New member, possible new stove

Just found this site from a search. I've dabbled in the "other" site from time to time and thought I'd see what new info could be learned over here.

My wife and I sold our house along with our Hearthstone Clydesdale insert. We close on our new house at the end of February. We have plenty of work to do first, but the stove will hopefully happen this year. We have a fireplace, but I plan to install a freestanding stove in the center of the house once we remove some walls. After years of reading, looking, talking to other owners, I was convinced I was going to try a Blaze King this time. I'm not ruling it out, but the prices are telling me differently. King is too much stove, Princess and King styling are not either of our preferred looks, but we love the Ashford 30. After calling around I'm second guessing that. Prices were $3000 and up. So I started reading again and all the Ideal Steel hype had me looking closer at Woodstock. I've read a million "Backwoods Savage" posts so I'm familiar with the Fireview. When I was last doing much reading the Progress Hybrid was taking off. Love the looks of the PH, price is rough for me. I'm cheap but like nice things. That usually means buying used for me and you never see Woodstock stoves for sale, at least not often.

So back to the Ideal Steel. I just haven't convinced myself to like it. The styling to me is just not what I want. Price is awesome and function seems to be outstanding. I kept reading, looking, comparing, and then comes the Absolute Steel. Still not my style, I like the alderlea, jotul, VC look, but my wife and I agree that we like the looks of the "wildwood" version. My wife loves artsy type stuff and the overlay really caught her eye. That leads us to where we are now...still looking! I look forward to reading and bouncing questions off you guys. Hopefully we find something that fits our needs and wants. With Woodstocks sale it may just be an Ideal Steel. We need to own the house before those commitments happen.

The new house, 1100 square foot ranch, full basement partially finished. Built in the 50's, brick, uninsulated walls, newer Windows and the attic will be 22" deep of blown in once we get in. The plan is put an addition off the back to "L" shape the ranch with a master suite. The floor plan at that point will be quite open and compact, but around 1550 sq ft. I feel a stove suitable for 1500-1700 square feet would be adequate. Southwest Ohio with a cold climate but not Minnesota cold by any means. When we had the Clydesdale we did heat full time when we could. One winter we never turned the boiler on, we had radiant in floor heat on a slab house.

 

Welcome to FHC
I'm sure we all will be eager to see where your search for the right stove leads you!

 

I would initially look at spending money on insulating what you can. That is the best bang for your buck. Although energy costs have gone down recently, they will historically continue to go up and it doesn't matter what you heat with, you need the best insulation you can get.

Other than that you need to decide what you want to get out of heating with wood. Will it be mostly ambiance? will it be supplemental or whole house heating? What frequency is best for you to reload the stove?

Lots of other questions to answer

 

Don't discount the ideal steel until you see one in person.

 

Welcome fortydegnorth, glad to have aboard. after reading your post.. I was in your boat. Listening to Dennis is a heck of a good start! Let us know what you finally decide!

 

Oh yeah and start getting wood cut split and stacked now. Or even buy a cord and let it start seasoning or you're not gonna be a happy stove owner come next winter.

 

Welcome to the FHC family! You're among friends here.

 

Welcome to FHC fortydegnorth ... when you get ready to take out those walls for the woodstove, a chainsaw works perty fast... ...

 

Welcome aboard fortydegnorth .
Did I read correctly that the house is brick with no insulation?
Good idea to start insulating the attic, but don't forget air sealing everything first. Close up even the smallest holes where there are wire penetrations, exhaust vents, chimney, etc.
Get the walls insulated.... Backwoods Savage can give some info on that process, as can at least one other on here.
Try to remember that a stove is really an investment. That cost bump to what is really the one that works best in your house is minor in the long haul, as the stove will last for many years, if not decades. Obviously, this is totally dependent on budget, but stretch it if you can.
Lots of questions to be asked and answered.
Oh, and I was VERY close to stretching our budget when I got our 30NC, when I really wanted either the Ashford 30 or Sirocco 30.

 

We haven't closed on the house yet, so I'm not positive about insulation. I know the attic is lacking but I'll blow in a ton of insulation up there. I always do with my houses. Yes, the house is brick, built in 1956. Most brick houses in that size, around the area, built in the 50's, do not have wall insulation. They may have some 1/2" thick fiber board but that's all. Our last house was the same way, but 1486 sq ft, insulated attic and new Windows. The Clydesdale kept it in the 70's for almost 6 years, through mild and nasty winters. I seal up what I can, but I don't plan to insulate any existing walls that aren't in the path of destruction. To me blowing insulation in a wall is not that productive. It settles to about half the wall height after a few years. The addition will be very well insulated but the rest will have to do.

 

Buy the stove you want, 1k or so more figured over 20 years is nothing.

 

Yep, that was what I was trying to say.

You're thinking of the loose cellulose. The new foam blown won't do that.

 

I have a T6 and a Progress Hybrid you can check out and play with. I am about an hour and fifeteen minutes from you. Send me a message if you want to check them out. Let me know if you want ribs, pulled pork or smoked chicken for lunch.

 

That is an offer I'd be very interested in. We are crazy busy the next few weeks, but once we get all this house buying stuff locked up I may take you up on that offer. I know I'd appreciate seeing a couple stoves in person to compare. Very generous!

 

I'd opt for the ribs.......

 

You didn't say what you wanted for lunch so maybe I'll go for lunch and you can come look at the stoves at dessert time.
Welcome aboard 40north

 

Our first nomination for the "Post of the Year" award. This is why we hang out here!