New wood stove help

[mysteryman896]

My wife and I have a 4500 sq foot old farm house, the 2nd story ceiling is well insulated and the first floor has gotten new windows and 2 doors. (still 2 more that need done) We have a OWB that currently heats the house but doesnt cut it in the kitchen/ living room area due to there not being enough radiators. I plan on eventually redoing that once I start remodeling the house but that will be down the road.

The previous owner used to have a wood stove in the kitchen and I'd like to put another one in. I'd like to get something that looks nice so even if we don't use the stove 24/7 it's still a nice accent piece to the kitchen. It will go in what used to be the old cook oven back in the 1800's. We are fond of the cast models mostly due to aesthetics.

The OWB is technically large enough to heat the whole house so it is an issue with a cold basement/crawl space with no insulation aswell as the small style radiators in those rooms.

I am looking for input on brands of stoves you guys would recommend. The only wood burning experience I have is the OWB but my wife grew up heating their house with wood. Does the new cat and some of the other technology work better for the 24/7 burner rather than the 1 fire a day or maybe even less? Id hate to spend tons of money on a wood stove and have constant issues with the new high tech stoves due to not using it constantly.

Sorry for the long post, the only stove we have actually looked at was the Napoleon 1600C. Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

[stihly dan]

The woodstock soap stone is a nice stove, pretty too.

 

[MotorSeven]

Wow...4500 sq ft? That's going to be a challenge for any wood stove or OWB. You mentioned basement/crawl space....which is it or is it a combination of both? I don't think I would do anything stove-wise until the insulation areas are addressed or you may end up with rooms that are too hot.

If you have the money, think about having a company spray on foam insulation on the basement walls. The stuff is expensive, but it is by far the best insulation money can buy.

 

[showrguy]

why not go with radiant floor heat on the 1st floor rooms since you allready have a great source for hot water ??
what kind of burner do you have ??

 

[cheeves]

My wife and I have a 4500 sq foot old farm house, the 2nd story ceiling is well insulated and the first floor has gotten new windows and 2 doors. (still 2 more that need done) We have a OWB that currently heats the house but doesnt cut it in the kitchen/ living room area due to there not being enough radiators. I plan on eventually redoing that once I start remodeling the house but that will be down the road.

The previous owner used to have a wood stove in the kitchen and I'd like to put another one in. I'd like to get something that looks nice so even if we don't use the stove 24/7 it's still a nice accent piece to the kitchen. It will go in what used to be the old cook oven back in the 1800's. We are fond of the cast models mostly due to aesthetics.

The OWB is technically large enough to heat the whole house so it is an issue with a cold basement/crawl space with no insulation aswell as the small style radiators in those rooms.

I am looking for input on brands of stoves you guys would recommend. The only wood burning experience I have is the OWB but my wife grew up heating their house with wood. Does the new cat and some of the other technology work better for the 24/7 burner rather than the 1 fire a day or maybe even less? Id hate to spend tons of money on a wood stove and have constant issues with the new high tech stoves due to not using it constantly.

Sorry for the long post, the only stove we have actually looked at was the Napoleon 1600C. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Two big Tempwoods!! IMHO best woodstove ever made, and they're making them again! Used one since the oil embargo of the early 70's!!

 

[mysteryman896]

Wow...4500 sq ft? That's going to be a challenge for any wood stove or OWB. You mentioned basement/crawl space....which is it or is it a combination of both? I don't think I would do anything stove-wise until the insulation areas are addressed or you may end up with rooms that are too hot.

If you have the money, think about having a company spray on foam insulation on the basement walls. The stuff is expensive, but it is by far the best insulation money can buy.

It is a combo, about half the house has a basement and then there are two wings on either side of the basements that are just small crawl spaces. I know its smart to do insulation first but I was hoping to avoid having to do anything twice, since we are a few years away from starting any major remodels I wanted to hold off until then. I see your point about it making more sense to do it now though.

why not go with radiant floor heat on the 1st floor rooms since you allready have a great source for hot water ??
what kind of burner do you have ??

When we remodel I have kicked around the idea of going radiant in the floor and probably will. The basement is currently so screwed up with piping and wires going everywhere I think that needs taken care of first though. I have a CB 2300 dual fuel although I have never hooked up the propane. We are on out 5th winter I think, this year I plan on finally hooking up the propane to it but I hope to not ever use it. My dad and I built a nice size garage a few years back and put radiant in that floor and I love it!

Two big Tempwoods!! IMHO best woodstove ever made, and they're making them again! Used one since the oil embargo of the early 70's!!

I will have to check them out, thanks.

My wife and I also just kind of like the idea of having a wood stove in the house, both as a nice piece to take up some otherwise wasted space in the old cook over, as well as a source of blasting heat in the kitchen/ living room area. The family room has a propane fireplace with a fan on it and I find my wife using it way to much for my liking, I would like to be able to keep the propane man away for 3 or more years at a time but at this rate he will be coming every year and a half.

Thanks for the slap in the face a little, I know insulation is smart and probably should spend the money on that instead of a wood stove but if I were to do BOTH Id love to hear more about stoves you guys would recommend.

 

[FLHX Storm]

MysteryMan: Take a look at your local Tractor Supply Company (TSC) Their prices are a lot cheaper than the big box stores. Another area to check is CraigsList. But before you do, figure out the size area you want to heat as in square footage. Then go the next step up for the size stove. AND, if you pick up a cheap one and find one that is more suitable to your tastes, you could sell the cheap one on CraigsList and get your money back. (use big box store pricing and cut it in half instead of using the price you actually paid cut by half)
Popular Searches at Tractor Supply Co.

 

[mysteryman896]

I have been keeping my eye on Craigslist but have not found anything to our liking just yet. I am not in a hurry either so that plays to my advantage. We tend to like the way the cast iron and soapstone ones look so I'm not sure we would find what we want at a big box store anyway.

 

[Fyrebug]

Really good brands in Cast Iron is Jotul - made in Norway, gorgeous and reasonalby priced. Home - Jøtul

Soapstone: Hearthstone HearthStone wood and gas-fired stoves and fireplace inserts - Home | Hearthstone Stoves They are absolutely beautiful and nice talking point in a house.

Nice things about soapstone and cast iron - due to their mass they provide a nice even heat. Both these brands are also high-efficiencies.

With all due respect to Tractor Supply they sell made in China stoves (US Stoves & Vogelzang) are plate steel and designed for a cheap price point. That doesnt seem to be your goal here.

Best time to go buy a stove is right about now... Dealers are trying to unload inventory to make room for their summer stuff. You should have a few Jotul / Hearthstone dealer in PA. Are you near Pittsburgh? I can make some recommendations.

 

[mysteryman896]

Really good brands in Cast Iron is Jotul - made in Norway, gorgeous and reasonalby priced. Home - Jøtul

Soapstone: Hearthstone HearthStone wood and gas-fired stoves and fireplace inserts - Home | Hearthstone Stoves They are absolutely beautiful and nice talking point in a house.

Nice things about soapstone and cast iron - due to their mass they provide a nice even heat. Both these brands are also high-efficiencies.

With all due respect to Tractor Supply they sell made in China stoves (US Stoves & Vogelzang) are plate steel and designed for a cheap price point. That doesnt seem to be your goal here.

Best time to go buy a stove is right about now... Dealers are trying to unload inventory to make room for their summer stuff. You should have a few Jotul / Hearthstone dealer in PA. Are you near Pittsburgh? I can make some recommendations.

Yea I am definitely looking for something more of a talking point stove that also works very well. I have looked a little at both Jotul and the Hearthstone stuff. There are a few down in Maryland on craigslist that I have spotted. I am just east of Harrisburg but thanks for the offer. I have not had a chance to see any in person other than a Napoleon 1600C and I really wasn't all that impressed.

There is a floor model, never burned Hearthstone Heritage in matte black for $2k. I also found a used Hearthstone of an unknown model for $600 that is clearly a smaller stove from the pictures. Im sure that one would need gone over real well.

 

[Fyrebug]

Yea I am definitely looking for something more of a talking point stove that also works very well. I have looked a little at both Jotul and the Hearthstone stuff. There are a few down in Maryland on craigslist that I have spotted. I am just east of Harrisburg but thanks for the offer. I have not had a chance to see any in person other than a Napoleon 1600C and I really wasn't all that impressed.

There is a floor model, never burned Hearthstone Heritage in matte black for $2k. I also found a used Hearthstone of an unknown model for $600 that is clearly a smaller stove from the pictures. Im sure that one would need gone over real well.

Well... there's a really good Hearthstone dealer in Altoona. Heating World in Loretto PA. He's got the best prices on Hearthstone I've seen. Tell them Bert from SBI sent you. He's worth the drive. He's got one burning on the floor.

PS. I have no affiliation with Hearthstone or Jotul. I'm in the industry and those are two brands I would put in my house.

 

[mysteryman896]

Well... there's a really good Hearthstone dealer in Altoona. Heating World in Loretto PA. He's got the best prices on Hearthstone I've seen. Tell them Bert from SBI sent you. He's worth the drive. He's got one burning on the floor.

PS. I have no affiliation with Hearthstone or Jotul. I'm in the industry and those are two brands I would put in my house.

thanks for the Input and I will certainly consider going up to him.

A few others my wife and I like the looks of are; Hudson River Catskill, and the Regency Hampton H300.

Vermont Castings has some nice looking stoves but I think I have read on here that they arent as good as they used to be. thoughts?

Also IDK anything about the cat or no cat stoves, and obviously there are advocates of both, but which would be better for me if down the road I'm not burning with is daily?

 

[Fyrebug]

Dont know about Hudson River... Not well known

Also, Regency is not known for their cast iron. So-so.

Definitely stay away from Vermont Casting. They have been in big financial trouble for the past 5 years. Many users complain of poor product, poor service, expensive parts etc... Last week VC put themselves up for sales. If you want the peace of mind a company will be there for you tomorrow... VC is not it.

Cat vs non-cat... You just started a war! It depends. Cat stoves are more expensive, Slightly fussier to operate and the window does not keep clean. If you dont operate them properly you pooch the catalyst and set yourself back a few hundreds. On the plus side it provides long even burn. A favourite with serious wood burner (the 24/7 type).

Non-cat are more forgiving, less expensive but they burn faster/hotter. A typical burn time is 8 hours (from secondaries kicking in until enough coals to re-ignition). The bigger the fire box the longer the burn. However, as mentioned earlier with a cast and especially soapstone stove you mitigate the shorter burn with thermal mass which provides for longer softer heat release.

Hope this helps.

 

[stihly dan]

The woodstock soapstone has a stove with both a cat and overfire. They have been in stoves for over 100 yrs.

 

[mysteryman896]

Dont know about Hudson River... Not well known

Also, Regency is not known for their cast iron. So-so.

Definitely stay away from Vermont Casting. They have been in big financial trouble for the past 5 years. Many users complain of poor product, poor service, expensive parts etc... Last week VC put themselves up for sales. If you want the peace of mind a company will be there for you tomorrow... VC is not it.

Cat vs non-cat... You just started a war! It depends. Cat stoves are more expensive, Slightly fussier to operate and the window does not keep clean. If you dont operate them properly you pooch the catalyst and set yourself back a few hundreds. On the plus side it provides long even burn. A favourite with serious wood burner (the 24/7 type).

Non-cat are more forgiving, less expensive but they burn faster/hotter. A typical burn time is 8 hours (from secondaries kicking in until enough coals to re-ignition). The bigger the fire box the longer the burn. However, as mentioned earlier with a cast and especially soapstone stove you mitigate the shorter burn with thermal mass which provides for longer softer heat release.

Hope this helps.

That help a lot thanks!!!!

So it sure sounds like I will want to go non-cat. Even if I did want to burn 24/7 with it during the coldest part of the season its semi normal for me to be gone for work 10-13 hrs a day, so most stoves will have burnt out. With being new to burning with a woodstove I would hate to screw up a cat or two before I got the hang of it.

I like the longer thermal heat that the soapstone claims.

 

[mysteryman896]

The woodstock soapstone has a stove with both a cat and overfire. They have been in stoves for over 100 yrs.

They have some nice looking stoves, thanks.

 

[mysteryman896]

Are the Hearthstone Stoves that are cast have a good reputation or mainly just the soapstone ones?

 

[Fyrebug]

You cant go wrong with either Hearthstone or Woodstock - either soap or cast.

Hearthstone castings comes from one of the best foundry in Europe (spain). I dont know as much about Woodstock but they have a great service reputation. Hearthstone sold through dealers, Woodstock you buy direct.

I did not mean to imply Cat stoves are complicated. They are not... Just they have more of a procedure to get going and you must respect. If your style is just to chuck some wood in and not bother, then cat might not be for you. Plus if you have some people over and its important to have a nice view of the fire with a clean glass, cat might not be for you.

Otherwise if loading the stove once a day and getting useable heat for 24 hours is more important, then a Cat is definitely a must for you.

 

[mysteryman896]

Thanks for all the info!! Hopefully later this week we are going to check out a dealer of both hearthstone and Jotul.

They also have Lopi, Avalon, and Harman.

 

[GVS]

Really good brands in Cast Iron is Jotul - made in Norway, gorgeous and reasonalby priced. Home - Jøtul

Soapstone: Hearthstone HearthStone wood and gas-fired stoves and fireplace inserts - Home | Hearthstone Stoves They are absolutely beautiful and nice talking point in a house.

Nice things about soapstone and cast iron - due to their mass they provide a nice even heat. Both these brands are also high-efficiencies.

With all due respect to Tractor Supply they sell made in China stoves (US Stoves & Vogelzang) are plate steel and designed for a cheap price point. That doesnt seem to be your goal here.

Best time to go buy a stove is right about now... Dealers are trying to unload inventory to make room for their summer stuff. You should have a few Jotul / Hearthstone dealer in PA. Are you near Pittsburgh? I can make some recommendations.

I agree with you regarding the Jotul,Hearthstone and TSC stoves price point but I since I own 2 plate steel,brick lined stoves, one from TSC and a Timberline,I find that both heat well and QUICKLY,much faster than the Hearthstone and faster than any cast iron stove I've been exposed to.