Appropriate wood stove size for my home layout

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Feb 2, 2023
3
PNW
Hello. This forum is great and I’ve spent a lot of time searching through and learning while trying to decide on a new wood stove for our house. I wanted to ask for your opinion on stove size based on our specific situatuion. We are replacing an old Country Stoves Striker.

Our ground floor area is about 2300 sq ft total, the upstairs is just two beds and a bath totaling 500 sq ft. The section of the house with the woodstove (living, dining, kitchen) is about 875 sq ft and it’s fairly open. The woodstove (circled) is way in the corner of this open space in the living room which has cathedral ceilings and two ceiling fans for circulation. We have a brand new highly efficient heat pump that is rated to heat our total square footage. We are also installing a zoned thermostat system. The house was built about 25 years ago and is newly renovated with upgraded insulation and windows in much of the ground floor. Anything unchanged is in great shape and well insulated. We are in mountain foothills in the PNW. Temps are typically in the 40-30F range in the winter, but it goes down to the 20’s occasionally and sometimes the teens.

That being said, we will be using all the tips and tricks with fans around the rest of the house to try to circulate air so the woodstove can help offset our heating costs. We do want the woodstove to help with that as much as is reasonable in our space. I also want to be able to hang out in my living room without feeling like I’m on the surface of the sun. My question now is how big a unit (box size, BTUs?) should we be looking at? We are leaning toward non-catalytic 2020 EPA certified models. I am totally open to specific suggestions as well. (I like the traditional fancy looking stoves-like Vermont Castings look.) TIA!

[Hearth.com] Appropriate wood stove size for my home layout
 
The stove is really only going to heat the large open area and perhaps the upstairs a little bit if it is directly over. The bed and bath wing is quite a separate zone. A separate stove in the Den area would help.

How has the heating been with the Striker? It should have a 4 hr burn time which should give an impression of how much heat works in the LR/Kitch area. Does it drive you out of the room or is it barely able to heat the area? It looks like there is a lot of window area in the living room. Do they go up to the ceiling peak? Are there thermal curtains or insulating shades on them?

VC stoves are beautiful, but they are complicated and work best with a catalyst. I don't see one as a good fit here. A Jotul F45 would be much lower maintenance.
 
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It looks like there is a lot of window area in the living room. Do they go up to the ceiling peak? Are there thermal curtains or insulating shades on them?
Yep, I'm wondering if this is a vaulted ceiling in the living room but I'm guessing "no."
Also, where will you sit in the living room, away from the stove? I don't see a place for a TV, with all the windows. 😏 Of course, you could put it on a coffee table or something. Heck, my sis has never had a TV...weirdo. 😉
 
The stove is really only going to heat the large open area and perhaps the upstairs a little bit if it is directly over. The bed and bath wing is quite a separate zone. A separate stove in the Den area would help.

How has the heating been with the Striker? It should have a 4 hr burn time which should give an impression of how much heat works in the LR/Kitch area. Does it drive you out of the room or is it barely able to heat the area? It looks like there is a lot of window area in the living room. Do they go up to the ceiling peak? Are there thermal curtains or insulating shades on them?

VC stoves are beautiful, but they are complicated and work best with a catalyst. I don't see one as a good fit here. A Jotul F45 would be much lower maintenance.
Thanks! I thought as much with the layout. The back square with the dens/offices is a new addition. Den 1 was originally the master and that was where the house ended (besides the upstairs). The Striker heated the main spaces nicely with the fans on, it occaisonally got a bit too warm right next to the stove if it was a milder night. It didn't heat the former master much at all. There are a lot of windows, and the ones on the left side do go up to the peak. None had any insulating or thermal shades.

Jotuls are great looking! I've been looking at the PE Alderleas as well.
 
Yep, I'm wondering if this is a vaulted ceiling in the living room but I'm guessing "no."
Also, where will you sit in the living room, away from the stove? I don't see a place for a TV, with all the windows. 😏 Of course, you could put it on a coffee table or something. Heck, my sis has never had a TV...weirdo. 😉
The living room ceiling is vaulted, but it's not in the rest of the house. The living room is more of a sitting area for reading and entertaining. The TV goes in the Den area. 😊
 
Thanks! I thought as much with the layout. The back square with the dens/offices is a new addition. Den 1 was originally the master and that was where the house ended (besides the upstairs). The Striker heated the main spaces nicely with the fans on, it occaisonally got a bit too warm right next to the stove if it was a milder night. It didn't heat the former master much at all. There are a lot of windows, and the ones on the left side do go up to the peak. None had any insulating or thermal shades.

Jotuls are great looking! I've been looking at the PE Alderleas as well.
Either the F45 or the Alderlea T5 could work. Both are N/S loaders.