What got ya started burning wood for heat?

[VW Splitter]

Always loved poking a campfire. At age 18, living at home, a big 5' oak tree fell in our yard. I went out and purchased the biggest saw i could afford, a Lumbard AP42. About 70cc saw and a 20" bar. If the tree hadn't been, hollow I never could have cut it up. Marred at 21 in 1981, and built a house with a free standing Englander wood stove. No turning back, that same stove has been 99.8% of our heat for the last 36 years and still burning. About 10 years ago I rigged it up to heat our hot water also. I love to beat the power company out of the money, enjoy the cheep heat, operating the saw, and the splitter. Wouldn't have it any other way. Will be playing this game as long as the good Lord allows.

 

[sundance]

Bought the house in '81. Had a fireplace which was actually fairly efficient. Put in a woodstove in '99 ((Y2K?). Been burning it ever since. About 3 cords for a heating season in a small house of 1200 sq ft.

 

[Cody]

My parents moved out the to acreage I currently live on shortly after I was born. At the time it was an old trailer house that had an enclosed deck built onto the backside of it, and there sat an old woodstove. Heat was blown into the dining/kitchen area and fans were used to disperse the heat throughout the house. In the late 90's we had a premanufactured home put up on a full basement and with that came a furnace and central air. They moved in to town 10 years or so ago so I took over duties out here.

I guess you can say I was raised cutting/splitting wood, when I was young I can remember running the splitter valve. Dad did it all with an 044 with a 25" bar. In the early 2000's we had to help an uncle heat his house and we were able to cut up a ton of dead elm and get to him that year. In return he handed over a Homelite 330 and I cut a fair amount of wood for campfires not having a real clue what I was doing. After mom and dad moved to town I thought I'd ask dad to cut wood as something to do, and an excuse for him to still be out here but that didn't go so hot, his and I relation isn't the greatest. With out this site I never would have gotten into the saws that I got into, nor had the knowledge. Was able to do research and purchased a Drolet wood stove through the local Menards, cut a hole in the ceiling and that's that. The previous winter I had to replace the igniter and gas valve in the gas furnace and got the wrong gas valve so it didn't operate correctly. Between that, and getting tired of hearing it kick on so much, it was a no brainer. We now have the windows open more in the winter time than any other season, and also have an old Schweiss wood stove in the garage that does pretty good. I'm nearly 5-6 years ahead on wood for the house, and nearly 2 years ahead for the garage. It's hard to gauge wood use in the garage, and I'm constantly looking to replace it even though it works quite well. With the saws in my signature I've started taking down trees for anyone who asks unless I'm not confident about it.

To be honest, I think it was mostly this forum that led me to where I'm at with cutting wood.

 

[Little Al]

Necessity no other form of heating in the house only other system would be "leccy" & the cost is a NO NO The joys of very rural living in France but wouldn't change

 

[rarefish383]

When I was still toddling around, my Dad said, "Boy, put some wood on the fire", and that's all I got to say about that!

 

[woodsplitta]

My Dad heated with wood when I was a kid and I always helped with "wood chores" and always enjoyed it. I remeber being about 8 yrs old and he asked me one night if I could haul some wood into the basement after school the next day cuz he had to work late and a big snow storm was coming. I couldn't wait to get home and start hauling, daydreamed about it all day at school and when I got home got after it. I was skinny and lanky weighing about 70 lbs and pushing a half loaded wheel barrow got tiring but I was driven to stock pile as much wood into the basement as posssible since the storm predictions called for a blockbuster. The next morning we woke up to lots of snow and Dad told me he was amazed at the amount I had put up. Must of had a few cord piled up in the woodroom all the way up to the rafters. I felt real good about having all that wood piled nice and dry and saved my Dad some work having to deal with the snow and cold if I hadn't done it. I loved the heat and the feeling of self reliance and the pride in working to provide for the good of the family. Moved out at 20 yrs old and rented a place with a gas space heater and did not give wood heat much thought for 10 years. Wife and I went looked at a place for sale as we were ready to buy our own house and as we toured the basement I spotted a wood stove down there. The house was oil forced hot air heat but soon after buying it I was heating it with wood.I remeber stoking the stove before bed and in the morning hearing the furnace kick on. That got me out of bed faster than anything.... hated the sound of the furance kicking on... ran down and got the stove fired up. I've gone through a few stoves since then but still heat mostly with wood heat. I burned about 250 gals of oil since 1998 and last time I bought oil it was 85.9 cents per gal. I am currently sitting on 3 years of firewood and can't seem to stop considering more scrounging although I am more selective. I am an addict but I love it! Thought by now I would be sick of all the work and bother but I am not.... to 40 more years!

 

[unclemoustache]

Dad had a fireplace that didn't work well, so he put in a stove insert. That worked much better, and he did things to help keep the heat in that room. We would go firewooding with him (2 bros and me) and enjoyed it. He did most of the work, we just played around. I'm surprised he didn't make us work more. I sure as heck make my own kids work!

He did all the splitting, although I remember going out a few times to split just for fun.

My 2nd house with the wife had a fireplace. I tried to put in a stove insert, but it didn't fit. It was free and heavy! We did some burning in the fireplace, but it didn't do much good.

3rd house (bought 20 years ago, still here) I put in a stove, and when I built the addition, I specifically planned for a stove with a back wall and floor space of tile.

We burn about 4 cords a year, and kids do their fair share of the work. We're almost done moving all the split wood from my shop over to the house. I need about another 2/3 cord.

 

[James Miller]

I started working with wood heat about 15 years ago when I met my wife. Be for that I don' know if I ever picked up a saw. About 3 years ago I took over all the firewood duties from my FIL. Don't know if I could live in a place without some kind of wood burner.

 

[dave_dj1]

A long long time ago when I was 13 years old (about 74) and my father had shoulder surgery and we had 6 kids and a "total electric" newer home that we couldn't afford to pay the light bill. At that time "total electric" was the way of the future, still not a bargain in the cold northeast. I cut and split and hauled to keep the house warm. When they built the house in 69 they had a large potbelly stove in the middle of the house to keep warm while working on it. I wish we still had that old stove.

 

[Tiewire]

Money!!! Or a lack of it. Burned wood when I was a Kid, and in my first house that was my only heat. Gas heat for next 9 years and built a new house in 2000 and 80% heat with wood since. I also mostly enjoy it!

 

[olyman]

expensive heat gas bill one month!!!!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

We bought our house in 1989 and there was an upright Godin top loader stove in the family room. I remember us saying "we'll probably never even use that". There were about 10 pieces of wood just laying on the ground in the backyard so Fall/Winter of '89 I figured I'd give it a try, and I was addicted BIG TIME!!!! Thank God that old stove was there or I don't know if I ever would have gotten into it, and would've spent MUCH more money on heating oil over the years!!

Great thread by the way!

 

[Little Al]

We bought our house in 1989 and there was an upright Godin top loader stove in the family room. I remember us saying "we'll probably never even use that". There were about 10 pieces of wood just laying on the ground in the backyard so Fall/Winter of '89 I figured I'd give it a try, and I was addicted BIG TIME!!!! Thank God that old stove was there or I don't know if I ever would have gotten into it, and would've spent MUCH more money on heating oil over the years!!

Great thread by the way!

You are in Div1 in wood stoves with the Godin at least, here in France (where they are made ) best sellers & parts still available for the stoves made getting on a hundred years ago

 

[Marley5]

Very similar to a lot of folks here.....simply grew up with wood stoves.
The old farmhouse we grew up in was cold and drafty so we burnt a lot of wood.

As they say.....those were the good ole days.

 

[alleyyooper]

AW YES THE GOOD OLD DAYS. Got our family together several times to cut fire wood. Our family mom dad and us boys would go to the woods and we boys were falling trees with double bit axes mostly Maples 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Mom and dad would cut them to about 8' 10feet and make small pile. then we would wrap a chain around the bunch and skid them to the buzz pile. Along about mid Oct dads brother and his family would come. The men and boys went to the woods and buzzed fire wood til 2 grain wagons were over flowing with fire wood and two 3/4 ton pick ups were full.
Go back to the house with the loads and the boys 3 of us got to unload them into the wood shed.
After a huge dinner (midday meal at home to you city slickers) That the women and girls were working on while we were gone.

Once dinner was finished we went back to the buzz pile and filled two more wagon and PU trucks with loads. Back at the house again we unloaded my uncles pick up first so they could drive home and do evening farm chores.

Next week end we would go to the uncles farm and buzz wood there.

Man I do remember thoise huge dinners, there was fried chicken, stewed chicken rolled out home made egg noddles, Green beans, peas and potatoes dumplins and corn to name some of the stuff.

Mom always made suet pudding, Gawd that sauce was so rich.





Al

 

[Erik B]

AW YES THE GOOD OLD DAYS. Got our family together several times to cut fire wood. Our family mom dad and us boys would go to the woods and we boys were falling trees with double bit axes mostly Maples 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Mom and dad would cut them to about 8' 10feet and make small pile. then we would wrap a chain around the bunch and skid them to the buzz pile. Along about mid Oct dads brother and his family would come. The men and boys went to the woods and buzzed fire wood til 2 grain wagons were over flowing with fire wood and two 3/4 ton pick ups were full.
Go back to the house with the loads and the boys 3 of us got to unload them into the wood shed.
After a huge dinner (midday meal at home to you city slickers) That the women and girls were working on while we were gone.

Once dinner was finished we went back to the buzz pile and filled two more wagon and PU trucks with loads. Back at the house again we unloaded my uncles pick up first so they could drive home and do evening farm chores.

Next week end we would go to the uncles farm and buzz wood there.

Man I do remember thoise huge dinners, there was fried chicken, stewed chicken rolled out home made egg noddles, Green beans, peas and potatoes dumplins and corn to name some of the stuff.

Mom always made suet pudding, Gawd that sauce was so rich.





Al

The dinners you remember sound like the dinners that farm wives would put on for threshing crews.
Great food and lots of it

 

[loadthestove]

Wife and I both grew up in homes heated with wood/coal stoves.
I have a natural gas furnace on first floor and heat pump upstairs.
We use our stove to supplement those and it saves us a bundle on hearing cost.
I also like the fact that I'm not dependent on someone else to heat my home
A few years back an ice storm took out many of the power lines in my area.we we're without power for 7 days .
Wood heat kept us plenty warm and I didn't have the aftermath of dealing with frozen pipes like several around here did

 

[gunny100]

In 2008 we bought the house we are in now. About the same time a very industrious friend was telling me about building his own OWB. I thought he was crazy and that it would never work.

Fast forward a year - propane cost was quite high and we paid a few thousand dollars to heat the house. Tried to augment with the fireplace and a blower with little effect. Then he says he did not spend 1 penny heating with propane using his shiny new OWB. Suddenly he didn't seem so crazy.

So... time to get the welder out. Designed, built, and installed it for less than the cost of propane the first year. Since then it has been money in my pocket every year.

Neighbor was talking last week of contacting the gas company to inquire about installing natural gas on our private road. It's going in all around us but at least 750 feet of pipe to get to our house. Told him that I'm probably not interested (might have jumped at it in 2009.)

I grew up in a house with natural gas and never even had so much as a fireplace before. I have been accused of being a bit of a pyro though...

 

[gunny100]

I got starterd burning wood because my grand pal did
i like the smell of fresh split wood
love the smell when burning the wood
i cut all the wood i can get for free any kind but pine

 

[GrizzlyAdams86]

When my family moved out to the country in 1989 (I was 3) my parents bought a early 70's trailer house with the swanky faux wood wall paneling and disco carpets that despite your best efforts to winterize was still as airtight as a corncrib. The house only had a noisy old fuel oil furnace that we would have needed an oil well to keep running all winter. So we added a 15x20 mud room over the front door and put in a good sized wood stove. Dad at the time hauled logs so getting wood was not a problem. But by the late 90's dad got a different job and had quit hauling logs and sold his truck. By then we got a better house with a gas furnace. Since then I haven't had a place with wood heat. Eventually I would like to have a place with wood heat, indoor or outside stove.