# Bedroom wood stove?



## teutonicking (Oct 23, 2012)

I got a Progress Hybrid stove last December and we have been enjoying it ever since.  It is loctaed in our family room, on the first floor of our home.  We have about 1700 square feet on the first floor and an additional 1700 square feet of space on the second floor.  It is able to heat our entire home pretty well (particularly the first floor, but the second floor is pretty comfortable too).  At first, my wife was very skeptical about getting a wood stove.  But now, she enjoys the heat from it so much, that she is now asking me if we can get one in the bedroom on the 2nd floor so that she can sleep in front of the stove every night. 

Does anyone have a stove in thier second floor bedroom?  Although I would love to have a second stove (perhaps on the ohter side of our house on the first floor) I would think that having a second stove upstairs would not be advisable for a number or reasons--overheating a relatively small room; getting wood up there; draft issues; not being able to have a large stove with an overnight burn. 

Anyone who has done this, I'd be interested in how it has worked out, and what kind of stove you purchased for that purpose.  Or anyone with general advice would also be appreciated.  Thanks.


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## begreen (Oct 23, 2012)

I don't think so. Most stove manuals and local jurisdictions don't allow this. There are some possible exceptions, but I think you would be better off considering a vented gas fireplace or stove instead.


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## James02 (Oct 23, 2012)

There might be local ordinances against that....just saying


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## fossil (Oct 23, 2012)

Codes in many places disallow solid fuel-burning appliances in sleeping quarters.  Some allow them so long as the volume of the space is like a barracks.  Many stove manufacturers specifically state in the owner's/installation documentation that the appliance is not to be installed in sleeping quarters.  This is a subject of some contention (like garages/shops).  You need to check your local codes, because they differ a bunch throughout the country.  Then you would need to choose an appliance carefully to make sure the manufacturer doesn't say it's prohibited.


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## Got Wood (Oct 23, 2012)

Never considered it, heck our window is open most nights all winter cause we prefer it cold for sleeping!


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## Ashful (Oct 23, 2012)

Bizarre... most old houses around here have fireplaces in the bedrooms.  Those without fireplaces at least have thimbles.

That said... I can't see getting much use out of a woodstove located in a bedroom.  I think you'd wake up uncomfortably dehydrated, and be too warm at night, not to mention the troubles with hauling wood (and bugs) up to your bedroom.


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## begreen (Oct 23, 2012)

True, but those old houses were built before central heating and current sealing + insulation levels.


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## Angus (Oct 23, 2012)

We tried it once.
Lasted a week and we took it out again.
Room was excessively hot (I m a polar bear!) and the flickering , aswell as the heat kept me awake.
Even the wife found it too hot, and she likes heat.


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## FanMan (Oct 23, 2012)

I have a small antique coal stove in our bedroom at our cabin.  Keeps it toasty on a cold winter night (the cabin is drafty and has no insulation) more heat than is needed on a 40°F night but I can always open a window.  Coal is nice for a bedroom because of the steady heat and long burn time.  Smoke and CO2 detectors a must!


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## jeff_t (Oct 23, 2012)

begreen said:


> True, but those old houses were built before central heating and current sealing + insulation levels.



And building codes and NFPA.


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## rideau (Oct 23, 2012)

If you have natural gas to your home (or propane), you could try the woodstock mini franklin.  Woodstock  went to great lengths to design the "logs" to look and appear to burn like a wood fire.

The stove is specifically designed to heat one room...100 to 400 square feet.  Has available remote and has 2 inch clearances.  It's small and very pretty and would be an attractive addition to a bedroom.  You can wall mount it on a slate they sell, or get a slate topped stand, so the fire is at eye level when sitting.  It direct vents, which would be easy vs. a stove.  It's on sale $150 off until the end of Oc

If you're not familiar with it you might want to check the site with your wife. 

It would be sort of perfect for what you want...nice fire in the bedroom, small, not too much heat, no bugs, no wood carrying. 

I have a Progress Hybrid too, similar sized home. 

I agree with your wife...I want to be able to sleep in front of the fire.  Not going to happen...unless I stay down on the couch.  No natural gas here, and I don't want propane.

Good luck!
Good luck.


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## clemsonfor (Oct 23, 2012)

teutonicking said:


> I got a Progress Hybrid stove last December and we have been enjoying it ever since. It is loctaed in our family room, on the first floor of our home. We have about 1700 square feet on the first floor and an additional 1700 square feet of space on the second floor. It is able to heat our entire home pretty well (particularly the first floor, but the second floor is pretty comfortable too). At first, my wife was very skeptical about getting a wood stove. But now, she enjoys the heat from it so much, that she is now asking me if we can get one in the bedroom on the 2nd floor so that she can sleep in front of the stove every night.
> 
> Does anyone have a stove in thier second floor bedroom? Although I would love to have a second stove (perhaps on the ohter side of our house on the first floor) I would think that having a second stove upstairs would not be advisable for a number or reasons--overheating a relatively small room; getting wood up there; draft issues; not being able to have a large stove with an overnight burn.
> 
> Anyone who has done this, I'd be interested in how it has worked out, and what kind of stove you purchased for that purpose. Or anyone with general advice would also be appreciated. Thanks.


 Even with the smallest stove you can buy, unless your bedroom is 500+ sqft you will roast in there!! I like to sleep in the low to upper 60s at night, i would be to hot with even those tiny .5cuft stoves in my room!!


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## corey21 (Oct 23, 2012)

I Would say the law do not allow that.


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## BrotherBart (Oct 23, 2012)

You would be amazed how a oil filled radiator heater levels out the temp in a bedroom in a wood heated house. With minimum current usage when it is turned on low.


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## rideau (Oct 23, 2012)

clemsonfor said:


> Even with the smallest stove you can buy, unless your bedroom is 500+ sqft you will roast in there!! I like to sleep in the low to upper 60s at night, i would be to hot with even those tiny .5cuft stoves in my room!!


 
This stove is the only stove on the market specifically designed to heat one room.  It is rated 100 to 400 sq feet.  100 square feet = 10 x 10 room.


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## rideau (Oct 23, 2012)

BrotherBart said:


> You would be amazed how a oil filled radiator heater levels out the temp in a bedroom in a wood heated house. With minimum current usage when it is turned on low.


 
I think the whole point is wife wants a fire in the bedroom.


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## BrotherBart (Oct 23, 2012)

rideau said:


> I think the whole point is wife wants a fire in the bedroom.


 
Was there supposed to be a link in your prior post?


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## fossil (Oct 23, 2012)

BrotherBart said:


> Was there supposed to be a link in your prior post?


 
I'm guessing he's referring to the gas appliance he described in post #11, but it's not clear.


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## eclecticcottage (Oct 23, 2012)

We were going to do this at our Old House. Ended up with not enough clearance (1 3/4 story, the roof line was too low), but no one ever mentioned it being illegal. They actually had the stove on the truck and came in to do the install and were like "no way". We ended up getting the Berkshire instead.

Our bedroom there was small, maybe 9x8. It warmed up pretty quick so we only had flames for maybe half an hour before it went out and would come on sporatically through the night when it was cold. We didn't have central heat so the only heat source was down stairs, another gas stove (Heritage Bay). I would try to find the smallest gas stove you can-the Berkshire is a bit much for a bedroom but there weren't many small stoves out at the time, and it had the best flames.

Oh, and on the plus side a gas stove can be thermostatically controlled so it'll go off when it gets too warm.  We set ours to the lowest temp during the day and only turned it up when we went upstairs for the night.


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## My Oslo heats my home (Oct 23, 2012)

Even if the manufacturer and building codes did accept a stove in a bedroom I would think it to be too risky just because my wife wants a fire in the bedroom, very impracticle and dangerous. Just look at the clippings firefighter jake posts during the burn season of folks making serious fire burning mistakes and there goes your home...Yeah, I'm a bit sensative about it


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## BrotherBart (Oct 23, 2012)

With gas stoves in a sleeping space you also can only use one that has a direct vent exhaust system. A lot of the codes behind this sleeping room stuff has to do with somebody closing the bedroom door and the appliance sucking all of the oxygen out of the room. With direct vent the combustion air is drawn from outside the living space.


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## DianeB (Oct 23, 2012)

Get a queen or king Aero bed, inflate it in the room the woodstove is in and camp out there - see what it is like sleeping in front of stove and flickering flames. Doing that once in awhile may do the trick. Just sayin!


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## clemsonfor (Oct 23, 2012)

At the farm house there is a fireplace in one of the bedrooms, we have had fires quite a few times through the night, i have to wake up at least 3x to chuck wood in it but the wife likes the flames dancing and the heat!


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## moburns (Oct 23, 2012)

The even stranger thing where I live is the only thing we can put in an existing woodfire place in the bedroom is a direct vent gas insert.  I would think burning a wood insert or a pellet insert would be safer than an open fire.


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## dafattkidd (Oct 23, 2012)

I think I would love having a wood stove in my bedroom because I love the fire dancing in a dark room.  However, I don't think I could take the heat.  It's strange that it is so common to have open wood burning fireplaces in bedrooms, but wood burning appliances are not kosher.  Wood stoves and inserts are much safer and cleaner.


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## BrotherBart (Oct 23, 2012)

Seriously, does anybody want to lug wood up to the bedroom and have the scraps and crap to clean up there? I dun tink so Lucy.


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## fossil (Oct 23, 2012)

Skip the wood stove, just get a TV and a DVD player up there.


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## firecracker_77 (Oct 23, 2012)

I sleep downstairs in front of my Woodstock gas stove all the time.  I love it in the winter.  It's also in a 1200 sq foot open space....my basement.

I would worry about a stove overheating the space.  The dancing flame and heat would be nice.  What about a pellet stove that you could burn on low?


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## pen (Oct 23, 2012)

fossil said:


> Skip the wood stove, just get a TV and a DVD player up there.


 
Put the cable box in with those, mine gives off enough heat to keep a room warm on it's own


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## firecracker_77 (Oct 23, 2012)

I think it could be a pain to haul wood, but then again...it's a labor of love.


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## pen (Oct 23, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> I think it could be a pain to haul wood, but then again...it's a labor of love.


 
How much love are you going to have after picking splinters out of your feet while trying to take your 3am walk to the porcelain throne?

This seems more appealing to me







At least I'd know what I had to work with before it surprised me.

pen


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## BrotherBart (Oct 23, 2012)

fossil said:


> Skip the wood stove, just get a TV and a DVD player up there.


 
No kidding. Bought the little brown haired girl a big screen for the bedroom and pretty much eliminated the need for the oil filled radiator. And had to add an air conditioner for the room in the summer.


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## elmoleaf (Oct 23, 2012)

The International Residential Code (2009), which is the base building code for many states, does not prohibit installation of a woodstove in a bedroom, or even a garage for that matter (though there is language about height of firebox above garage floor).
However, your state or locality may have modified the base code via amendments.  Also, other regulations such as NFPA codes may be incorporated by reference.
Typically, your best best is to ask your local building official. Be nice & polite. Training and expertise vary considerably, so you may get information that is not entirely correct or accurate. If in doubt, politely ask for the code reference/section that supports what the official is telling you to do.


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## pen (Oct 23, 2012)

At the end of the day, all I know is in a bedroom, if bedsheets or clothes need / are thrown, at such a time, the last concern should be where they landed 



pen


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## Ashful (Oct 24, 2012)

I think this whole thread is just a misunderstanding.  His wife meant something completely different when she told him she wanted a fire in the bedroom.


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## schlot (Oct 24, 2012)

We have a stove in our bedroom. There are some pluses and minuses with having it there. Besides the um....well.....romantic reasons, it is great to awaken to a slight chill in the house, throw a log or two on and warm up the room quickly.

We put a small stove in the bedroom but it does heat the whole house. It wasn't idea, but our house is very small and doesn't have a central room that works better than our bedroom.  If the layout of the house and room sizes allowed I would not have probably done it. But I am heating the whole house, not just "enhancing the mood" wink, wink.

If not careful we can roast in there with a good fire going, but with a helper fan (blowing into the bedroom) we easily keep the whole house warm. I've been able to keep the whole house at 70-72, but that means the bedroom gets up to 78-80. Warmer than I'd like but still works.

I'm going to get a larger helper fan to move the air, so hopefully the difference in temps won't be so great, but I'm fighting a cathedral ceiling in the bedroom also.


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## jharkin (Oct 24, 2012)

Joful said:


> Bizarre... most old houses around here have fireplaces in the bedrooms. Those without fireplaces at least have thimbles.
> 
> That said... I can't see getting much use out of a woodstove located in a bedroom. I think you'd wake up uncomfortably dehydrated, and be too warm at night, not to mention the troubles with hauling wood (and bugs) up to your bedroom.


 

Like you we have an open fireplace in the master bedroom (which _IS_ a nice thing to have at times... when the kids aren't around he he  ) but I also gathered that its just grandfathered in because of the house age and I didn't think code would allow you to build one new.


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## bag of hammers (Oct 24, 2012)

BrotherBart said:


> You would be amazed how a oil filled radiator heater levels out the temp in a bedroom in a wood heated house. With minimum current usage when it is turned on low.


+1 This is exactly what we do in each of 2 bedrooms.  $60 or less for an approved unit, runs on low for of the day (usually cycles off) and most often we just turn it off at night (cool air makes for a better sleep, IMHO).   Barely sips the electricity and does a wonderful job in a 10x12 room.  Don't get me wrong, I would probably have a woodstove in my truck for the  ride into work, if I could.  But for all the reasons posted here, for me it's just not a bedroom thing.  Especially if you have a reasonable size space in the stove room - then as DianeB mentioned, rig up an air mattress, or flip out that lumpy old retro sofa bed thing, and crash in front of the fire once in a while, like on the weekends.


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## rideau (Oct 24, 2012)

BrotherBart said:


> With gas stoves in a sleeping space you also can only use one that has a direct vent exhaust system. A lot of the codes behind this sleeping room stuff has to do with somebody closing the bedroom door and the appliance sucking all of the oxygen out of the room. With direct vent the combustion air is drawn from outside the living space.


 
The Woodstocks are direct vent.  I have a very healthy respect for fire, but I have no concerns about having the PH in my living room and going to sleep;  I'd have no concern about having a different Woodstock stove in my bedroom and going to sleep.  We all have fire alarms and CO detectors, too.


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