woodstove options for an 800 sq ft cabin

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birddog

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Feb 24, 2010
7
Michigan
I am worried that some of the woodstoves I am looking for may be to much for my 850 sq ft cabin. it is about 26x36 building with an open loft. it only has 2 beds and a bath, the rest is open. is a stove that is rated for up to 1200 sq ft to big? can I even look at stove s that are rated up to 1500 Sq Ft?

if it makes a difference it will be located on one end of the building that has a 30" lower floor than the rest of the cabin.

Thanks for the help.
-Jeff
 
Full time residence? Insulation? Good windows? Budget limitations?
 
Since it is a cabin I am sure you are looking at keeping costs down, I would see if you can find a Summers Heat 13-NC on sale at a local Lowes. It is a renamed Englander 13-NC.

Question is though, were is this cabin, that makes a difference to, and how insulated is this cabin?
 
Agreed, the 13NC seems like a good choice. It may be a little overkill, but if you will likely be taking the cabin up from cold by many degrees a little extra horsepower there will be appreciated.
 
Yes,
Cost is a major factor, the things that are important to me are a glass door for some sort of view, and a top to heat water, tea ect. I want simple not fancy. The cabin walls are insulated great and roof so/so it is in northern lower Michigan and we use it on the weekends about twice a month. I have a wall furnace that heats the place fine, but I am looking for the warmth of a stove in my family room witch is 30" lower than the rest of the cabin and never gets warm at floor level.
Thanks
 
birddog said:
Yes,
Cost is a major factor, the things that are important to me are a glass door for some sort of view, and a top to heat water, tea ect. I want simple not fancy. The cabin walls are insulated great and roof so/so it is in northern lower Michigan and we use it on the weekends about twice a month. I have a wall furnace that heats the place fine, but I am looking for the warmth of a stove in my family room witch is 30" lower than the rest of the cabin and never gets warm at floor level.
Thanks


Englander 13NC it is, then.

visit a few home depots and you can probably get a hell of a deal on one right about now.
 
I have an 800 sq ft cabin that sounds similar to yours. My Hearthstone Shelburne (to be installed next week, weather permitting) is rated at 1500 sq ft, but I understand that the ratings are usually optimistic. I'll let you know if it's too much after I get it fired up.

I bought the enamelled Shelburne, which is pricey, both to enjoy the looks as well as to enhance the resale value of the cabin, whenever it is sold. I've always done things on the cheap in the past, but I've decided now that I'm retired that I'd like to enjoy my money, rather than hoard it.
 
One question is do you heat the cabin when you are not there? If not get a somewhat larger stove. You can always put in less wood, but a small stove will not put out enough heat for overnight burns, or keep the home toasty when it's real cold and windy. I had a smaller stove in my cabin first and sold it for a loss and ended up getting one twice the size. I am very happy with my new stove.
 
my f3 heats my 900sq ft home perfectly its a ranch and i have great insulation and new sealed windows. i burn oak and maple mostly some ash and some birch.
 
Is it heating from outside temp each time you fire it up? Do you keep the wall heater on when you are not there?

Matt
 
I keep my cabin at 45 degrees and I don't mind having the furnace kick on over night. I also will use both the furnace and stove to heat the place when I get there. I don't want something that will roast me out of the room
thanks for all your advise.
-Jeff
 
The 13NC was recommended as a strong medium sized heater at a very affordable price. It won't drive one out of the cabin unless it's fed and re-fed with a lot of wood. However, if this is more for ambiance, there are other stoves that would work. What have you been looking at? How important is a long fire or is it ok if the stove goes out overnight?
 
what about the woodstock....cat stove's can burn low and slow when need be....and you will save time and alot of wood with the long burns.....small non cats require frequent reloading.
 
Another vote for the NC-13. I recently purchased one about a month ago for a similar square footage application as yours (20x40). Although mine is for our dog kennel, the building is a relatively new post frame with 6" insulated walls, and insulated floor with in-floor heat. I havent used the stove more than a handful of times, mainly due to a extended vacation, and decent weather. But the past few nights have dipped down into the minus teens below so I've had it running steady for the past few day now. This little stove can really put out heat with just a bit of firewood. Generally, three average pieces of wood will fill the stove. The firebox is small so thats about all it will handle. But I have been getting a good solid 5 hours/load with the stove still being plenty hot and a lot of coals yet. It will keep the kennel in the mid 70's if I keep the stove going. Thats without a blower, with a blower, Im sure it will push much more heat. For a well insulated cabin, you can expect to get even better room temps, with the benefit of holding the heat longer. I know if I was present at all times in the kennel where I could monitor the stove it would perform even better. But I basically fill it and head back to the house. I was able to find my unit at Home depot on sale, as stated above, nows the time to start looking a HD, or Lowes for the best prices of the year.
 
I am thinking about a Dutch west 2477, or a small lopi stove. I have started calling around home depots but have not found a 13nc yet
 
birddog said:
Found a 13nc at lowes for 550 so I bought it. I will have it installed for next fall

Dang after the tax rebate that's $385!
 
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