Bigger stove or more Insulation

[EbS-P]

keeping the direct radiant heat off the basement walls might be something to try. Anything would work as long as it’s outside the minimum distance to combustibles. Hanging old blankets or millfelts on the wall could help too. We are renovating to big bathrooms and the ceiling to the attic had come down as have the walls to the rest of the house now we just have plastic sheeting between us and the attic. I’m impressed how well it holds heat in the house. That might be worth a try in the basement just using sheeting to make a smaller space for the stove to heat in the basement with the idea more heat makes it up the stairwell and higher temps on the upstairs floor at the cost of heat in less basement ceiling are. Stairwells are decent heat elevators. Moving the cold air from the main level to the basement stairs might help some. If it were me I’d see if I could use the sheeting to make a basement ceiling to floor hallway from stove to stairs. Always keeping everything a good super safe distance from stove and stove pipe. Tape falls of and staples pull out easily from the thin sheeting I’ve.
found. Thinking of cost a 1500w space heater run 24/7 will cost 5-6$ a day and could heat 200-400 sq ft upstairs. That set your break even cost for and temporary modifications you need to pay for.

evan

In the meantime (till I can get it insulated) how hot would you think I can run the Waterford. At the moment I try to run with stovetop/cooktop temps 550-600F Im hesitant of going much higher as I just rebuilt the stove. The floor is not insulated, and unfortunetly the stairwell is not centered in the house. I may try a fan in the stairwell. Will try to seal up basement door better that portion of the basement is cold.

 

[maple1]

Attic normally is 50 degrees when its 20 outside will probably start there. There is also an attic fan pulling a vacume as the roof has condensation problems due to the warm air hitting cold on the roof decking.

Sounds like you have a few bad things going on in the attic. There should be no need for an attic fan, and the temp in the attic should be close to what it is outside. Suspect you need major air sealing and ventilation work. Then more insulation.

 

[Simonkenton]

You have a Waterford! You are the first person I have run into on this forum with a Waterford.
I bought a Waterford Erin back in 2000. Nice little stove, had an Irish castle on the right side in the cast iron.
I ran it for 15 years, then, I built an addition and I upgraded to the larger Jotul Oslo.

I heard that the Waterford is no longer sold in America.

 

[bholler]

You have a Waterford! You are the first person I have run into on this forum with a Waterford.
I bought a Waterford Erin back in 2000. Nice little stove, had an Irish castle on the right side in the cast iron.
I ran it for 15 years, then, I built an addition and I upgraded to the larger Jotul Oslo.

I heard that the Waterford is no longer sold in America.

We work on 5 or 6 waterfords.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yeah, should probably start in the attic then. No sense causing a mold problem. Just adding insulation wont solve that issue either. You need to do the sealwork. Also make sure bathroom vents are exiting outside.

 

[Woody Stover]

when heating from the basement with a stove I think the basement walls are more important to start off.

I may try a fan in the stairwell.

That would be easy to try. An 8" fan that tilts down, at the top of the stairs, will take cool air off the upstairs floor. If the fan is blowing slow enough, it will move the cool air down without disrupting the warm air flowing up. Maybe you can grab more of the heat before it gets sucked up by the walls..?

Will try to seal up basement door better that portion of the basement is cold.

Another cheap, easy fix. There may be other door weatherstripping that works well, but I found this to be effective. With the door closed, you lightly touch the bulb to the door, then screw it to the jamb. If you push the bulb against the door too hard, it will keep the door from closing. But the screw holes are oval, so you can adjust it if needed.

 

[Highbeam]

Both insulate and replace that tiny stove with something larger more suitable for heating. My stove is twice as large for the same size home in a similar climate. Tiny stoves are great for boats.

 

[jsdashoes]

Attic normally is 50 degrees when its 20 outside will probably start there. There is also an attic fan pulling a vacume as the roof has condensation problems due to the warm air hitting cold on the roof decking.

you undoubtedly need more insulation on the floor of the attic and more airflow from soffit vents or gable vents. moisture on the roof is going to cause all kinds of problems.

 

[billb3]

That would be easy to try. An 8" fan the tilts down, at the top of the stairs, will take cool air off the upstairs floor. If the fan is blowing slow enough, it will move the cool air down without disrupting the warm air flowing up. Maybe you can grab more of the heat before it gets sucked up by the walls..?
Another cheap, easy fix. There may be other door weatherstripping that works well, but I found this to be effective. With the door closed, you lightly touch the bulb to the door, then screw it to the jamb. If you push the bulb against the door too hard, it will keep the door from closing. But the screw holes are oval, so you can adjust it if needed.
View attachment 252184 View attachment 252182

I just removed a whole bunch of those because the flexible part became inflexible in short order.

 

[begreen]

You have a Waterford! You are the first person I have run into on this forum with a Waterford.
I bought a Waterford Erin back in 2000. Nice little stove, had an Irish castle on the right side in the cast iron.
I ran it for 15 years, then, I built an addition and I upgraded to the larger Jotul Oslo.

I heard that the Waterford is no longer sold in America.

When the forum first started we saw more Waterford owners reporting. That has dwindled since they stopped being sold here. We still do see a few a year posting though.

 

[Woody Stover]

I just removed a whole bunch of those because the flexible part became inflexible in short order.

These have been up maybe five years. Like I said, you can't press them too hard against the door when you install them, just barely touching is what you want. They might be a little stiffer, I can't tell, but I don't feel any cold air coming through yet. They weren't real flexy to begin with, as I recall. I should go around the door with a flashlight at night and check how they are sealing. They are M-D brand that I got at Home Despot.
What was the problem caused by the ones that were stiff, that you removed? Door hard to close? Air leaking?

 

[bholler]

These have been up maybe five years. Like I said, you can't press them too hard against the door when you install them, just barely touching is what you want. They might be a little stiffer, I can't tell, but I don't feel any cold air coming through yet. They weren't real flexy to begin with, as I recall. I should go around the door with a flashlight at night and check how they are sealing. They are M-D brand that I got at Home Despot.
What was the problem caused by the ones that were stiff, that you removed? Door hard to close? Air leaking?

I have never had good luck with that type at all either.

 

[Qvist]

I definitely need more vents and insulation. Most doors do have weatherstripping bit it fits poorly. I have found the strips dont work well on curved/warped doors or frames. They leave gaps around the doors. It does not help that the roof sits on purlins (heavy metal) so the metal is in contact with the attic air directly. I assume that's a large part of the issue as there is a large temperature difference from one side of the metal to the other. The colder it gets the worse it is. When the sun hits the roof it evaporates. I also have an old (1970s) morso 2b but assume this would give less heat and more smoke.

 

[Qvist]

I have the clearances for either as it is in a basement (no combustables)

 

[Woody Stover]

I have never had good luck with that type at all either.

What do you like to use? I'm always looking for a better way..

 

[bholler]

What do you like to use? I'm always looking for a better way..

(broken link removed)

I find this stuff seals better longer I think it looks better also

 

[carg3]

You have a steel roof, with the bottom exposed in a poorly insulated attic? Sounds like a condensation nightmare.

 

[peakbagger]

I saw a brand new house in VT built by a so called legit builder with the same issue. Standing seam metal roof with a poorly sealed ceiling. They didnt put in soffits or ridge vents to ventilate the attic so during the first winter they had water raining down and black mold. The new owner was clueless and insisted that the builder knew what he was doing and she was going to trust him to fix the problem. I dont know how they resolved it but expect it didnt end well.

A major caution is that many folks are clueless on insulating attics and they stuff insulation down in the space between the top of the wall and the roof. They feel the cold draft coming up from the soffit and figure they need to stop it. Unless the roof is a "warm roof" design where the actual roof deck is insulated and the attic is kept at house temperature (pretty rare) the attic needs to be ventilated to outdoor temperatures. In many cases bathroom fans are vented into the attic instead of outdoors. Years ago I bought a house that had evidence of moisture issues in the attic, I think the prior owners may have sold the house as they didnt want to deal with it. I noticed some recent fiberglass insulation blocking all the soffits. It was shallow pitch roof so I took a long pole with hook on it and pulled the insulation out of the gap between the wall and the roof then slid foam rafter vents (broken link removed) down in the gap and then pushed the insulation back in place around the vents. It made a big difference and dried things up in days. I didnt own the house long but if I had kept it I would have most likely did a lot of air sealing between ceiling and the attic.

 

[Qvist]

I found the one answer to this late last winter. I had a hole in the basement ceiling that extended into the attic through a wall. It was 4 ft in front of the stove was like a warm chimney into the attic.