Does anyone agree??
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jlow said:
I sortov agree, but I never stop gathering as long as I physically have someplace to put it.
Random thoughts from a random mind . . .
My feeling is that this wood was all scrounged . . . and as such it was not put into a landfill, carted around to a transfer station and then to a facility to burn for electricity generation or left to rot away . . . instead it will be able to provide meaningful heat for the user.
Will this member use all 8 1/2 cords this year . . . maybe yes, probably no . . . but then again, what's left over will be good to go for next year and will be even more seasoned.
I personally think you will have more than enough wood . . . I only wish your wife thought like mine . . . she thinks the wood is going to rot before I can use it all . . . even though it is up on pallets or in the woodshed . . . my thinking is that extra wood means more seasoned for future burning and it's like putting wood into a "rainy day" fund . . . in case I get hurt and can't do wood one year.
I think having more wood in the first year is also a good idea . . . this is the year when folks learn how to burn efficiently . . . I know I was burning a lot differently at the end of the burning season and now then I was at the start (i.e. throwing well seasoned maple into the firebox every two hours the first night . . . when it was only 40 or so degrees outside . . . and waking up to temps around 88 or so.) You will burn more wood in the first year until you learn how to burn efficiently using the secondary combustion and cycles . . . plus as Edthedawg mentioned oftentimes the "seasoned" wood is not as seasoned as it should be and this often results in more wood consumption.
If you have the wood . . . load 'er up and let 'er rip . . . this is why you spent the money on a woodstove and spent all those countless hours getting the wood . . . of course I wouldn't use my primo wood during the shoulder seasons . . . this is the time of year to burn the crappy wood, odd-ball sizes and chunks . . . and the time of year when you start to learn the little eccentricities of your woodstove. For me personally, the oil boiler is set to fire up at 60 F . . . I usually burn when the inside room temp falls to 64 or 66 F . . . and for this reason the oil boiler rarely comes on.
I don't really care what the price of heating oil drops to . . . for me personally it's still cheaper to heat with wood. Honestly, wood heat or oil heat . . . I'm just as warm either way . . . but as much as I like saving money (my original motivating factor to going with wood), I also like watching the fire, listening to the fire and smelling the potpourri and woodscents in the air, like knowing that I am controlling the cost of heating my home and not funding any dictators, terrorist regimes or making billionaires into multi-billiionaires and I like knowing that when the power goes out in middle of a sub-zero January night in Maine that I will continue to stay warm . . . no matter how long it takes the power company to get the power back up and running.
Is 8 1/2 cords of wood a lot . . . in my case . . . yes . . . but who am I to judge? The original poster and I live in different sized homes, with different insulation, with different lay-outs and different temperature zones . . . and have different heating needs (i.e. perhaps they like it warmer than I do . . . perhaps he works from home and will be feeding the stove more often rather than loading in the morning and then having to restart it with coals in the evening, etc.) . . . as I said . . . I am not one to judge . . . we all have different needs and preferences.
My feeling is that this wood was all scrounged . . . and as such it was not put into a landfill, carted around to a transfer station and then to a facility to burn for electricity generation or left to rot away . . . instead it will be able to provide meaningful heat for the user.
Will this member use all 8 1/2 cords this year . . . maybe yes, probably no . . . but then again, what's left over will be good to go for next year and will be even more seasoned.
I personally think you will have more than enough wood . . . I only wish your wife thought like mine . . . she thinks the wood is going to rot before I can use it all . . . even though it is up on pallets or in the woodshed . . . my thinking is that extra wood means more seasoned for future burning and it's like putting wood into a "rainy day" fund . . . in case I get hurt and can't do wood one year.
I think having more wood in the first year is also a good idea . . . this is the year when folks learn how to burn efficiently . . . I know I was burning a lot differently at the end of the burning season and now then I was at the start (i.e. throwing well seasoned maple into the firebox every two hours the first night . . . when it was only 40 or so degrees outside . . . and waking up to temps around 88 or so.) You will burn more wood in the first year until you learn how to burn efficiently using the secondary combustion and cycles . . . plus as Edthedawg mentioned oftentimes the "seasoned" wood is not as seasoned as it should be and this often results in more wood consumption.
If you have the wood . . . load 'er up and let 'er rip . . . this is why you spent the money on a woodstove and spent all those countless hours getting the wood . . . of course I wouldn't use my primo wood during the shoulder seasons . . . this is the time of year to burn the crappy wood, odd-ball sizes and chunks . . . and the time of year when you start to learn the little eccentricities of your woodstove. For me personally, the oil boiler is set to fire up at 60 F . . . I usually burn when the inside room temp falls to 64 or 66 F . . . and for this reason the oil boiler rarely comes on.
I don't really care what the price of heating oil drops to . . . for me personally it's still cheaper to heat with wood. Honestly, wood heat or oil heat . . . I'm just as warm either way . . . but as much as I like saving money (my original motivating factor to going with wood), I also like watching the fire, listening to the fire and smelling the potpourri and woodscents in the air, like knowing that I am controlling the cost of heating my home and not funding any dictators, terrorist regimes or making billionaires into multi-billiionaires and I like knowing that when the power goes out in middle of a sub-zero January night in Maine that I will continue to stay warm . . . no matter how long it takes the power company to get the power back up and running.
Is 8 1/2 cords of wood a lot . . . in my case . . . yes . . . but who am I to judge? The original poster and I live in different sized homes, with different insulation, with different lay-outs and different temperature zones . . . and have different heating needs (i.e. perhaps they like it warmer than I do . . . perhaps he works from home and will be feeding the stove more often rather than loading in the morning and then having to restart it with coals in the evening, etc.) . . . as I said . . . I am not one to judge . . . we all have different needs and preferences.
When I began this post, my intention was to get the thoughts of fellow posters on the joys of heating with wood. I am beginning to get the impression that there are those here that feel I may be destroying nature for my own selfish means. It is as firefighterjake alluded to, my wife has had three major cancer surgeries and is unable to work. She is home and the cold is bad for her. The fact that I can keep my home 6-7 degrees warmer for her is deeply satisfying. With our furnace and the layout of our home, our peak heating bills were over $400.00. That was to keep our home at 68 degrees. I can only imagine the cost if I kept the thermostat at 75 degrees that we now enjoy.
With that being said, my opinion on nature is that it is doing fine by itself. That humans think we can damage this planet to the extremes that I have read about is laughable.The Earth will eat us up and spit us out when it damn well pleases and we have no control over it. I am sure that the dinosaurs thought they were living in excess for the thousands of years that they existed. Look what happened to them. It was climate change then and there was no industrial generation. Human civilization will end someday, but it won't be because of the exhaust of your car or the factories that create the products that make the products we need and enjoy. If humans can't get it together with each other, then the lives we are leading will restricted by our hatreds and our fears. I am a God fearing man and I believe that God wants us to enjoy the life he gave us. I believe those who think it is their lot in life to control my life are trying to be God-like and that is when I must speak up.
The peace and happiness I feel when I walk in to my family room and my two yellow labs are laying with my wife as she drinks her morning coffee in front of my EQ is what I believe God had in mind. That is all I have to say about that
Jeff
With that being said, my opinion on nature is that it is doing fine by itself. That humans think we can damage this planet to the extremes that I have read about is laughable.The Earth will eat us up and spit us out when it damn well pleases and we have no control over it. I am sure that the dinosaurs thought they were living in excess for the thousands of years that they existed. Look what happened to them. It was climate change then and there was no industrial generation. Human civilization will end someday, but it won't be because of the exhaust of your car or the factories that create the products that make the products we need and enjoy. If humans can't get it together with each other, then the lives we are leading will restricted by our hatreds and our fears. I am a God fearing man and I believe that God wants us to enjoy the life he gave us. I believe those who think it is their lot in life to control my life are trying to be God-like and that is when I must speak up.
The peace and happiness I feel when I walk in to my family room and my two yellow labs are laying with my wife as she drinks her morning coffee in front of my EQ is what I believe God had in mind. That is all I have to say about that
Jeff
jlow said:
I feel your pain. I am in a very old stone farmhouse. To heat the house to 68 degrees would have meant 1400 gallons of oil per season. 75 degrees would have meant closer to 2000 gallons. I would use 1200 gallons keeping the place at 60-62 degrees. My estimate for heating oil when the gas prices peaked was $6,000-$7,000 (Which comes to about $900-$1000 per month for the 6-7 months of use)
This year I will probably use about 300-400 gallons with most of the house at about 70 degrees (about 75 in the rooms that have the stoves).
I kept 3200 square foot at 75 degree all last year with a tad over 8 cord. NO OIL OR GAS USED
I got 10 cord stacked and ready for the kids to carry in the basement for this year.
I got another 10 cords of logs I just started cutting and splitting.
I told the old lady if I stroked out tomorrow she had about three years worth of heat, that should give her plenty of time to find a new wood cutter.
I got 10 cord stacked and ready for the kids to carry in the basement for this year.
I got another 10 cords of logs I just started cutting and splitting.
I told the old lady if I stroked out tomorrow she had about three years worth of heat, that should give her plenty of time to find a new wood cutter.
Slow1 said:
I should of said I;m burning a wood furnace not a stove.
I am in the thumb of michigan.
jlow, you are doing the right thing for sure. Keep that woman warm and she'll keep you warm too. And you are absolutely correct about Nature.
8 or more cords of wood per winter is certainly not unheard of even in our area; especially with a large home like you have. Of course much depends upon the wood you are burning, the stove and the outdoor temperature along with insulation, etc., etc.
I also wonder, because you live in Michigan, are you talking about a cord of wood or a rick or face cord? I only state this because in most parts of MI when you speak of a cord they think of a stack of wood 4 x 8 and not 4 x 4 x 8. A huge difference.
Good luck to you and keep warm.
8 or more cords of wood per winter is certainly not unheard of even in our area; especially with a large home like you have. Of course much depends upon the wood you are burning, the stove and the outdoor temperature along with insulation, etc., etc.
I also wonder, because you live in Michigan, are you talking about a cord of wood or a rick or face cord? I only state this because in most parts of MI when you speak of a cord they think of a stack of wood 4 x 8 and not 4 x 4 x 8. A huge difference.
Good luck to you and keep warm.
Jlow did you try a pipe damper ? It should slow down wood consumption and cause the stove to throw off even more heat.It most certainly did for my Mansfield.
Hey Dennis,
Thanks for the kind words.
My shed is 20' wide by 8' deep by 7.5' . I used this calculator:
http://www.maine.gov/ag/firewood.html
I compensated for space in between rows. Not all my wood is in the storage shed. I have some stacked in my grillhouse and another little shed.
Jeff
Thanks for the kind words.
My shed is 20' wide by 8' deep by 7.5' . I used this calculator:
http://www.maine.gov/ag/firewood.html
I compensated for space in between rows. Not all my wood is in the storage shed. I have some stacked in my grillhouse and another little shed.
Jeff
jlow said:
My forced hot air system in our drafty house never really warmed us - it left us with cold feet and dry, dusty throats. And big oil bills. Our best moments as a family last winter were spent basking in the radiance of the stove. Especially during our 8-day ice storm power outage, a humbling experience. And for me, like you, Jeff, the actual heat was just a tiny fraction of the joy I felt. Burning wood as a sole heat source gives a much deeper satisfaction than just saving money (and I thought that was as deep as I was ever going to get!). What I hear you saying is that joy and humility, at their best, go hand in hand. Amen to that.
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Humans have been burning wood to warm themselves and cook since before recorded history, we are only now learning, and putting into practice, how to use it efficiently for heating our homes. Every year nature probably burns up more wood (rather inefficiently I might add) in forest fires here in BC alone (started by lightning) than all the wood burners in North America could burn in their new EPA rated stoves, old smokers, campfires, etc,,, in a lifetime. Whether people burn 2 cords of wood a year, to heat their house, or 20 cords of wood will have no real effect on the environment as a whole.
That being said, I don't agree with Jlow on the point that nature is doing fine by itself, humans have managed to pollute the earth to the point where we are poisoning ourselves to death. Of course this isn't all that noticeable in American suburbs, but rather it is shockingly apparent in 3rd world countries where we have the factories that manufacture the products we feel "we need and enjoy".
No disrespect intended Jeff, but I felt I had to speak up on that one single point.
Please keep your wife warm and happy, and throw another log on the fire for me.
Humanity isn't doing fine by itself, but nature is. The universe is a bit more rugged than we who observe it. We've been here for a blink of an eye, we may be gone in another blink, maybe two blinks. Who's to say? Not us. Granted, humans are helping push themselves towards extinction in a foolish hurry. And each of us has some influence. But none has the slightest control over the final destination; individually we only control our own relationship with the world and with our fellow humans. On the day the world ends I just hope that dinner isn't late. And that I'm not too busy worrying about how much wood I burned over the years to remember to wave goodbye.
Here in Delaware, I know it doesn't get as cold as where most of you guys are located. Having said that, we, too, probably keep our house a little more warm than we have too, but our son tends to get sick quite a bit during the school year. We went through almost 3 1l2 cords last winter, and this winter I want to try to cut it down closer to 3 cords.
It's not that I am trying to be stingy with the wood, but it seems like every spring when we have our wood delivered, my husband is deployed to some far off desert island. That leaves me having to stack the 3-4 cords laying out on the ground. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining because I know my husband has no choice but to go, but that doesn't make it any easier to stack the wood.
Therefore, my back's answer to your question about burning wood freely would have to be no, not this year!! :cheese:
Nina
It's not that I am trying to be stingy with the wood, but it seems like every spring when we have our wood delivered, my husband is deployed to some far off desert island. That leaves me having to stack the 3-4 cords laying out on the ground. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining because I know my husband has no choice but to go, but that doesn't make it any easier to stack the wood.
Therefore, my back's answer to your question about burning wood freely would have to be no, not this year!! :cheese:
Nina
Carbon_Liberator said:
That being said, I don't agree with Jlow on the point that nature is doing fine by itself, humans have managed to pollute the earth to the point where we are poisoning ourselves to death. Of course this isn't all that noticeable in American suburbs, but rather it is shockingly apparent in 3rd world countries where we have the factories that manufacture the products we feel "we need and enjoy".
No disrespect intended Jeff, but I felt I had to speak up on that one single point.
Please keep your wife warm and happy, and throw another log on the fire for me.
Nature will do fine by itself. Humans maybe not. The products "we need and enjoy" would be my wood burning stove. I am not sure if it is built in a third world country. Man, I wish we had enough time on earth to clean every regions mess, but, if we all focused on making the area we are responsible for the best it can be, we would all be better off. I believe that great strides have been made on lowering emissions in this country, but, China and India must reign in their growing industrial aspirations and come along for the ride as the next major polluter in the world. If they poison themselves for the sake of growth, one can only look back at our own industrial revolution to see how long it will take for them to slow it down and smell the roses. Hard labor for low income will soon bring about their unionization and stagnation eventually. History tragically will always repeat itself in some form or another. My American suburb is 5 mile north of Detroit, MI., possibly the closest to third world as you can get. We have the 6th safest city in America for our population. This is because the people who planted themselves here are doing all they can to make this a great place. We are the home to 2 Ford plants and 1 Chrysler plant. I can sit in my backyard and inhale as deep as I can and I never feel the need to cough. They say it can't be done.
Sorry for rambling and I called the wife and told her to throw a log on for you.
Thanks for the debate
Jeff
Carbon_Liberator said:
Off topic . . . but I think the guy to the left of the picture must be burning pine in his woodstove/caveman fire . . .
. . . since he seems to be going bald and we all know what burning pine in a woodstove will lead to.
Brings up a good question I am curious about:
Those of you (like myself) burning heating fuel for heat, how much are you currently paying per gallon for the stuff, and where is your location?
I'll start. $4.97 per gallon, Nome Alaska
Those of you (like myself) burning heating fuel for heat, how much are you currently paying per gallon for the stuff, and where is your location?
I'll start. $4.97 per gallon, Nome Alaska
Frostbit said:
We are looking at pretty much the same with the Canuck buck Frostbit. But an imperial gallon.
As for excess wood, our forests are getting pummeled by the spruce beetle. Most government institutes/schools are either switching or have fluid bed gasification heating boilers to utilize the dead spruce. There may even be a pellet mill being subsidized because of it. I thought rotting or burning emission's were the same. :coolhmm:
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