heating house with wood, advice needed... (Kenduskeag: to rent, new house, buying)
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We will be moving into a home where the primary source for heat will be a wood furnace. Their is also a wood stove in the living room. The previous owners informed us they used about 12 cords of wood last winter. The wood furnace is large enough to take large pieces of wood. Any advice on the most affordable way to get wood? It is worth paying more to have it split and delivered or do you save a lot by purchasing it in the full logs and cutting and splitting it yourself. If so, can anyone recommend a place in the Kenduskeag/Corinth area to rent a splitter.
Buy full length and cut it to size for the boiler. Cut split delivered is nice for the stove and we have got it that way for years. We typically pay about $200 cord.
If you have time inclination, just buy a splitter and get all full length. The savings will pay for the splitter.
We will be moving into a home where the primary source for heat will be a wood furnace. Their is also a wood stove in the living room. The previous owners informed us they used about 12 cords of wood last winter. The wood furnace is large enough to take large pieces of wood. Any advice on the most affordable way to get wood? It is worth paying more to have it split and delivered or do you save a lot by purchasing it in the full logs and cutting and splitting it yourself. If so, can anyone recommend a place in the Kenduskeag/Corinth area to rent a splitter.
Thanks so much!
It will be very hard, and very expensive (if possible), to get dry wood now. 12 cord is a lot of wood. I've heated several homes over the years with wood and never needed anywhere near that. The last house I heated (2100 sq. feet) I heated with four cord.
Anyway, I'd buy enough for three seasons and get the next two seasons drying now. I'd also take a look at why your house is losing all that heat, and maybe you will be able to save yourself a bunch of money heating it in the future.
We will be moving into a home where the primary source for heat will be a wood furnace. Their is also a wood stove in the living room. The previous owners informed us they used about 12 cords of wood last winter. The wood furnace is large enough to take large pieces of wood. Any advice on the most affordable way to get wood? It is worth paying more to have it split and delivered or do you save a lot by purchasing it in the full logs and cutting and splitting it yourself. If so, can anyone recommend a place in the Kenduskeag/Corinth area to rent a splitter.
When I get back there in the spring to buy a new house...new to me anyway, I am hoping to get one I can heat primarily with wood to, but 12 cords seems like way more wood then I have ever read about anyone needing back there, unless you home is very big or not insulated very well. I had it in my head that for a 1-2 BDR house I would use in the area of 4-5 cords per season...should I rethink this amount?
We will be moving into a home where the primary source for heat will be a wood furnace. Their is also a wood stove in the living room. The previous owners informed us they used about 12 cords of wood last winter.
WOW!
That is a lot of wood!
Seriously, it is a lot.
Quote:
... The wood furnace is large enough to take large pieces of wood.
4 foot lengths? 8 foot lengths? What is a large piece?
Quote:
... Any advice on the most affordable way to get wood? It is worth paying more to have it split and delivered or do you save a lot by purchasing it in the full logs and cutting and splitting it yourself. If so, can anyone recommend a place in the Kenduskeag/Corinth area to rent a splitter.
When I get back there in the spring to buy a new house...new to me anyway, I am hoping to get one I can heat primarily with wood to, but 12 cords seems like way more wood then I have ever read about anyone needing back there, unless you home is very big or not insulated very well. I had it in my head that for a 1-2 BDR house I would use in the area of 4-5 cords per season ... should I rethink this amount?
Wow, ok definitely going to double check. The boiler is in the attached garage. The house is pretty old so insulation may be the issue. Really won't know until we live there I guess. We haven't even closed yet. So any advice on where to get wood this late? We plan on splitting the wood for the stove in the house. The boiler is pretty big so I was under the impression we would just be able to use larger pieces for that, but I am not sure how big.
When I read some of you guys are paying $200 a cord I shudder.
Right now I'm paying $60 a full cord for oak/maple slab wood (8' lengths).
When the previous owner of OP house said 12 cords, maybe (hopefully) they were talking FACE cords. It would take 12 face cords to make 4 FULL cords. (3 face cords equal 1 full cord)
When I buy my wood I buy it by the face cord because that's all my trailer will haul in one trip. A $20 bill will get me one face cord.
Our Wis weather is about same as yours in Maine and I heat 2400 sq ft of living area (100% wood heat) with 5 full cords (or 15 face cords) per heating season. And my house is not that tight... 34 years old, could use new windows and more insulation in attic. And my wood stove/furnace is 26 years old.
To burn 12 full cords, I would think you'd have to be feeding that stove constantly 24 hours a day.
As for buying wood, one source might be your local Craigs List.
When I read some of you guys are paying $200 a cord I shudder.
Right now I'm paying $60 a full cord for oak/maple slab wood (8' lengths).
When the previous owner of OP house said 12 cords, maybe (hopefully) they were talking FACE cords. It would take 12 face cords to make 4 FULL cords. (3 face cords equal 1 full cord)
When I buy my wood I buy it by the face cord because that's all my trailer will haul in one trip. A $20 bill will get me one face cord.
Our Wis weather is about same as yours in Maine and I heat 2400 sq ft of living area (100% wood heat) with 5 full cords (or 15 face cords) per heating season. And my house is not that tight... 34 years old, could use new windows and more insulation in attic. And my wood stove/furnace is 26 years old.
To burn 12 full cords, I would think you'd have to be feeding that stove constantly 24 hours a day.
As for buying wood, one source might be your local Craigs List.
If EKH is in Maine, then it is a full 8x4x4' cord of wood. Wood boilers do eat a lot of wood. The outside boilers will take a big stick... I've heard of 7-8 cords a year with an outside boiler, 12 is a lot.
Craigslist is a good idea as to look for wood, or ask some of the local in your new area.
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