Random thoughts . . .
* Congrats on the new home purchase . . . it's always exciting to buy and move into a new home.
Thanks! Yeah it's exciting to move into a new home. Plus we have been looking for the past 6 months and came close a few times...It's great to be done with the searching and bargaining!
* You say the basement is finished . . . but is it insulated . . . and if so, how well insulated? This makes a difference . . . if the folks just ran some furring strips and attached the pine board to the walls then I would guess you would still lose a lot of heat to the surrounding cement . . . but if they put up some foam insulation before putting on the pine boards you might be OK to go with a stove in the basement.
This is a good question. I have to see if the estate owners know (daughters/sisters). The wood, if knocked on, sounds solid though. plus I know above the drop ceiling there is VERY thick insulation.
* When I was first looking at the idea of heating with wood I thought having a basement install would be great . . . which is ironic since I don't even have a basement. I figured it would keep the mess out of the house and free up more space in the living area. However, I have since changed my mind. The only time I would put a wood-burning appliance in a basement now is if I had a wood boiler or a wood furnace which would use ductwork or plumbing to carry the heated air/water throughout my entire home. I say this since a) the only real way it seems to be even remotely efficient with a woodstove and get as many BTUs as you can is to have an insulated basement (a friend of mine has a basement stove . . . and they heat their home . . . but they are also losing a lot of heat) and b) once you experience a woodstove running in your living space you cannot imagine what it would be like to not have one there -- the feel of the heat radiating out and warming you, the sound of the crackling fire, the view of the dancing flames and the secondary burn light show, the smell of the potpourri simmering on the stove top and just simply the ability to quickly and easily tell where you are in the burning cycle . . .
Now you're talking about a stove. I'm not sure she'd go for that. No fireplace, just a big black box with a glass door standing in the middle of the living room. I can't say she'd ever warm to such an idea...but I'll see what she says.
* So if I'm reading this correctly the house is set up so you can simply knock out a small section of the wall and connect to an existing flue in the living room . . . if this is true this would be a no-brainer for me . . . open up that small section of wall (after checking to make sure this is actually true) and build a hearth per your stove's specs and start enjoying the heat, the sound and the view with a free standing stove. Other than a bit of drywall work, the most difficult thing in my mind would be building the hearth . . . and this can be done simply and easily for less than $250 . . . now on the otherhand if you're determined to go with a wood-burning insert and want to build an actual fireplace . . . well then you're looking at a bit more money . . . personally I would spend the money on an attractive stove and hearth . . . and get the most BTUs possible.
You mention a stove...and a hearth. I thought stoves didn't need a hearth, they are freestanding. No?? I always thought you just needed to connect the vent/tube to the wall that leads to the chimney. If not, would you please show me a pic or two of what you're talking about.
* It's been said before, but I'll say it again . . . put your stove where you spend the bulk of your time. You'll enjoy the heat more and the "extras" that come with the sights, sounds and smells . . . and you'll be able to monitor it better.
* We like pictures . . . we're very visually oriented. We like pictures of woodpiles . . . pictures of stoves . . . and even pictures of potential areas where a stove could be installed . . . and yes a lay-out of the entire house, square footage, etc. would be useful . . . and as mentioned we like pictures of all of these things . . . or at least a drawing.