If you're thinking about wood heat, here are a few things you should understand prior to investing in a wood burning stove, wood fireplace insert or wood cookstove. With increasing fuel expenses, wood heat can be a cash saving financial investment, but you need to prepare ahead of time and make good choices.
Here are some things to know prior to buying a wood burning stove:
# 1-- You Must Have an Ample Supply of Clean, Dry Wood for Your Stove
A few of the very best trees to harvest for firewood include:
• sugar and red maple
• hickory
• any of the oaks
• beech
• hornbeam (ironwood)
Wood types (like those listed above) will provide you the best return on your investment of labor by burning longer and producing a lot of heat. These species are readily offered in northern Wisconsin, but you will require to do some research to find what is offered in your area.
A wood lot can produce from 1 to 2 face cables of fire wood per acre each year. You might also be able to restore some wood from tree trimming services, yard waste centers or storm damage.
Softwoods burn quickly and produce less heat, which indicates that you require to refuel often and use a lot more wood in general. (Note: Pine does make good kindling for a flying start to your fires.).
Green (unseasoned) wood will burn gradually and produce a lot of smoke and particulates. When these construct up in your chimney, it increases the threat of a chimney fire.
# 2-- You Need to Plan for Proper Wood Storage
To treat (dry), wood needs good air blood circulation. This indicates a shed without sides or rows with tarps. Personally, I'm not a fan of tarpaulins or plastic website because the wind and the sun will tear holes in them in short order, and water will leakage in. You need to also find something to stack the wood on to keep it off the ground. Old dealt with 4x4s are a favorite of mine. It doesn't have to be fancy-- restored materials utilized properly can do the job just great.
# 3-- Heating with Wood Burning Stove is Labor Intensive
One thing that the majority of people don't think about is how much time you will have to invest in cutting and splitting wood to heat your house. The majority of wood burners will require attention every 6 to 8 hours, possibly longer if you have a good heater or outside boiler.
On the plus side, you can avoid the health club membership and get your exercise at home.
# 4-- Wood Burning Stoves are Not Cheap
The initial expense of a wood heating system will be about $3000 plus setup. Quality wood cutting tools cost money, too, and with tools, you normally get what you pay for-- it's worth the extra money to get tools that last. This is an investment-- so make excellent choices.
Pellet stoves may be a much better choice for urban areas, since you do not need to dry and shop a year's worth of fuel. You will lose some BTU's because if the stove is outside the house, the water has to take a trip underground and be moved to the home via a heat exchanger.
Masonry heating units are another choice, however they might be more expensive than regular wood stoves or pellet stoves.
# 5-- There are Risks Involved in heating Your Home with Wood
Make sure your house owner's insurance coverage will cover you if you have wood heat, and what constraints they have on heating with wood. (A carbon monoxide detector is an excellent financial investment for nearly every home, but specifically those with combustion devices.).
Town and Country Fires is a family run business based in Pickering on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. Once farmers, the Thurlow family took the big decision to diversify and as a consequence started the stove business in 1977.
Gaining a wealth of experience over the years and using a combination of old and new techniques has led to the company developing and manufacturing some of the best, energy efficient, solid fuel and wood burning stoves in the world.
For more information contact:
Town & Country Fires Ltd
Thornton Road Industrial Estate
1 Enterprise Way, Pickering YO18 7NA
01751 474803
https://www.townandcountryfires.co.uk/