Naive Nooby

[Insanad]

Hi Wood people, After several hours of conflicting research I have decided to ask folks who seem to know and are somewhat less biased but interested in most efficient, clear, honest, and reliable products. That led me here. So far after reading about nine threads I think I can trust the comments and suggestions posed by your seasoned contributors. I don't mean to belabor something if it's been covered a hundred times, but for the sake of time: I have several questions but am not inclined to read through ALL the previous threads to glean the best parts, so in the spirit of efficiency I'm looking for seasoned advise on the following topics:

Right Wood stove to purchase for climate and home style
Thoughts on using beetle killed wood from local forests in S. Utah
Advise on purchasing pre-cut vs buying chainsaw and paraphanalia and cutting own wood
Given these qualifiers, what are the realities I may need to consider
Is more expensive better or just more expensive? What makes a stove worth $1,600 or more?
Opinions on burning cottonwood, box elder, sticks and twigs, and loose stuff from wind damage

Some qualifiers:
My husband will retire in two yrs and I'm in late 40s, possibly potentially more limited in strength and agility
New addition to old 1868 pioneer home will be approx. 1268 sq. ft. with open floor plan and wood stove centered near front with open clg. to art loft above, one bedroom bath in rear of floorplan and door to old home can be opened to allow heat into 850 sf pioneer home.
Covered side patio approx 8' x 38' (good place to store wood?)
Median winter temperatures average 40 degrees thru months of Dec -Feb with low humidity
I grew up with wood heat but inefficient and poorly installed, but some experience and genuine affection for lifestyle.
No pickup truck but we do have a Subaru with a good 4 x 8 light wt. trailer
Small electric chainsaw but not inclined to buy or run big chainsaw
Neighbors have log splitters, should we buy our own?
No restrictions now or in near future on wood stoves in my area

Well, that should get things started. If these topics have been covered well just link me to the right ones and I'll try to do some reading.

I appreciate that there's a site like this available. If you would like an exchange of information on how to invest $4,000.00 into a garden and net upwards of $32.00 in produce, let me know.

Thanks,
Insanad (pronounced like Insanity, only with a dddd sound)

 

[Wet1]

I don't mean to belabor something if it's been covered a hundred times, but for the sake of time: I have several questions but am not inclined to read through ALL the previous threads to glean the best parts, so in the spirit of efficiency I'm looking for seasoned advise on the following topics...

Well, that should get things started. If these topics have been covered well just link me to the right ones and I'll try to do some reading.

Welcome... Actually, these things have probably been covered thousands of times, so you'll need to do a little reading yourself.

This should get you started:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/search/
Look in the "Hearth Room" for the majority of your answers.

After you've done some research, come back with more specific questions and I'm sure the folks here will be more than happy to help... but you have to do a little work/reading yourself before we get to that point.

BTW, most of your questions and reading will be served best in the "hearth room" sub forum.

 

[StackedLumber]

some of your questions are probably more answered by your own personal preferences and style of living. The two main factors for us burning wood is cost and independance. You can buy pre-split wood, but it's going to cost you more-sometimes a lot more. For example up here logs are $65-75 a pulp cord and pre-split wood is 45-60 a face cord. (3 faces to one pulp) Thus, you are shelling out double or triple the money for pre-split stuff. You have to ask yourself at what point is it not worth it financially to burn wood.

Plus, there's a big measure of independance in doing it all yourself-which also addresses your borrowing the wood splitter question. Sure the neighbors might have a wood splitter, but what happens if there is a falling out and they say no-or any other of a million reasons why you can't use someone else's splitter. Also, living out there I don't know how much wood you'll need, but I don't think I would leave myself with just an electric chainsaw for cutting wood. You'd be better off getting a homeowner-sized Stihl or Husqvarna that will last you your days, and they are so much lighter now too.

I'm sure other people will chime in on the whole "which stove to get" debate, my only thought would be to analyze payback time against heating with a different source of heat. And thinking through if you are just trying to heat the air in your house or also looking to heat your Domestic hot water.

Just my thoughts-i'm sure others will chime in.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think that burning beetle killed pine is a fine idea. There are a couple of people on this forum who burn almost nothing else.

 

[Wood Duck]

I think one decision to make is whether you can realistically cut your own firewood from the forest and haul it to your house. I think moving the wood is the hardest part of the operation - moving it from where the tree fell to your trailer, lifting it into the trailer, and getting it from the trailer to the woodpile. Sawing really isn't too hard, and I think most people should be able to manage a small saw that will work adequately. Of course we're talking gas, not electric saw. Then comes the real work, getting the wood into the trailer. Wood is heavy, and on public land it might be easy to find wood to cut, but hard to find wood in a place your trailer can get to. If you don't think you have a place to cut your own wood, then you'll have to buy wood or find some other source of wood like a tree trimming company.

Once you have figured out that problem, you have to split, which I think is fun and easy, so I don't recommend buying a splitter. Try splitting by hand first - I think you'll get by the first year or two, then you can decide if you need a splitter. If you can lift a maul, you can split. It doesn't take major strength.

Box Elder and Cottonwood are both low density and low in BTUs, but both burn and I'd take the wood if it was easy and free.

 

[Insanad]

Thanks for both responses. I'm putting in key words like beetle killed pine, high desert, etc. and getting a few good threads to read but maybe my stuff is too general.

I definately understand the drawbacks of borrowing a woodsplitter but am curious whether it's realistic to go up the mountain with our little trailer, rent or buy a chainsaw and get a permit, then cut,stack, haul and then split and re-stack our own wood for the five months of the yr. that we'll be heating, or.... to pay someone to do the more difficult physical part and bring it to us. (my husband has some serious shoulder and back problems from some previous injuries and I may only be able to split wood if it responds to cussing, but I have terrible aim with an axe or non verbal weapon...someone could get hurt)

Here's a thought, we pay someone to just bring us the long logs (quite abundant with the massive beetle kill on the mt.) and then in the convienience of our own back yard we cut, split with a log splitter, and stack . The cost might be turn out to be sixes if we balance the cost of the driving or hauling vs having it delivered in rough form. (Or...as I stated before in my naive nooby status, I may be blowing smoke out my nether regions...I don't know, that's why I came here)

We're definately looking into the water heating aspects as well as the practicality of a Hasa that would do it all and take the mess out of the house altogether. The cost of a Hasa and installation and all may be far more than a wood stove.

We're about a yr. from construction so I'm trying to do as much research as possible so that I can design for the best and most efficient/useful system. I'm an UNEMPLOYED residential designer/architect. I can make changes to our plan and have done so about 200 quadrizillion times and I don't charge myself for said changes. (That's because I'm using my noggin).

So if you could do it all over again and design the perfect heating system for a 1200 sf home (at 5,600 ft. elevation high desert), what would you be sure to include? And most importantly, WHY?

 

[Wet1]

So if you could do it all over again and design the perfect heating system for a 1200 sf home (at 5,600 ft. elevation high desert), what would you be sure to include? And most importantly, WHY?

Passive solar heating and solar DHW would be musts on my list. I'd install a central heating system, but with only 1200 sq ft I'd probably do all my heating with a wood stove. But keep in mind, you're not always going to want to, or might not always be capable of tending to the needs of a wood stove, so have an automated system to fall back on.

 

[StackedLumber]

if the wood is your main/only source of heat, I would be concerned w/ using the cottonwood and pine . . . they burn really quick and you'll need a whole lot more wood than if you burnt other hardwoods-plus, they put out a ton of cresote that will need to be cleaned a whole lot more and have a higher risk of a chimney fire. Having the logs delivered is a very viable option, we usually do that as well, also look for a logging mill that does hardwoods a lot of them will have slabs that they will sell you for a very reasonable price.

Since you have time on your side, cruise the internet (ebay, craigslist, etc.) and see if you can find a wood splitter on the cheap. A buddy of mine just found the steal of a lifetime and found a lightly used 20 ton gas wood splitter for $100!! Not saying you'll find the same, but if you allow time to be on your side and are patient, you'll be amazed what you'll come across when you aren't in a hurry.

 

[karri0n]

As far as which stove to choose and price differences, it's really a personal preference. When talking more expensive, it's generally due to the stove having more aesthetic qualities, size, and being soapstone vs. steel or cast iron. There are only so many features that go into a wood stove, though that Harman with the grill in it is really cool to me. If cost is a major issue for you, almost everyone is very happy with Englander stoves, and the price can NOT be beaten. However, the stove is a square stee box, and doesn't have any bells or whistles. A cast iron stove or a Hearthstone stove will look very different, and if the aesthetic of the stove is important to you, it's something to consider. Every EPA stove has to meet certain efficiency standards, and the minimum efficiency required by the EPA is quite close to the maximum possible efficiency as dictated by physics.

 

[Wet1]

if the wood is your main/only source of heat, I would be concerned w/ using the cottonwood and pine . . . they burn really quick and you'll need a whole lot more wood than if you burnt other hardwoods-plus, they put out a ton of cresote that will need to be cleaned a whole lot more and have a higher risk of a chimney fire.

Welcome to the forum. The info you posted is bogus. With proper seasoning, cottonwood and pipe will not create any more creosote than any other wood, nor are they going to cause any chimney fires if seasoned and burned properly.

 

[Insanad]

Excellent perspectives folks. Yes, we're doing as much passive solar as we can and with 300 days of clear skies/sunshine I don't think that's a problem. I will be looking into the solar panels and even solar water system but have alot of research on that to evaluate.

The pine and cottonwoods/box elder are the most available wood in our area but I am concerned about the mess they make and how quickly they burn. There's enough dead pine on the mt. to supply the western hemisphere with wood if they want to come and get it before the forest fires do. After that ya'll can have it in the form of smoke because someday it's going to go and will be huge.

I think our future mortgage may require a backup system anyway. We have natural gas to the old cabin/home already so extending the line should be easy.

Which wood stoves work best considering pine is the main wood we may be using?

 

[Insanad]

if the wood is your main/only source of heat, I would be concerned w/ using the cottonwood and pine . . . they burn really quick and you'll need a whole lot more wood than if you burnt other hardwoods-plus, they put out a ton of cresote that will need to be cleaned a whole lot more and have a higher risk of a chimney fire.

Welcome to the forum. The info you posted is bogus. With proper seasoning, cottonwood and pipe will not create any more creosote than any other wood, nor are they going to cause any chimney fires if seasoned and burned properly.

What might constitute proper seasoning for dead standing beetle killed pine? Is it already done by mother nature? The forests died about five yrs. ago or more and have been dead standing or falling for almost a decade. The cottonwood and box elder are all over and in various stages of dead or soon to be dead. From what I remember using old wood that has started to rot is really messy and burns inefficiently. We also have a lot of pinion pine and juniper available. It seems less heavy and we wouldn't have to travel as far to get it.

The Harman TL300 is a fine looking stove and the novelty of the top load and grill and pedestal all appeal to me very much but since I have a yr. to decide I'll wait to see if what some suggested regarding the company's reputation bear out. If we burn pine and it gets too hot and cracks something would we be able to get parts to fix it? Is that common or just a planted fear? In my illusions I'm anticipating that I'll never have to replace the stove in my lifetime. My mom has had her behemoth Ben Franklin for 30 some years and other than a broken hinge and cracked glass the thing seems to still be pretty dang efficient and heats her 1200 sf home just fine.

Is it realistic to expect a wood stove to last 40 years? Also, how much is a red car?

 

[Wet1]

Pine will not be an issue, but the burn times will be a little shorter since its a softwood.

If I were only going to be burning softwoods and was concerned with burn times, I'd w/o a doubt look at cat stoves. For your place, I'd go with the Woodstock Fireview (or possibly the Classic, but the FV would be my 1st choice) or the Blaze King Princess. The FV is a sharp looking stove, but the BKP will burn a lot longer on a single load, plus it has an automatic thermostat so you don't have to fuss with the damper throughout the burn cycle.

 

[Insanad]

Pine will not be an issue, but the burn times will be a little shorter since its a softwood.

If I were only going to be burning softwoods and was concerned with burn times, I'd w/o a doubt look at cat stoves. For your place, I'd go with the Woodstock Fireview (or possibly the Classic, but the FV would be my 1st choice) or the Blaze King Princess. The FV is a sharp looking stove, but the BKP will burn a lot longer on a single load, plus it has an automatic thermostat so you don't have to fuss with the damper throughout the burn cycle.

Crikey, now i have to look up cat stove, damper, burn cycle, and burn times.

I was just sure I wasn't a virgin anymore but you guys are proving me wrong.

Ok, looked up cat on another thread. Apparently it's a catheter or a catalytic converter and has some guy talk acronyms and stuff that went right over my head but I can deduce it has something to do with regulating temperatures. That I know about.

I did know about dampers and burn cycles and times but was just joshing you to appear marginally informed but pliable.

 

[karri0n]

even rotted wood burns fine. You just need to make sure it's dry, because it can be very spongy and absorb water. As far as the standing dead goes, some of it may be ready to go, some of it not so much. Take some down, split it, and test the moisture content to find out for sure. If it's standing dead, and has no bark on it, chances are it will dry in 6 months or less once you cut it to length and split it.


Any wood stove is going to do about the same with that fuel. There are no wood species-specific wood stoves, really. When it comes to fuel, really the only two categories should be hardwood and softwood. comparing by exact species can be a bit misleading, and is generally unnecessary. Even in this regard, there aren't really some stoves better for softwood and some better for hardwood, though a catalytic stove in general can burn longer than a non-catalytic, which may or may not be advantageous in this regard. I won't go much further than that on the subject, so as to not start up this year's cat vs. non-cat war.

 

[Insanad]

given my personal experience when any two men are involved in "EXPERT" opinion matches, it doesn't take much to start a war. I respectfully absorb all the suggestions and will probably just buy something on sale or at the swap meet....KIDDING! --------

I suspect that many mornings my husband will start the fire but then I'll have to maintain it through the day so I want to invest in something that will produce the necessary heat and ambiance but won't end up being more expense than a HASA. Theres many options and realities to consider. ---------

I noticed that many of the stoves I saw online did NOT have the catalytic converter. Is such a devise something that needs frequent tweaking and replacement?

My mother's stove seems to burn anything she puts in it without any real maintenence other than cleaning and changing the damper a bit now and again. Hers is big and ugly but sure works well. I could live with ugly (what are the opinions of hot gluing lace to the stove for embellishments) but I don't want pretty and useless.

 

[StackedLumber]

My reasoning for stating about the pine and creosote is the rapid and intense rate in which pine burns . . . the fast and intense heat that the pine produces heats up the flue/chimney pipe, and because it burns quickly it doesn't keep the flue pipe hot for long periods of time causing the condensation. Sure if you want to keep chucking pine log after pine log into the fire to keep it hot that's fine-but who wants to do that. On top of that, is not pine when compared to hardwood of similar "seasoning" a "dirtier" burning wood, with more burnable particulates in it's smoke?

Perhaps I should have stated that more clearly

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Insanad. Kick off your shoes and sit by the fireside.

I tried to do a quote to answer your original questions but it made the post too big so I'll try a shorter version.

Right Wood stove to purchase for climate and home style.

A Fireview would fit very nicely in this climate and the wood you have to burn and should fit right in to your lifestyle. One of the big pluses with a Fireview is that after we bought one we found that we burn only 50% of the fuel we used to. So with your situation that could be a considerable savings in dollars and a big savings in labor.

One thing you will soon find out is that Woodstock does not sell through dealers. They are direct sales only. But you will not find a more accomodating company nor will you find a better guarantee. Six month trial; if you are not satisfied, your money is refunded. Believe me, very, very few are shipped back. People love them. Also, Woodstock is not a high pressure sales group. You can call anytime even with questions. They are very friendly and helpful.

Thoughts on using beetle killed wood from local forests in S. Utah

Very nice wood to burn and at least partially seasoned already.

Advise on purchasing pre-cut vs buying chainsaw and paraphanalia and cutting own wood

The advantage of purchasing pre-cut is that you will not have to purchase extra equipment and you will have less labor involved. The downside is usually one can not find seasoned wood from a dealer even though they will say it is seasoned.

Given these qualifiers, what are the realities I may need to consider

Is more expensive better or just more expensive? What makes a stove worth $1,600 or more?

Each stove will have its own benefits and pecularalities. Most of the newer EPA stoves are worth much more than the older stoves for sure. Steel, cast iron or soapstone; each has its followers.

We researched all three before we purchased our soapstone and we’re glad we did! Soapstone gives a “softer heat.” We thought this was just hype but found that indeed it is different. As stated, we only use half the amount of wood as we used to and we stay much warmer too.

This is probably a good place to insert that the cat operation is simple. This is one of the easiest stoves to operate and my wife can do it all if need be, and does many times. In fact, I’ve never emptied the ashes from this stove as she considers it her job. (Watch, I’ll get some razing on that one!) The cat needs cleaning from time to time which is a very simple thing (we use an old paint brush to brush the fly ash off) and takes 5 minutes or less. Also, with the cat we rarely have to clean our chimney. We did clean it after 2 years use and got very little soot and no creosote.

Others will probably chime in on the steel stoves, which do heat up a bit faster. Cast iron also has its followers and our soapstone stove does have a lot of cast iron parts.


Opinions on burning cottonwood, box elder, sticks and twigs, and loose stuff from wind damage


Cottonwood is a good wood to burn in your locality. You will find it burns hot and even though it will not last as long as oak, you can and probably will be burning lots. Box elder will burn longer than cottonwood. Again, it is not the best but should do the job for you. Sticks and twigs and loose stuff might work well for kindling but it is not to be depended upon for the main fire as it will burn up too quick. And don’t be afraid to burn all the pine you have.



Some qualifiers:
My husband will retire in two yrs and I’m in late 40s, possibly potentially more limited in strength and agility.

Good for him for retiring. Don’t worry too much about limited strength and agility. You can still do much.

I am 67 and my wife is 65. We have burned wood for a few years (look at my signature at the bottom of this post) and plan on burning wood for many, many more years. We do not plan on letting age stop us nor should you.

New addition to old 1868 pioneer home will be approx. 1268 sq. ft. with open floor plan and wood stove centered near front with open clg. to art loft above, one bedroom bath in rear of floorplan and door to old home can be opened to allow heat into 850 sf pioneer home. Covered side patio approx 8’ x 38’ (good place to store wood?)

That sounds like a wonderful home. A Fireview should heat that nicely, especially in your climate. The covered patio would work good for storing dry wood before bringing it into the home. However, for seasoning wood it is still best to stack out in the sun and wind. Probably with your climate it will season quickly. We do not cover our wood until it has seasoned for about a year and then when covering it is important to cover only the top of the stack; never cover the wood completely.

Median winter temperatures average 40 degrees thru months of Dec -Feb with low humidity

Lucky you!

I grew up with wood heat but inefficient and poorly installed, but some experience and genuine affection for lifestyle.

Having grew up with wood heat gives you a head start on this project.

No pickup truck but we do have a Subaru with a good 4 x 8 light wt. trailer


Hauling on a trailer works great.


Small electric chainsaw but not inclined to buy or run big chainsaw

You do not necessarily need a big chainsaw. You can get a smaller one for a good price. For example, Stihl makes an “Easy Start” saw for under $300. With the easy start function, it is amazing how little work it takes to start it. A child could start one (but should not be allowed to).

Neighbors have log splitters, should we buy our own?

Probably not. Of course it will depend on if you cut your own wood or not and what size of logs you have. We got along for years with an axe plus a sledge and wedge. You could also think about getting a year’s supply and then renting a splitter for a weekend.

If you would like an exchange of information on how to invest $4,000.00 into a garden and net upwards of $32.00 in produce, let me know.

Now that does not sound good at all!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

given my personal experience when any two men are involved in "EXPERT" opinion matches, it doesn't take much to start a war. I respectfully absorb all the suggestions and will probably just buy something on sale or at the swap meet....KIDDING! --------

I suspect that many mornings my husband will start the fire but then I'll have to maintain it through the day so I want to invest in something that will produce the necessary heat and ambiance but won't end up being more expense than a HASA. Theres many options and realities to consider. ---------

I noticed that many of the stoves I saw online did NOT have the catalytic converter. Is such a devise something that needs frequent tweaking and replacement?

My mother's stove seems to burn anything she puts in it without any real maintenence other than cleaning and changing the damper a bit now and again. Hers is big and ugly but sure works well. I could live with ugly (what are the opinions of hot gluing lace to the stove for embellishments) but I don't want pretty and useless.

That second paragraph about your husband tending the fire. One of the first things you will notice about most newer stoves is that they do not need a lot of tending to. With your climate, you should not have any problems with overnight burns and long burns also during the daytime. We heat 100% with wood and have no problems even though our climate is a tad different from yours. lol

I think I answered about the cat. It does not need much tweeking or replacement. The tweeking amounts to an occasional brushing (we use an old paint brush and it takes less than 5 minutes. I've done it in 2 minutes.) They will have to be replaced every so often. Anywhere from 5-10 years for most and the present cost is around $100 so it is not costly. If it last for 10 years that is $10 per year. But the best thing is that you get a clean burn (better for the environment and don't have to be worried so much about dirty chimney) and it takes less wood to heat your home.


Mom's stove could burn almost anything and many of those old stoves did! The newer stoves will not tolerate that at all nor should they. Just burn good dry wood and stay with that.

You can still buy pretty and be extremely useful. Here is a picture of our stove as we were installing:

 

[Backwoods Savage]

My reasoning for stating about the pine and creosote is the rapid and intense rate in which pine burns . . . the fast and intense heat that the pine produces heats up the flue/chimney pipe, and because it burns quickly it doesn't keep the flue pipe hot for long periods of time causing the condensation. Sure if you want to keep chucking pine log after pine log into the fire to keep it hot that's fine-but who wants to do that. On top of that, is not pine when compared to hardwood of similar "seasoning" a "dirtier" burning wood, with more burnable particulates in it's smoke?

Perhaps I should have stated that more clearly

Hey jbrabson, what about those who have only pine to burn? For example, we have one member of this forum who lives in the Yukon. He likes pine very well.

Most of what is stated about pine is old wives tales. As long as the pine is seasoned properly it will burn just fine. The flue temperature depends upon the fire. Naturally if the fire is let to go out the flue will cool.

We do not keep our flue temperature very hot at all for any part of the burn. For example, on our horizontal pipe out the back of the stove the normal operating temperature is about 250-300 (not internal) with the gauge sitting on top of the pipe.

Hey, in your area there is lots of pine! And I'm betting those 3 boys helping is great! Then a wife who loves you, what more could you ask?! Congratulations.

 

[Wood Duck]

You have to read up on the new 'EPA' stoves. Newer stoves burn the wood more completely through 'secondary combustion' and there are two types - cat and non-cat. Each type has advocates, but I think from what I read here, that cat stoves are better for long, low burns. With a small home, you could put in a medium-sized cat stove and, I think, turn it down low for long burns that wouldn't roast you out of the house but would last a long time. A large firebox (the place where the wood goes) would be good for a home that is relying mostly on wood for heat. however, I would not build a home with wood heat only because I would want options, such as the option to sometimes leave the house in the winter and not have to worry about it freezing.

It sounds to me like you should consider having logs delivered to your house and processing them into firewood. Not having to haul wood out of the forest cuts the work in half, at least. Also, at home you can do a little whenever you have time, and it goes a lot easier that way - no need for long days in the forest (although there are those of us who like those days).

There is a website called the chimney sweep online ( I think) that has a lot of good info on stoves, different types of stoves, etc. to get you started. He also sells stoves, but not cat stoves if I remember correctly.

 

[StackedLumber]

we have more hardwood than pine, all though we do have quite a few cedar swamps. South of us a bit there is quite a bit of jack pine and tamarack. winters are too cold here to be going out and constantly filling the stove. I'll take a log of hard maple any night over pine!

 

[Insanad]

Dang That is a gorgeous stove. I went to their website and they're pretty spendy but considering that we will only be buying it once, it seems a good investment. My husband likes the idea of soapstone as well.

I looked at a couple of the threads on the splitters too and now I know what the sound is through the block from me that seems to shatter the air every Saturday morning about 7:00 am. Still, might be less noisy than the sound of me or my man bellyaching from trying to split a gazillion cord of pine every winter.

Most of my family lives in the Northwest and they have access to every kind of wood at very cheap prices but in the SW we have to have pretty low standards when it comes to selection. Pine and cottonwood are the main choices and no one in their right mind would consider cutting down even a sapling of a maple, oak, or other hardwood without first getting a bidding war on the 1" spindles that could be had. Laugh you Nor-Easters and Canadians but while you're wallowing in grey murky clouds we have sunshine, glaring glaring bright sunshine. I'd be happy to trade 60 days of sunshine for 60 days of good well directed rain or slow snowmelt. Next time I'm a God/goddess I'll make everything more fair...till then, I have to consider how to use what is there.

So how do I tell if the pine trees I may have delivered or the cut chunks are seasoned or not?

How many cord of wood is in a semi truck of uncut logs? And while you're calculating, if I write a check for $13.68 and it bounces and I write another for $25.00 even, am I in the positive since two negatives make a positive? Also, why do my husbands mixed drinks smell just like paint thinner?

 

[moosetrek]

As posted on your other thread, pine is fine to burn. I see so many comments I'm thinking of making up a T-shirt that says Pine is Fine! Most of us out west don't got much else...!

 

[gyrfalcon]

Dang That is a gorgeous stove. I went to their website and they're pretty spendy but considering that we will only be buying it once, it seems a good investment. My husband likes the idea of soapstone as well.

I looked at a couple of the threads on the splitters too and now I know what the sound is through the block from me that seems to shatter the air every Saturday morning about 7:00 am. Still, might be less noisy than the sound of me or my man bellyaching from trying to split a gazillion cord of pine every winter.

Most of my family lives in the Northwest and they have access to every kind of wood at very cheap prices but in the SW we have to have pretty low standards when it comes to selection. Pine and cottonwood are the main choices and no one in their right mind would consider cutting down even a sapling of a maple, oak, or other hardwood without first getting a bidding war on the 1" spindles that could be had. Laugh you Nor-Easters and Canadians but while you're wallowing in grey murky clouds we have sunshine, glaring glaring bright sunshine. I'd be happy to trade 60 days of sunshine for 60 days of good well directed rain or slow snowmelt. Next time I'm a God/goddess I'll make everything more fair...till then, I have to consider how to use what is there.

So how do I tell if the pine trees I may have delivered or the cut chunks are seasoned or not?

How many cord of wood is in a semi truck of uncut logs? And while you're calculating, if I write a check for $13.68 and it bounces and I write another for $25.00 even, am I in the positive since two negatives make a positive? Also, why do my husbands mixed drinks smell just like paint thinner?

Hah! Trade you that 60 days of sunshine for some of our snow in a heartbeat! (It's been a cool, cloudy summer and fall. I don't mind the cold or snow, but gimme some o' that yellow stuff.)

Being a noreasterner, I don't know from softwoods at all, but the guys here can fill you in. If the logs are standing dead for some time, they're probably well seasoned, but green wood doesn't really start to dry until it's split and set out in that sun and wind for a few months.

Do think about whether you really want to do all that work of cutting and splitting yourselves. In your climate, you won't need a huge amount of wood to get through the winter, so not such a big savings over getting it split and delivered, and you might want to spend your time and energy on something else. I'm between your and your husband's age, it sounds like, and have no wood lot anyway, but when I yearn for a good splitter, I think about how many more years I'll be physically able to do this and think, Nah. I keep plenty fit just splitting down and stacking and hauling the splits I get delivered. My house is about the same size as yours and I'm in a much, much colder climate, but I still only use about two cords a year. When I get the larger stove I need, I figure maybe three cords. These new stoves are incredibly efficient.

About soapstone-- I love it. If you like an even, soft heat, that's what you want. It takes a half hour longer to warm up and doesn't get as hot as a cast or steel stove, but then you don't have the rapid ups and downs of a material that heats up and cools down faster. Seems to me that's what would really be great in your mild climate. Also, cat stoves sound more complicated, but I've been convinced by hanging out here that the complication is trivial and the advantages many. My stove is a too-small non-cat, and I'm saving up for a Woodstock Fireview like in the picture.