Hello everyone, I'm a new member here and have been lurking your site for a while. Very happy I found it. A little history about me. I was turned on to the joy of cutting firewood in my late teens and early 20's. Burned wood for supplemental heat until I was 25. Through a series of career changes and lack of time, I moved away from wood heat. Now in my mid 50's, upcoming retirement (couple years), I'm back in the woods with a fervor. I can't believe how good it makes me feel and why in the hell I ever allowed myself to get away from cutting firewood. I don't currently burn wood for various reasons, but am hopeful through a series of posts and the advice from you folks, I can get back on track and burning again. I feel I have all the tools and already put up five cords of wood this past fall. My wood piles are at various stages of seasoning and I don't anticipate burning until next winter. Never too early to start planning. I have a very good supply of dead, standing and downed firewood. My stand consist of Walnut, Ash, Maple, Cherry, Red and White Elm, Basswood, random Oak and trash trees. Many Walnut tops left over from the last logging. If I may humbly presume, the list of items I am looking for advice and help from this group is the following: 1. I need advice on a semi-decorative stove for supplemental heat in the house and a small heat only stove for the workshop in the garage. I know nothing about EPA stoves or the current market. I also foresee a wood heat sauna in my future. ('cuz cutting woods makes a body ache....in a good way!) 2. How do I store "saleable" logs I have salvaged until the next timber harvest? 3. Filling my social and gadget needs. I'm a strong black coffee in the morning and Irish Whiskey by night guy. (Sometime midday they overlap with a good cigar). I enjoy Big10 basketball, football and am an avid duck hunter. Camaraderie and hard work in between has always been my mantra. I believe I have found the proper site for this. Thanks for allowing me to tag along, HD
Welcome to the house Holland Dell I think you will like it here. Sounds like you have a nice head start for your heat supply. Lots of options for stoves. I started with a used Quad 3100 step top but moved up to a Woodstock Ideal Steel and it is a beast. They have a large verity of stoves in all sizes and really stand behind their product.
Welcome aboard! I'm a fan of Jotul stoves for the look and performance. I suppose I'm partial because that what we use at our VT place. Fortunately for me, my wife also liked the look, so that made things a lot easier. Many of the cast stoves will have a bit more aesthetic detail to them. I'm sure you'll get some good feedback here!
Welcome aboard! Must be from down by the dells area? If the stove is on display, yeah, something easy to look at, I guess. If not, go with something functional and save a few bucks! Getting the firewood cut now for future use is the best plan. As you have already read, I'm sure, the splits should be three year dried for optimum performance of an epa stove. (Otherwise, you'll be chasing all kinds of slightly related fixes)
Welcome to the club. Lots of great folks here sharing knowledge and humor. Good you have a nice headstart on your hoard. A good choice for a smaller stove for the workshop might be a Drolet Blackcomb, good functional stove at a good price. Yes, check out Woodstock stoves for the artwork one. I've seen some nice member stoves on here.
Welcome to the site,sounds like your well on your way. Big can of worms you opened on info. on stoves. I would say you should find a stove dealer/showroom and see what's available. Good times ahead and good luck.
Welcome to FHC Holland Dell .... For a wood shop Englander NC-30.... Would make a excellent heater, good fan base and very reasonable in the wallet...
Welcome to FHC Holland Dell ! I see you're a Sconnie as well. Do you have any black locust by you? That's great firewood that many forget about. Getting the wood started before the stove is a great way to succeed.
Hello and welcome Glad you joined us. Great bunch of folks here! Best way to store logs is off the ground propped up usually on logs placed perpendicular. If you buck to length and leave them "in the round" stack the same. Ive done that in my woods even going as far as splitting and letting them season there. Top covering rounds or splits doesnt hurt if left.
Welcome to the forum Holland Dell. First off I wish to congratulate you for getting wood now, before it is needed! If more folks would do that, we'd have a lot more wood burners in homes and they would be happy rather than all the problems that are caused from burning, or trying to burn green wood. For a more in depth look at this you might find some good reading at this link: Primer on Woodburning by Backwoods Savage On the stoves, it is difficult recommending any stove as we do not know what your heating needs are, like home size, how well insulated, is it easy to move heat in the home, chimney, etc, etc. However, you would be hard pressed to beat a Woodstock stove and for the big heaters you would look at the Progress and Ideal Steel which are both hybrid stoves which means they burn super clean and super long burning as they extract the maximum amount of btus from the wood while even burning the smoke! Also there is the Blaze King stoves that are big and noted for long burning. On a cheaper stove for the workshop, perhaps an Englander would suit you as they are more low cost but still decent heaters. Good luck.
Welcome Holland Dell. Not having a stove yet is probably the fastest way to get to a 3 year plan. Knowing what amount you'll burn each year would help but that can be adjusted as you go. Properly seasoned wood is the key to getting the most out of your efforts. You will likely be very surprised what some of the newer woodstoves can do and of course the prices compared to when you used to burn. Lots of very knowledgeable folks here. Take your time and do your research when picking a stove.
Welcome Holland Dell , Looks like you have a good handle on the wood end of things. Can't help you on the stove as we have had ours for many years and I have not kept up on the newest models. From your info, you will fit in easily here! Scoot your chair closer to the club fire, pour some whiskey and let's have a chat!
Welcome@Holland Dell , Glad to have you aboard! Sounds like you've already won the biggest wood burning battle by simply planning for dry firewood, well done. The rest falls into place pretty readily after that. As was stated above, shop/look at stove options & plan ahead. After the time of installation you'll be happy for a long time.
Indeed, you've found the right place. Welcome to the club, Holland Dell ! Many here like the Woodstock Soapstone stoves, including me. The Fireview is a very nice little stove that's good looking and super efficient. Installed on the main level should be a great addition to a small or medium sized house, Or in a basement family room for supplemental heat. The Ideal Steel or Progress Hybrid would be better suited to heat 100% or in a large house. I moved up from the Fireview to the IS because heating from the basement is difficult.
and there's that. WS has the best customer service around. Many here have been to their factory and open houses. Great people.
Check your insurance carrier a lot of them don’t allow wood stoves in the garage, but they were in the shop. A lot of that depends on whether not you have a garage door which makes no sense. Welcome to the FHC
