wood heat

[greenskeeper]

Anybody else heat their home with firewood?

I have a 200,000 BTU insert which keeps our house at a comfortable 70F all winter long, even in the northeast.

The best part is I have an unlimited supply of free firewood from my work.

Our avg electric bill (house has electric heat) is under $100/month even through the winter.

Wood heats you in 4 ways:

1) when you cut it

2) when you split it

3) when you stack it

4) when you burn it

[LttlDriver]

haha i like the 4 ways

[pretty cheap jewelry]

We use our freestanding stove for about 90% of winter heat. (The forced air is on a timer to start about 1/2 hour before awakening and shut off when we all go to work/school).

Drawbacks: certain localities have air pollution rules now about fireplaces

It is not easy to find wood free in my area, although I am on the lookout throughout the year and pick it up if allowed.

[Breton Wench]

Anybody else heat their home with firewood?

Wood heats you in 4 ways:

1) when you cut it - his work

2) when you split it - our work

3) when you stack it - kids work

4) when you drag it into the house everyday and burn it - my work!

Yes, we use wood all the time, but then it is an advantage of being a foresters wife.
How much is a cord there this year? It is 180 euros delivered of two year old mixed sweet chestnut and oak at the moment here. ( cord - 3 square metres)
There is a heavy demand for it as wood fired heating is already installed in a lot of the older houses.

[Breton Wench]

Anybody else heat their home with firewood?

Wood heats you in 4 ways:

1) when you cut it - his work

2) when you split it - our work

3) when you stack it - kids work

4) when [I]you drag it into the house everyday and[/I] burn it - my work!

Yes, we use wood all the time, but then it is an advantage of being a foresters wife.
How much is a cord there this year? It is 180 euros delivered of two year old mixed sweet chestnut and oak at the moment here. ( cord - 3 square metres)
There is a heavy demand for it as wood fired heating is already installed in a lot of the older houses.

[Breton Wench]

OOOPS - sorry for posting twice - obviously trying to bump up my posts....

[greenskeeper]

Yes, we use wood all the time, but then it is an advantage of being a foresters wife.
How much is a cord there this year? It is 180 euros delivered of two year old mixed sweet chestnut and oak at the moment here. ( cord - 3 square metres)
There is a heavy demand for it as wood fired heating is already installed in a lot of the older houses.

1 cord (hardwood) here in PA goes for $200-250...glad I get it for free.

[GREENBACK]

I love a good winter fire. I mostly can get free wood if I really search the countryside. Many landowners are glad to have you clear it away. I sometimes buy it. Been getting it for $130 a cord the last two years but don't expect that deal to last. Still it's cheaper than heating oil.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Wish I had a way to burn wood. I could get so much just from the alleys, but also wood floating in the river every time we go boating. Homeowner on the closest corner always has wood to dispose of, what with his tree trimming business. A fireplace would be horrendous for DH's asthma, though. At the state fair I've seen those steelwalled outdoor furnaces and have wondered how cleanly they might burn and whether they'd even be legal in the city. I doubt it.

[JBinKC]

I have been heating my 2nd home (now my primary residence) since 05-'06 heating season with a Jotul EPA approved wood stove with scrounged firewood. I made the change when the propane companies in my area reneged on the summer contract pricing.

[greenskeeper]

first burn this morning....got down to 35 deg and needed to take the chill out of the house. A couple of pieces of wood got the house up to a comfortable 70F

[briandownie]

There is nothing like a wood fire. The heat is constant, it doesn't fluctuate like a furnace does and just seems to warm the whole house through. The house is warm a long time after the fire goes out.

But I hate paying for wood. I collect what I can for free but won't buy it. If I have to pay for heat I'd rather buy propane. It's a lot cleaner, it doesn't leave bark all over the floor, I don't have to carry it and I don't have to get rid of the ashes!

Brian
ps. ashes are good for your garden, especially hard wood ash. Add some to the compost pile.