On Mar 17, 2006, at 1:10 PM, Jim Cathey wrote:
What has been working, sort of, is to have the pieces of wood short enough that they can sit in there endways towards the door. Then I stack some next to the fire, and maybe on top of the smoke shelf, to dry out. Partially. Using this and leavening it with the last of our semi-dry wood (it was cut for next year!) we can keep the upstairs of the house at about 60 degrees, with some work. At times it even approaches 65, when the sun is out! -- Jim
You might get a few more degrees out of it if the wood was well seasoned. It doesn't always work out that way so you compromise and make do with what you have. On the coldest nights last year when power went out we were able to maintain 62F with one Vermont Castings Vigilant. Our log home is pretty big but we shut down 2 stacked bedrooms that are on their own heat zone. They are only used when we have guests, so we save a bit there. This Winter we have 2 Vermont Castings as my Wife bought a mint hardly used Resolute (wood not gas) for $250 and had my buddies install it while I was working down South. We can get it real toasty in here now but both of us like it around 67F daytime and 60-62 at night. We started putting up wood for next year already and still have enough seasoned to get through this year with about 1/2 cord left over. A family around the corner just had some big trees cut down, 2 big beech, some ash, hard maple, locust, white birch and red oaks too. They have gas stoves and I get all the wood as long as I get it out of there by May. It'll be close to what I will be needing for next year.
Johnny B. I Mac Therefore I am
