# My first stove installed (VC Dutchwest Large Non-Cat)



## tradergordo (Aug 3, 2006)

Finally finished installing my stove.  I did pretty much everything myself (built the hearth pad, cut hole in ceiling, installed the chimney, installed the flue, etc).  I moved the stove around the room by jacking it up onto small dollies, and got it into final position up on the hearth pad by sticking a greased double layer of 2x10s under it, jacking up, and sliding down into place (greased with my wife's Crisco shortening!).  I think if I did that again I would put some ski's under the stove first.  It didn't exactly slide right down the greased boards like I had hoped, but a little rockin' and nudgin' got the job done.

The hearth pad was as simple as I could make it while still meeting code (exceeding actually).  Its just one layer of micore 300 sandwiched with thinset between two layers of Durock (one layer of durock would have been adequate).  Then I added the tile layer, nothing fancy, just big square 1 foot tiles.  I have never done any tiling before and I'm not very artistic.  If I actually knew what I was doing ahead of time I would have made the dimensions such that the tiles hung over the top edges to avoid all the grouting around the edges and corners, but hey, it didn't turn out so bad.  The pad is mobile enough to slide around over the carpet (with effort) when there is nothing on top of it.

The hardest part was putting in the chimney box though the roof - and the work from the roof itself was horrendous mostly because it was like 130 degrees up there (got up at 5:30AM that day hoping to be done before it got too hot - WRONG).  Framing and nailing in the box was such a pain, so little room to work, you don't know how many times I hammered my own fingers 

I still have not lit a fire in it yet, that's not going to happen during this heat wave!

Here also is a picture of the beginnings of my wood pile.  Can you spot the hog?  What is the difference between a ground hog and a wood chuck?

Yes, I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to stacking wood either...
Full details about my venture into wood stoves can be found on my web page (in signature)


----------



## tradergordo (Aug 3, 2006)

Yea, I need to replace the curtains.  The cute pregnant wife made those.  Probably not fire resistant.  I'll have to do some research on fire blankets she can turn into curtains or something


----------



## Todd (Aug 4, 2006)

Nice job. Orange walls? My daughters wants here bedroom that color. Keep us posted on how that stove burns. We need some feedback on that new VC everburn system.


----------



## wg_bent (Aug 4, 2006)

Nice job on the install.  I'd sure like to know how it burns.  I was toying with the idea of one of their small models, but for the application I've got, it's still too big.  But still, I'd like to know how you like your stove.  Well done!


----------



## tradergordo (Aug 4, 2006)

Todd said:
			
		

> Nice job. Orange walls? My daughters wants here bedroom that color. Keep us posted on how that stove burns. We need some feedback on that new VC everburn system.




I'll definitely give an update on how it burns and what kind of draft I get with this setup (basically 19 feet straight up, with 9 being single wall interior).

I still don't know about the orange walls either - if I ever sell the house, I'll repaint.  But that is my main family room area, and I'm a home theater buff (in the top left you can see part of the 8 foot screen I project to).  I needed dark, non-reflective walls for optimum home theater lighting, and my wife and I liked the faux painting idea even though neither of us had done it before and neither of us are artistic - hehe.  Its a yellow base coat with this rusty/reddish stain stuff "feathered" over top of the base.  Didn't quite turn out like I had envisioned although we do kind of like it.  I think of it as living inside of a tree!


----------



## Harley (Aug 4, 2006)

Oh my God.... Gordo married twins!!, and how do you manage with BOTH of them being pregnant????

The hearth pad looks real nice, and so does the install


----------



## jabush (Aug 4, 2006)

Nice looking install (love your model) and wood pile.

I picked the "hog" right out.  Up North they're called woodchucks (Western NY replant here), down South people call them ground hogs.  Same animal...open all season and no bag limit!!  Woohoo!

The one in your pic looks like he's just a waitin to be picked off.


----------



## Mo Heat (Aug 4, 2006)

Nice write-up in your link, especially your cost list. Don't forget to update us on the wood scrounging efforts and successes.

I'm limited to one wife in my state. Two must be nice regarding the wood stacking, and uh, other things.

I still can't find that danged woodchuck!

UPDATE: I see that varmint now!


----------



## tnroadkill (Aug 7, 2006)

i got a dutchwest last year, believe like yours. it does a great job,  i heat about 1300 sq ft. it does not burn much wood to keep my house very warm


----------



## wg_bent (Aug 7, 2006)

Mo Heat said:
			
		

> Nice write-up in your link, especially your cost list. Don't forget to update us on the wood scrounging efforts and successes.
> 
> I'm limited to one wife in my state. Two must be nice regarding the wood stacking, and uh, other things.
> 
> ...



Yes, GREAT write up  You should put that in the Wiki...it's a keeper.  under articles.

Just to give you a reference... I saved 700 gallons of oil my first year  At 2.24 lockin, I paid for my stove the first year.  This year will knock off the install and remodel I did to accomodate it.

Lock in is at 2.85 this year.  So at a previous usage rate of around 1000 gallons I would have been spending nearly 3k for heat this year....I'm really going to be looking for leaks a lot harder this year.


----------



## tradergordo (Aug 7, 2006)

Thanks for the positive feedback - I'll have to maybe work that article into a wiki somehow - I do think it contains a lot of consolidated information that might be useful to someone who is just getting started.

As for my wood scrounging efforts - I think I now have all I'll need for this winter (3-4 cords) and I got it all for free from storm downed trees.  Most recently was a huge black walnut that fell conveniently into a drainage basin at the development I live in (I actually left 15-20 feet of trunk, the thickest section, which might be a full cord by itself - I'll probably get it for next season at some point - harder to cut and move that section).  I guess you never can have too much, so I'll probably keep collecting throughout the year saving up for next year.

And MOST IMPORTANTLY:
*IT'S A BOY*
My son was born yesterday, mom and baby are doing great!




			
				Mo Heat said:
			
		

> Nice write-up in your link, especially your cost list. Don't forget to update us on the wood scrounging efforts and successes.
> 
> I'm limited to one wife in my state. Two must be nice regarding the wood stacking, and uh, other things.
> 
> ...


----------



## BrotherBart (Aug 7, 2006)

Hearty congratulations to you and your wife! A new stove is nice.

A new son is fantastic!


----------



## tradergordo (Aug 7, 2006)

Coaster said:
			
		

> Congratulations!!  Now you will have somebody to help you build igloos and snowforts.



Hah!  Yes -  I needed a kid just as an excuse for me to keep being one myself! 
Gotta get him splitting & stacking wood soon too      (not to mention taking care of the orchard)


----------



## Roospike (Aug 7, 2006)

tradergordo said:
			
		

> And MOST IMPORTANTLY:
> *  IT'S A BOY *
> My son was born yesterday, mom and baby are doing great!


 * Congratulations!  *


----------



## Harley (Aug 7, 2006)

[quote author="tradergordo" date="1154971570"]My son was born yesterday, mom and baby are doing great!


Congratulations!!


----------



## wg_bent (Aug 7, 2006)

Congratulations.  Did they both have a baby?


----------



## tradergordo (Aug 8, 2006)

Warren said:
			
		

> Congratulations.  Did they both have a baby?



Don't make me photoshop the baby pictures too!


(maybe they both had twins?   )

p.s.  I updated my woodstove page with a revised and more complete cost list as well as a new section on how to estimate how much wood is required to replace the previous heating system.


http://www.gordosoft.com/woodstove/


----------



## tradergordo (Aug 8, 2006)

Coaster said:
			
		

> Are you planning on heating your whole house with the woodstove this winter?



That's the goal.


----------



## elkimmeg (Aug 8, 2006)

on lunch breakshort for now congratse to your wife you and your newest family member.  What better time to enjor your stove warmth this winter.


----------



## Defiant (Aug 11, 2011)

Have you had any problems with the everburn since installing your stove?


----------



## jimbom (Aug 11, 2011)

Congratulations on the new family member.  Hope all are well.  As you know, he will be going off to college before you know it.  I am old, so I can pull the geezer card and give you free advice.  Spend every minute you can with the family.  Thanks for your informative write up on your install.


----------



## firefighterjake (Aug 12, 2011)

JimboM said:
			
		

> Congratulations on the new family member.  Hope all are well.  As you know, he will be going off to college before you know it.  I am old, so I can pull the geezer card and give you free advice.  Spend every minute you can with the family.  Thanks for your informative write up on your install.



Hehheh . . . the "new" family member is now 5 years old or so and probably getting ready for kindergarten . . . this is a zombie thread . . . thread dug up from the past and brought back to life . . . many of the members in this thread are either no longer here or rarely post.


----------



## tradergordo (Aug 12, 2011)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> JimboM said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You know what is really freaky though?  I got an email notification of this post (because I set my account up that way), and I see the congratulations on the new family member, and even though my son from the original post is now 5 years old, my daughter was just born a few days ago (I didn't post about it so no one here would know that).  So the comment actually was appropriate, heheh!

The stove is still going strong, not sure for how much longer though.  The interior refractory material gets thinner every year.  Everburn works, sometimes goes a bit crazy on super cold nights (excessive draft requiring air intake restriction), sometimes doesn't work well (less than perfectly seasoned wood, low pressure / warmer outside temps).


----------



## ecocavalier02 (Aug 12, 2011)

tradergordo said:
			
		

> firefighterjake said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Your still running that stove? props to you. lol. 2 years of fighting with that thing was enuff for me


----------



## firefighterjake (Aug 15, 2011)

tradergordo said:
			
		

> firefighterjake said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hehheh . . . in that case . . . congrats on the new addition to the family!


----------



## jimbom (Aug 15, 2011)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> JimboM said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



See.  I told you time would past quickly.


----------

