Seems every year I have just enough wood for that year. Problem is it’s only usually about 12 months seasoned. I know 2-3 year seasoned would be much better. I just can’t seem to get ahead enough to get on a 3 year plan. I’m burning about 7-8 full cords/yr. and process all my own wood, usually from tree to splits. The stove is older and is in the basement, so to get the heat up 1 and 2 flights, it needs to be big and throw a lot of heat. I had a newer stove before, but it just didn’t have the capability. I’m sure a same level stove would be better, but there’s Nowhere on the first floor to put a stove. I’m debating burning oil for a year so I can maybe get ahead. Doesn’t help that I work full time, and my teenage son just spend 5 weeks in the hospital. So nothings been done since mid December. Any advice?
I'm sure there's a number of members that try to show up and assist. I probably would. I've benefitted from efforts of other members. I'd be happy to extend efforts to others.
Does your stove have a flue damper? $20 to add one. When I did, a lot less heat went up the chimney and my burning was reduced by 10-15% at least. How well insulated are your basement walls? I’d rather throw money at insulation than heating oil. I plan to install foam insulation on the outside of my concrete foundation at some point to moderate the temperatures in the basement. That would also allow me to heat my basement without losing a ton of heat through the walls. If your basement isn’t finished, stack as much wood as you can inside to lower the moisture content faster by taking advantage of the low indoor relative humidity in the winter months..
I was thinking the same as Midwinter I'm also thinking about getting a tri-axle load of logs delivered this year. Quicker to process the logs, cut & split... as compared to felling, delimbing, cutting to size, transporting, then splitting. Of course there's still stacking as well.
The house was built in 93’. I bought it in 2011. Finished the upstairs with open cell spray foam in walls and roofline. Existing 1st floor has R13 fiberglass in walls. Windows are original Anderson’s with the exception of the window seat windows which were new Harvey .25’s I installed 2-3 years ago. 2 of the 3 doors are new. Hoping to do the French double door this year. Outside has new vinyl siding over 1/2” foam. Wish I had done all new windows and blown in insulation on the first floor, but not enough money. I do all my own house projects so finding time can be as tough as finding money, never seem to have both at the same time. I use a lot of wood, but my wife likes it in the mid 70’s. If it weren’t for that I wouldn’t burn a lot of the days.
If you guys are serious about a get together, let me know and I’ll organize it. I have 21 acres with plenty of parking. It’d be cool to meet different members and try out each other’s toys. I have multiple tractors, 4 saws, a Supersplit, trailers, and would cook tons of food. What time of year?
What kind of oil heat? Forced hot air or boiler? Any way to put vents in floor to help move heat upstairs.
May or June? Whenever mud wouldn't be a problem. What part of MA? Maybe we could entice buZZsaw BRAD...
Burning less than optimal firewood can be like living paycheck to paycheck. If the price of HHO keeps dropping relying on it might not be such a bizarre plan. But that depends on where you are. On the coast HHO can be reasonable. Further inland quite a bit of transportation and storage costs get tacked on along with multiple middleman profits as well. Any dead standing that can be targeted ?
The domestic water is from a Toyotomi oil miser, which is an on demand water heater. The baseboard heat comes from a Well McLain boiler. I had a grate in the living room floor, but the wife hated it.
Thank you. He got out of the rehab facility this past Wednesday. Had an brain anuresym Dec 18. He’s doing much better.
Set it up, I’d drag my splitter over and bring a saw or two. Even if it’s not a full blown GTG, let me know when you could use a hand.
Tri-axel of logs, some to drop trees, a couple on the tractors to haul logs to processing area, a couple to buck the logs, a couple to split. Sounds like a GTG to me. The couple we have been to, people would start showing up Thursday evening. Whoever was there Friday morning, after breakfast would get started. As more showed up, they would join in. Saturday would be main work day. Sunday most would head home. Everybody would bring dishes to share. Trust me, you would have more to eat than you know what to do with. Always had a fire going from the start and never went out till after everybody said bye. Family's welcome along with their dogs.
As mentioned ,,, damper in stove pipe. Leave basement door open. If stove is near basement wall I’d get a couple sheets of poly styrene or insulboard with the reflective coating and put on wall behind stove with proper clearance. This will keep the heat being sucked out the blocks behind stove. Fans in rooms farthest away from basement door blowing cool air towards door. Cool air will naturally sink and push the warm air up. I’ll get poopoo’d for this but it works. You could install an old furnace blower on the vent you talked about forcing the cold air into basement and hot air up stairwell. It doesn’t meet code but it works awesome. Unfortunately basement wells are heat sucks. These are a couple cheap ways to get the heat upstairs and not out the walls
Hi all... Spent a lot of time reading thru this forum and this is exactly why it’s such a great place... I would be honored to participate in this GTG... I can bring a couple saws and pitch in where I can This is what’s its all about - lending a hand when you can I’ll be keeping an eye on this thread and look forward to learning a lot... let’s make this happen...? —bob
