A fireplace is something that many homeowners would love to have. Unfortunately, not every home has a fireplace, and not every home has room for or the support necessary for a fireplace. If you are someone who has so often dreamed of living in a home that has a fireplace but you aren’t fortunate enough to live in a home that has one, there are a few options that you can look into. If you are set on having a fireplace, if you have the room, and if you have adequate floor support or if you have had a contractor look at your home and there’s a way to build a fireplace, this is one way to go about it. It will be an expensive and time-consuming process. If, however, you don’t have the time or the money to put into this project, there is another way to enjoy the warmth, comfort, and ambiance of a wood-burning fire without going to all that effort and expense. All it takes is buying and installing a wood-burning stove.
What is a Wood Stove?
A wood-burning stove is a simple concept. It’s an appliance that has a solid metal, closed firebox. It can be lined with fireplace bricks. Back in the day, when wood stoves were a newer concept, they weren’t an efficient means of heating a home. In the 1990s, however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started certifying the woodstoves being manufactured. These stoves are more efficient, provide a better heating source, and are more environmentally friendly than the earlier stoves. When you fire up a wood-burning stove, the heat from the fire heats the sides and the top of the stove and that heat radiates out into the room. If you have electric or convection-powered fans, you can use these to circulate the heat around to other areas of your home.
Another great thing about these stoves is that they are much easier to fit into your home. Wood burning stoves do need to be vented so that the smoke can leave your home without affecting your health. If your stove is situated near your chimney, you may be able to use this to vent your stove. Otherwise, it’s a simple matter of venting your stove through an outside wall.
A wood stove can be a great addition to your home, especially if you have one main room at you use for relaxing, entertaining, or just hanging out. Wood stoves can be a great alternative heating source. Just turn the furnace down, stoke up the woodstove, and chill in front of your favorite movie or tv show, or play games with family or friends, cozied in around the warmth of the snapping fire. Nothing is quite as relaxing and mesmerizing as just sitting in front of a fire, and a wood stove is a great alternative to a fireplace: easy placement, lower cost, and much easier maintenance. You’ll also see a difference in your heating bill because you won’t need to run your furnace as much. Everybody loves to save a little money, especially when it comes to those huge heating bills that can rack up over the cold, cold winter months!
Wood Stove Maintenance
Speaking of maintenance, however, even though a wood stove isn’t as big as a fireplace, that doesn’t mean it’s zero maintenance. Because you’re burning with wood, creosote will build up. It’s important to clear out any creosote buildup on a regular basis so that you don’t have any fire hazard surprises. It’s also important to clean out your chimney or venting pipe at least yearly. This can be done on your own if you’ve vented your stove using a stovepipe and an outside wall, but remember, it’s a messy job. If it’s more than you want to take on, you can call in a professional chimney sweep instead, and if you’ve vented your wood stove through your chimney, you’ll for sure want to hire a CSIA certified sweep to come in and clear out the creosote buildup. You’ll also want to check the stove installation at least once a year to make sure that there is proper clearance from combustibles. Make sure, too, that your stovepipe doesn’t become corroded due to exposure to the high heat.
If you’re sold on the idea of using a wood stove as a heating source in your home and you live in Wilmington, Elkton, or Paoli, Maryland or any of the surrounding communities, then the place to go is The Stove Store. Whether you’re looking for a traditional stove or a more modern appliance, we’ll have just what you’re looking for. And when it comes to maintenance tools or any other accessories you might be looking for, we have that, too. Our experienced, helpful stall will be happy to help you find just the right appliance to fit into your home’s decor and create exactly the ambiance you’re looking for. Now that 2020 is in full swing, it’s time to add that stove you’ve been wanting! Stop in or give us a call today.
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