Installing a wood stove in my garage

[Steak]

This is an old thread, but if someone finds it on a search, don't want them frightened off by a completely wrong post like this. NOTHING illegal about a wood stove in your garage. I am next door to this poster's state, and its not illegal in the state. Might be illegal in his county, I dunno. They are right on one thing, must check with your insurance company to see if they allow it, and cover it, or what type of clearance/barrier one needs. If they wont cover it, find a different option for heat or a new insurance company. I do know, without a doubt, it is NOT illegal, in his state nor mine. My insurance agent, a friend, lives in the state of WA, and has a wood stove in the garage.

Well, wood stoves are actually illegal in the garage. You would have to build a room within the garage for the stove.

Doesn't mean people don't do it but it does mean that if the place burns down that your insurance won't cover you. Worst yet, if the fire spreads to a neighbor's property or hurts someone that you are liable and uninsured. Kinda ugly really. You can check this because when you go to get a permit for it, the permit will be denied.

If you choose to do it anyway be sure that you make it foolproof and be extra diligent to avoid chimney fires.

Another option for a garage is a wood furnace that will make gobs of hot air and is more likely to be permitted.

Remember, unpermitted = illegal = void your insurance.

 

[old gray]

wondering about a wood stove in Mass. We need permits and have all kind of laws and regulations. Like some one said it may have more to do with the town or city not the state. Plan on building a garage and want to heat it with wood. I don't think a workshop with garage doors is going to fly. But open to ideas.

 

[arrow]

wondering about a wood stove in Mass. We need permits and have all kind of laws and regulations. Like some one said it may have more to do with the town or city not the state. Plan on building a garage and want to heat it with wood. I don't think a workshop with garage doors is going to fly. But open to ideas.

I think you'd be better off with a wood furnace as the above post suggests. With the furnace and a couple of simple ducts, you can throw heat anywhere you want in the space. I have a friend who heats his 40x50 shop with a wood furnace and he has 12' high ceilings with several 6' high single pane windows on two walls. His shop is always toasty with the wood furnace.

 

[MossRoad]

If I was going to heat a shop or garage, I'd go with radiant floor heat. With radiant heat in the floor, you have many choices of how to heat the fluid; gas, electric, wood, etc... and a warm floor is absolutely the best to lay on while working on something in the winter. :thumbsup:

 

[old gray]

If I was going to heat a shop or garage, I'd go with radiant floor heat. With radiant heat in the floor, you have many choices of how to heat the fluid; gas, electric, wood, etc... and a warm floor is absolutely the best to lay on while working on something in the winter. :thumbsup:

Was planning on radiant in 1 bay. Still in the early stages of planning. The only thing I am not thrilled about with radiant is the install and it is slow to heat up. I don't want to heat it every day all day. There are days at a time that I won't be working in it. I have heard of someone heating a radiant system with an electric hot water heater. Any one have opinions on that for 1 bay, and additional heating for the rest of the garage.

The wood furnaces would be nice as an alternative to the wood stove. I have a wood stove that I was hoping to use so I don't have to come up with more $$$, but if that is what it takes to get it to pass inspection I may go that route. Was his furnaces in side or outside?
Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[George2615]

When I attached an 18' x 32' pole barn to the back of my garage I was going to put in a wood stove for heat in the winter. A call to my insurance company changed that plan real fast. It's not illegal to install one but apparently a wood stove in the pole barn, garage, or house for that matter is a high risk item. My homeowners insurance would have doubled had I installed a wood stove but there would be no change if I used a propane or oil furnace. I installed a mobile home style oil furnace that runs on HHO or kerosene. Heats up the area quickly to 60 degrees (60 is where I can work comfortably without a jacket). Pole barn is insulated pretty well.

 

[MossRoad]

Hmm... your mileage may vary. When we installed our wood burning stove in our house 6 years ago, the insurance only went up $25.00 per year. The insurance company did specify, though, that I had to have it installed by a licensed installer, meaing I could not do it myself. I proviced the documentation, the insurance company approved, and we have heated with wood ever since. :thumbsup:

 

[George2615]

Hmm... your mileage may vary. When we installed our wood burning stove in our house 6 years ago, the insurance only went up $25.00 per year. The insurance company did specify, though, that I had to have it installed by a licensed installer, meaing I could not do it myself. I proviced the documentation, the insurance company approved, and we have heated with wood ever since. :thumbsup:

Insurances vary quite a bit State by State. There must have been a lot of fires attributed to wood stoves in NY. For all I know it may be broken down county by county and not the entire state. I know many people in my county who used woods stoves for supplemental heat removed them when they got their insurance renewal bills. This only happened about 4 years ago. There are still many who burn wood because it's free on their property for the cost of ones labor to get it. I don't have enough free wood on my property and would have to buy it.

 

[dstig1]

I put in radiant in my shop and it is awesome. I'm heating it with a single 160,000 BTU on-demand water heater using nat gas for an 80x32 shop that is very well insulated. It works great. Response time is not as bad as i was expecting. Lots of people say it takes forever to heat up. Last year, I was racing the calendar to get it operational before the real cold hit, and I got it going mid-Nov. when it had gotten down to 45 or so in the shop. I turned it on that afternoon and figured a couple-few days until it was up to temp. The next morning it was perfectly fine. It maintained with no issue from there on out. And that slab is 5"+, but also well insulated below and at the periphery.

The only downside to this is you cannot drill holes to secure anything like a drill press as you will guaranteed, 100% hit a line when doing that....

 

[old gray]

A lot to consider. I guess 1st step is to call Ins. agent not building dept. It would be nice if I could use the wood on my property. But it won't last forever. Out side furnace may be a good option and possibly tie in to radiant also. Dstig1 What size pipe do you have and spacing? Is it pricey compared to other types of heat? I was under the impression it was better than most because of efficiency.