We Made It Yeah!!!!!!!! (Chase: cost, design, places)

[elgusano]

I just wasn't thinking in terms of heating the garage and such.

We don't even bother plugging in unless we go on a trip somewhere.

But, even though it's on 24 hours per day, even though our living space is about 50% less than your, our heated space is much, much less than that without a garage.

Our cooking stove is LP, and my son accidentally left it on one day last winter. The upper part of our house was about 85 degrees.

Which brings up another thought. Our house is typical Homer construction. Started out as a cabin with a loft, picked up and put on a basement, added an arctic entry, added the back part of the house. So, even though it's only 1200 sf, it's vertical (3 floors), so the heat travels upward, so is probably more efficient.

[susitna-flower]

Originally Posted by elgusano

We keep the bedroom cool because I like it that way, and my wife can snuggle in the heated waterbed with her comforter that keeps her at about 350 degrees F.

.

LOL!!!! I know that feeling!

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by DreamChasers8

Thanks for all the info. Yes the house has that oil heating hot water base boards, whcih use to be an efficient way to heat until the price of oil sky rocketed!! WE don't have any oil at all right now but have stayed bundeled up in the house and hubby is still collecting wood, but we won't burn any until we need it. It's a 500 gal tank so I can't even imagine how much it would cost to fill up The wood he is getting right now is a few years old so should be great for burning.
I have heard the Alpine Grill is good and will definitly check it out on our date night once hubby starts working.
Thanks for all the great welcomes and info, I really love the people here, everyone and I mean everyone has been so nice. I thought the South was known for good hospitality...yeah right. We so love it here!

Congrats on your move! We made to AK about a month ago but just moved into our new home last weekend. We couldn't be happier. Being a native of the Pittsburgh PA area, I'm not exactly concerned about the winter. From what I've been told, the weather is similar but the season lasts longer. Oh well, I could care less.

Welcome to Alaska fellow noob!

[Crossfire600]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

Congrats on your move! We made to AK about a month ago but just moved into our new home last weekend. We couldn't be happier. Being a native of the Pittsburgh PA area, I'm not exactly concerned about the winter. From what I've been told, the weather is similar but the season lasts longer. Oh well, I could care less.

Welcome to Alaska fellow noob!

Hey Satch,

We are coming from the Johnstown area so we are pretty close to your home town. I don't think the winters are going to be much different up there from down here with the exception of the daylight hours.. We are heading to Juneau so the weather extremes don't seem so different from what I can tell..

[MissingAll4Seasons]

If you're getting "free" wood that's a couple seasons old make sure that you check the bark for bark beetles, and destroy the bark of any infected logs. Might also want to check for dry rot and fungus. Make sure you stack it, well-spaced, off the ground where the sun and wind can get to it and dry it out... you never know how the wood was stored before and it could be filled with dry rot or water from being on the ground for a year or two! Wet, punky wood makes for crappy, smoky fires and insane creosote build-up!

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by Crossfire600

Hey Satch,

We are coming from the Johnstown area so we are pretty close to your home town. I don't think the winters are going to be much different up there from down here with the exception of the daylight hours.. We are heading to Juneau so the weather extremes don't seem so different from what I can tell..

From what I've read, and I'm hardly the Alaska expert here, winters in Juneau are relatively mild. In fact, I'd wager that the winters in Johnstown (I lived two years in Bedford) are probably colder. Once again, they just aren't as long. If I'm wrong, I surely don't mind being corrected.

[DreamChasers8]

Thanks about the wood, I didn't know about the beetles. So far we have had no problem. Has anyone ever used those logs designed to get rid of the creosote? I was thinking aout burning one to see how it worked.

[snkalaska]

Originally Posted by DreamChasers8

Thanks about the wood, I didn't know about the beetles. So far we have had no problem. Has anyone ever used those logs designed to get rid of the creosote? I was thinking aout burning one to see how it worked.

What's bugging Alaska's forests? Spruce bark beetle facts and figures (http://forestry.alaska.gov/insects/sprucebarkbettle.htm - broken link)
"Beetles emerge from infested tree and fly to new host trees from mid-May until mid-July (when temperatures are above 60° F)."
If you cut in the fall you should be OK.
Never used the creosote log and never heard anyone say they work. How tough would it be to get on top and run a chimney brush? If you're way high, may be worth hiring a sweep.

[DannyL]

winters in juneau can get cold, but nothing like the interior. last year during jan we had a cold snap that lasted a week, one day the high was 2, and 3 of the nights hit -27 below with the wind chill factor.
but for the average, it always stays between 15 and as high as 30, and then it could drop to 10 at night, but it always rises during the day. being on the channel and with 2 glaciers around us, the wind can get brutal.
we had one instance of a taku wind coming straight up egan from the south, clocked at 84 mph in january. took out signs and one stop light. that's why the stop light on the corner of egan and main is new.
snow can average between 100 and 200 inches a season.

[Crossfire600]

Originally Posted by DannyL

snow can average between 100 and 200 inches a season.

And that is just fine with me! I am a snowmachiner so the more the merrier! WOO HOO! Look out Spaulding/Lake Creek and Dan Moller! I can't wait to learn how to mountain ride! Letter' snow!

Classic,

We did a lot of fishing in Bedford county along with a lot of wrestling at the Beford highschool tourney.. Don't miss that madness...