridin' shetland ponies !!
>>>I did the door "thing" and I highly recommend it.I don't doubt it; but with the house design that we settled on the the stove is in a place that an interior wood hopper wouldn't fit; nor would the exterior hopper.I still think it's the preferred choice if your design scheme allows for it.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”
Just make sure you put a good lock on the firewood door. I got a call to install a lock on just such a door . Call came the day after the owners cash,guns and jewelry found their way out that door. Owners had assumed no one would possibly see that door or be small enough to fit through it.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
1. Proper installation
I guess maybe that's a good idea. From this week's Lincoln County (Maine) news:
Firefighters from six area towns battled a structure fire at the Miller home on East Pond Rd in Nobleboro Friday morning.
As firefighters began arriving on scene shortly after 9 a.m., light and dark shades of gray smoke issued skyward from the off-white colored house.
According to Nobleboro Fire Chief Mike Martin, the blaze was sparked by what appears to be an improperly installed wood stove. Martin said he did not know who installed the stove, adding the company was from out of the area.
"It was professionally installed," Martin said. "You just got to be careful about how you install it. It was metal on wood. The clearances just weren't what they should have been."
If I was a rich man or a fine home builder, I'd do it way different. I'd put the stove in a separate building. I'd pipe hot water in. Radiant heat with PEX tubing seems to me to eliminate so many problems.
Add a gas boiler for when you are out of wood, time or strength.
I'm scheming a way to build "pallets" the front end loader on the tractor could move from remote storage to the front porch. Load the pallet just one time.
My porch is four steps up from the wheel barrow access point. I've been contemplating a handi-crapper ramp too.
If you're talking about an outdoor wood boiler, they're expensive and VERY dirty.
They burn a lot on "idle", have low stacks so the smoke stays at window level (yours or your neighbor's) and emit as much particulate pollution as:
2 heavy-duty diesel trucks <!----><!----><!---->
12 EPA-certified indoor wood stoves <!----><!---->
45 passenger cars <!----><!---->
1,000 homes with oil heat <!----><!---->
1,800 homes with natural gas heat<!----><!---->
View Image
Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
You've pictured an outdoor model. That stove is in a "building."I want my building to be more like a garage. There has to be room in it to store at least a cord.I don't know all the details on the pollution created by wood heat. But if I understand correctly a tree that falls over and rots on the forest floor releases just as much co2 as one you burn.If one idles the stove I'm sure there's room for abuse. How green or wet is that wood? It kinda looks like it's fresh from the mill. Obviously the wood is not stored out of the rain. I'd like to see more of a panorama in the picture.I live within 30 minutes of ten saw mills. I'll bet there's red necks a plenty within 30 minutes of this stove.How about one adds some solar hot water panels? These panels might help in low demand periods. The panels could help with hot water production in the summer.In my travels the exhaust plume on them seldom looks like the one you've pictured. My guess would be this is something like a worse case scenario? Perhaps a greener model stove with more controls would burn cleaner. My guess is this stove was purchased with economy as a driving factor.BTW, I think taking diesel trucks off the hwy makes sense. When oil hits $200 a barrel, let's revisit this issue.Big Macs - 99 cents
Edited 2/24/2008 9:30 am by daFarmerDave
Actually, the outdoor boiler in the picture I pulled from the web is burning very cleanly - mostly water vapor.
The pollution numbers I posted, however, are not worse case but the average for this kind of stove - not EPA regulated or certified.
And the pollution is mostly particulate matter - a direct human health threat.
Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
In my travels this exhaust plum is the norm. I would say this one is running good. Many I have seen (or not seen do to smoke) blanket a small area with thick smoke. They need to require a taller stack.
Russell
"Welcome to my world"
Good suggestions all. My folks heated their drafty old Maine farmhouse with wood - 2 woodstoves with a K1 Toyo for backup. I wish we had your suggestions 35 or so years ago when they bought the place ........... would have saved some aggravation in the beginning. The only thing I'd add is to have good weatherization and insulation. I didn't mind cutting and splitting wood nor do my brothers but 10 to 12 cords a year is a lot.
Insulation is nearly always the best bang for buck. And it works year round.jt8
"A free society is a place where it's safe to be unpopular."-- Adlai Stevenson
The best "bang for your buck" is sealing leaks. Costs almost nothing.
Second is adding attic insulation.
Riversong HouseWright
Design * * Build * * Renovate * * ConsultSolar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
I put off buying the fan kit for my stove for a couple of years because it was $125 for a fan and speed controller.
I'm really sorry I did since it makes a huge difference in how much heat I can pull off the stove.
That's nice to know, thanks. This will be on my list for next Winter.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.”