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For many folks in Sussex County burning wood to supplement their oil, electric, or gas systems is a natural approach to heating a home.  With a ready supply of fuel, a country character, and a self-sufficiency that might be necessary to address possible Y2K scenarios, wood burning is becoming more and more popular in the county and throughout the country.  This article presents some basics to get you started burning wood, as well as some helpful hints and links for you "seasoned"   wood-burning veterans.  

Wood Burning Appliances

Most folks burn wood using either a fireplace or a wood burning stove.  Unless you already have a fireplace, wood burning stoves are the most cost effective and easy systems to newly implement.  Many folks with fireplaces are converting them to stoves, using fireplace inserts that realize the efficiencies associated with stoves and accommodate the physical properties of an existing fireplace.  

Wood stoves come in many designs, styles, and price ranges.  The first consideration in selecting a stove is to determine how much space you are hoping to heat.  Click here for a calculator that translates room space into BTU's (British Thermal Units -- a stove's heat output).   This estimate, along with your budget numbers, will allow you to focus your search on models with the style and features that you desire. 

One word to the wise -- avoid used wood stoves!   While they may seem like a bargain, more often than not you are adopting someone else's problem. 

New wood stoves also burn more efficiently and reduce the emissions that create air pollution.  Many manufacturers have taken smoke reduction and thus stove efficiency to a new level with the introduction of catalytic combusters, devices that recirculate wood smoke and burn it more completely than non-catalytic models.   Either way, rest assured that a new, clean-burning stove will not only make you happy but also your neighbors!   

To learn more about some of the popular wood stove manufacturers check out the following links and then pay a visit to your local woodstove dealer (dealer locators are present at most sites).  I strongly endorse Vermont Castings stoves for their high tech design, stylish appearance, and many user features.

Vermont Castings, Jotul, Woodstock Soapstone Stoves

Installation Considerations

Adding a wood burning stove to your house is not a trivial exercise.  It is highly recommended that you enlist professional assistance!   Unlike normal construction, adding a stove to your house requires a permit process involving the county fire marshall rather than your local building inspector.  Hearth (the fireproof area on the floors and wall around your stove) and chimney construction needs to be conducted within the letter of the law, so make sure you or your contractor knows all the details before starting work.  Also make sure that your stove is being installed with all of the proper clearance distances recommended by the manufacturer and that all areas within these clearances are covered with approved fireproof materials.

There are other considerations that you may want to run by a building professional during your planning phase, such as an assessment of whether your floor system can support the anticipated weight of a heavy stove and hearth.  If you are building a new room to contain a stove, look into covering adjacent walls with fireproof sheet rock for added protection.  Remember at all times that safety is no accident! 

Adding a stove to your house also requires you to contact your homeowners insurance company to see what requirements they have that will ensure and continue your insurability.

Firewood

Once your stove is safely installed and tested (again contact the fire marshall for details) it is time to start thinking about obtaining firewood.  You may choose to harvest firewood yourself if you have access to a wooded lot, or may select to purchase it from a local firewood dealer.  Either way, be sure to consider the maximum log length supported by your stove.  Quite simply, a log that is too long will not fit in your stove and cutting a log shorter can be quite an unnecessary hassle. 

Wood must be seasoned for best results, a process basically including splitting the wood and then letting it dry out for six months or more.   Looking at the end of a log and seeing many little cracks is a great way to assess a log's burn-ability.  Wood type also determines burning characteristics -- in general hardwoods are a better choice than soft woods.  Burning efficiency isn't everything however, as a nice cherry log will provide you with an aromatic experience that's quite pleasant.

Wood is typically sold by the cord or truckload, with each a seemingly arbitrary measure in local practice.  A cord of wood is a neat stack four foot by four foot by eight foot in dimension.  A purchased cord of split, seasoned firewood delivered to your home ranges between $75 and $125, depending on many variables.   Be prepared to pay a little more for loads containing a good mix of hardwoods.

Be sure to check out the load before the supplier dumps it, checking for good solid logs nicely split and seasoned.  If you see excessive amounts of either extreme -- small green pieces of unsplit wood or decaying wood seemingly coming from a dead tree, reject the load and do not use the supplier again.  When you find a good supplier be sure to retain his or her services -- a steady supply of good firewood can be hard to come by.  To reduce your stress in this area, ask your local woodstove dealer or friends for recommendations.

Most suppliers dump their loads and then leave you the task of stacking the wood.  If this is the case have the supplier unload as close as possible to where you plan to stack the wood.  Wood stacking is an art and everyone has their own way of doing it, but keep in mind some basics.  First, keep the wood off the ground.  Pallets will accomplish this goal and also let air in underneath the wood pile to encourage more circulation and thus seasoning.  Second, support the sides of the woodpile or else it will fall down!  Poles, walls, or logs laid in perpendicular layers ahieve this goal.  Third, cover the pile with a waterproof tarp to discourage moisture from snow and rain to waterlog the wood.  Also be sure the keep the wood away from any buildings, including your house, to reduce the possibility of termites or other vermin invading your domicile.

Maintenance

Like any other system in your house a wood burning appliance requires maintenance.  Regular inspection of all components is a must, as is adherence to recommendations made in your appliance's owner's manual regarding replacement and cleaning of components.  Every year your chimney and all stove pipes should be inspected and cleaned (preferably by an experienced chimney sweep) to remove built-up creosote that might otherwise  result in a chimney fire. 

Other Safety Measures

It goes without saying that all floors of your house should be equipped with properly installed and maintained smoke detectors.   Fire extinguishers are another must, and you might also consider the single-use fire extinguishers sold at many home centers that will extinguish a fire occurring in your chimney.  You might also want to consider installation of carbon monoxide detectors to check for the odorless, poisonous gas that can quite effectively kill you if undetected.

As a general precaution, I like to leave the window open a crack to allow fresh air to enter the room I am burning wood in.   In some newer airtight homes this step is essential to ensuring that the house's supply of oxygen is depleted by the burning process.

HearthNet    A very comprehensive site with many informational and shopping related links.

Firewood.Com    A web site all about firewood!

Yahoo Search Results

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