Barndominium/Shop or "real" House?

[gsganzer]

I'm totally with you. I would like to get out some day. One of my kids lives in the Columbia SC area and I would love to permanently head in that direction when I retire.

Some of these places are even taking it a step further by banning wood fired stoves or fireplaces.

One of the things that saved me here in TX, during our big freeze a few years ago was that I had a wood fireplace, gas stove and gas furnaces. I had to use my welder/generator to run the air handlers, but It made it possible to run the gas heat.

At our new place in OK, we have gas heat, stove and water heater. It also has a gas fireplace, that I'll be changing to a wood stove to further spread my utility base. Reliability and savings is in diversity of utilities.

 

[EddieWalker]

... It also has a gas fireplace, that I'll be changing to a wood stove to further spread my utility base. Reliability and savings is in diversity of utilities.

If it wasn't four our wood stove, I'm not sure how we would of survived the big freeze!!!! We had temps down to -14F and the power was out for 6 days. Overall, thanks to our wood stove and generator, it sort of became a fun adventure for us.

How do you change the chimney from a gas stove to a wood stove? The temps from wood are so much higher than gas that it seems you will have to install a chimney to handle the extra heat.

 

[Boeing]

"- Speaking of bringing in the groceries, I would not make my retirement home a place where I had to climb stairs. While I'm currently fit and able, a 1st story master, kitchen, bathroom, living room, are all necessities."
I agree with all these guys, I'm 76 now still perky and able but I see the handwritng on the wall. Avoid stairs. I would think about an almost "tiny house" (maybe double) and your large shop/garage. Good idea preparing early....

 

[gsganzer]

How do you change the chimney from a gas stove to a wood stove? The temps from wood are so much higher than gas that it seems you will have to install a chimney to handle the extra heat.

That's what I need to figure out. They installed the fireplace by 45-ing one of the living room corners, floor to ceiling, and veneered it with stone. The fireplace is mounted there with the TV above it and the vent pipe is run in that void/chase, but actually only rises about 8' before it exits out the side wall. Like you said, the gas fireplace exhaust is cooler and smoke free, so it can exit a side wall with an outside diffuser/guard.

The owner should be able to tell me if that void can be the chase to run a stovepipe all the way up and out the roof.

My other option is to demo that veneered wall, but that's a lot more hassle. I'm not a huge fan of the dry stacked look of the veneered wall and my wife and I both think the TV is mounted too high to watch comfortably. Plus removing it would allow me to move the wood stove deeper into the corner. I'd probably just do some decorative fireproof tile and an ash curb in the corner.

One of the good things is our friends built the place and I think they might still have all the video of the framing/wiring/plumbing before everything was closed in. They also know the stain colors, wood types etc, so if I decide to remove the veneered wall, I should be able to stitch in pine T&G, perfectly, matching one of the walls.

We plan to add 2 wood stoves. One in the living room and a second on the seasonal covered/screened porch.

I'll get some pictures when I'm up there. I need an "Eddie Walker reality check" on these ideas.

 

[WinterDeere]

How do you change the chimney from a gas stove to a wood stove? The temps from wood are so much higher than gas that it seems you will have to install a chimney to handle the extra heat.

Different type and size of liner, in general. Gas stoves operate on smaller (e.g. 4") liners, and are more often than not uninsulated. Wood stoves mostly operate on 6" stainless liners, and because most masonry chimneys are assumed to fail modern requirements and because new stove efficiencies put so little heat up the flue to maintain draft, insulation is nearly always recommended.

 

[gsganzer]

Different type and size of liner, in general. Gas stoves operate on smaller (e.g. 4") liners, and are more often than not uninsulated. Wood stoves mostly operate on 6" stainless liners, and because most masonry chimneys are assumed to fail modern requirements and because new stove efficiencies put so little heat up the flue to maintain draft, insulation is nearly always recommended.

I'll get with a reputable wood stove company to advise on stove size, type and install. I'm leaning towards a non-catalytic like an Osburn 3500 or similar. The house is 3000 sq/ft and the main room where the stove would go is 1200 sq/ft. w/ a 20' peak. If I run the HVAC fans, it should circulate the heat to all the other rooms. I'm not a huge fan of seeing the stove pipe run all the way to the ceiling, but also not a fan of the stove/chimney running in an enclosed chase, in case of leak/fire. So, an informed decision will need to be made.

 

[ericm979]

The advantage of catalytic EPA stoves is that they can be turned down farther. The reburn type stoves need a minimum air flow to be effective and they're engineered so you can't close that air off.

We have a "Flame Energy" in the current house. Made by SBI and has the same fire box as some Osburn models of the same time frame. Between not being able to turn it down and the 30' tall chimney's draft I have to be careful what I put in the stove. If it's already got a good bed of coals I can't load it up with a bunch of small stuff or it will burn too hot.

The designer/builder of our new place was concerned that a wood stove would make too much heat for a well sealed and insulated 2400 sq ft house. I went with a catalytic Blaze King that can be turned down low.

 

[gsganzer]

The advantage of catalytic EPA stoves is that they can be turned down farther. The reburn type stoves need a minimum air flow to be effective and they're engineered so you can't close that air off.

We have a "Flame Energy" in the current house. Made by SBI and has the same fire box as some Osburn models of the same time frame. Between not being able to turn it down and the 30' tall chimney's draft I have to be careful what I put in the stove. If it's already got a good bed of coals I can't load it up with a bunch of small stuff or it will burn too hot.

The designer/builder of our new place was concerned that a wood stove would make too much heat for a well sealed and insulated 2400 sq ft house. I went with a catalytic Blaze King that can be turned down low.

That's some of the advice I need. Our new place is an 8YO Morton Barndo with 6" walls and newly installed ($60K worth) of Anderson triple pane windows and doors, so it's pretty well insulated too. I also think turndown might be important. It's not going to be a primary heating source and I don't want it to burn us out of the living space. I'll need to get educated on wood stoves.

 

[LouNY]

That's some of the advice I need. Our new place is an 8YO Morton Barndo with 6" walls and newly installed ($60K worth) of Anderson triple pane windows and doors, so it's pretty well insulated too. I also think turndown might be important. It's not going to be a primary heating source and I don't want it to burn us out of the living space. I'll need to get educated on wood stoves.

It it's real tight on air infiltration you will need an outside combustion air source for two reasons, I for a better burn and two so it can draft and get the smoke out of the house.

 

[gsganzer]

Yes, I was planning to run fresh air. The more I look at this, the more I think using the corner chase for the stove pipe/chimney pipe is going to be my best option. It looks like some stoves can install as close as 6" from the back.