Heating with Wood

Growing up heating with wood, I can very readily say that wood is easily the best off-grid and renewable source of heat in the winter. My own opinion is that one cannot call themselves a Survivalist or Prepper without a wood stove. In its best forms it is one of the most versatile tools you can own- but there is a learning curve. This wonderfully written article comes by way of Johnny Mac. Check out his no-nonsense forum, Unchained Preppers. – NC Scout

When designing our cabin for the family redoubt back in 2008 we wanted the cabin to be self-sufficient when it came to power, lighting, and heat. Today I want to share with you the heating part of this trilogy.
Of all the natural heating fuels, propane/natural gas, wood pellets, coal, wood, electricity, or solar the research that I did directed our path to wood. The main reason being the cabin is situated on 35-acres of mostly hard wooded mature trees free for he taking. Then if necessary, there is another several thousand additional acres that surround our property.
While coal and wood pellets are relatively cheap and readily available today, that may not be the case in a SHTF type of scenario. The electric here goes out regularly even when the rest of the area’s grid is working, and of course electric heat is one of the costliest forms of heat so that was out of the question. Additionally, solar is very costly too. Then you have gas and in my parts that means propane which has a double negative whammy—Delivery and cost in a SHTF scenario.
Again, that left us wood for heat and a minimal solar array for modest electrical usage. Today though I want to talk about heating and leave our solar back-up for a later article. The big question that everybody seems to have, “Is wood really cost effective?”
First, I will speak to the esthetics of wood heat, then the cost of the fuel, and last stoves versus fireplaces.

The good, bad, and ugly of heating with wood
We have lived in apartments, sail boats, and fancy houses on the water and last a log cabin in the mountains all over the lower 48 over the past 42 years of marriage. In our last house in Rhode Island we used natural gas and a small wood burning stove. Here in the wilds of Northeast Pennsylvania we heated exclusively with wood until 1-year ago when we added a highly efficient propane furnace, as a backup.
As previously mentioned, when we lived in Rhode Island we had a wood stove and natural gas furnace. At that time, I traveled 42 out of 52 weeks a year so it wasn’t practical to have my wife continually maintain the wood stove while I was away. When I was home, I left the furnace on at 66 degrees F and kept the wood stove going. We loved the dry heat that the wood stove put out especially as our house was over the water 2-times a day.
We burned 2-cords of wood a year and at that time a cord was going for $250– delivered. The two cords lasted us from November till April when by that time I was tired of dealing with the wood stove.
Although we loved the dry heat, we hated the dust that was generated by the stove. Dusting was a common occurrence which our long-haired cat loved to help out with. Then there was the challenge of finding space close to the outside door to bring wood into the house. And of course, we not only brought in wood but also mud and snow.
One year I did a quick calculation on what we saved using the wood stove versus the natural gas for the furnace. We did save some money instead of just using the furnace, but it came out to only $90– a winter. Then again it would probably have been more saving’s if we used the wood stove more than when I was home. Now let’s look at today and our cabin pictured above with wood two cords of wood stacked on the porch and two cords under. Three more cords are strategically placed close.
Currently we use six or seven cords a year depending on the severity of the winter and the type of wood we are burning. Luckily wood by the cord here goes for around $160– per cord versus what it cost in Rhode Island but that is still a cost of $1,120, a season for seven cords of wood. Plus, the split logs are only 18” long and our current Jotul wood stove burns 24” logs so you might as well add another cord and $160– to the equation. Lastly, we all know that every wood stove vendor tells you that their wood is seasoned and they deliver a true cord. When in reality it probably isn’t seasoned, and it is hit or miss getting a true count.

In my eyes the best thing to do was to try and buy some full logs from a logger where I can request a species of wood and cut to the optimum size for my stove. The first venture into buying a “tri-axle” load of wood turned out turned out to work well but not great. Once I cut down the tri-axle load of logs I only got 7 1/2 cords cut to 22” and split. Plus, the logs had been dragged out of the area being logged so frequently I had to sharpen or switch chains on my two saws; However, the cost was only $500– for the load or $67– a raw cord (no cost added for fuel, oil, sharpening etc.). Then there was time lost due to sharpening the chain saw chain, additional expense for professionally having the chain sharpened more often, the wear and tear on my chainsaws plus the extra gas & oil needed to cut dirty logs the cost came in around $110- a cord which is still not too shabby versus local or Rhode Island prices.
That first year of cutting, splitting, and stacking my own fire wood a friend stopped by who was a retired logger. He wanted to know what I was up to so over a beer I filled him in. He was impressed by my work but had some suggestions for me.
1) Put your order for a tri-axle of wood in March and not wait till August as I had done. This way you can dictate to the logger what kind of hard wood you wanted and the wood had time to season.
2) Shop around to different loggers that would guarantee you a full tri-axle of wood which is approximately 11-cords.
3) Shop around for a logger that does not drag logs out of the logging zone but picks them up with a back hoe to place onto the tri-axle trailer.
4) Next tell them you will take the load anytime but not later than June 1 and you will be paying with cash not check. I did what he suggested and was quite impressed with the result.
The load was dropped off at the beginning of May and for the most part the logs were dirt free. I was told that the logs had been cut in February so had started to dry out nicely evident by the checks at the end of the logs. I had specified hard woods, Ash and Oak. I got about 60% ash and the rest in white & red oak. It was neatly stacked in about 30-minutes (picture left) at my wood cutting area which was about 200-yards from the cabin. The last tri-axle was stacked next to the cabin which caused a lot of grief from my wife due to the saw dust, dirt, scraps, and noise over the summer. The cost of the Tri-axle was $700-.
May is planting time up at the cabin, so I didn’t start tackling the job of cutting, splitting, and stacking this coming year wood till mid-June. The ability to cut clean logs was so much different than before. The logs cut like butter and I could get about 1/2-cord between chain saw fuel fillings with no sharpening or switching out chains. After each cord cut, I did take a file to the chains; However, I only changed chains once through the total period I cut.
I paced myself and cut, split, and stacked throughout the summer into the beginning of September. Luckily, I have a 14-year-old neighbor that I paid $7– a cord, to stack. He stacked at his leisure so as not to hinder his summer teenage social calendar. I designated where each cord went. This provided the best balance for sun, air flow for drying, and use during the winter were temperatures in January and February typically average around 10 degrees F during the day and drop down to below zero at night.

The Good
Wood heat is the best heat I have ever experienced. It is relatively cheap compared to other forms of fuel used for heating. If you live near a forest, there is a never-ending supply of fuel. I also cook a lot of stews on our wood stove during the winter which is an added benefit if your stove is not working due to lack of fuel. Did I mention popcorn and fried steaks?

The Bad
Wood heat is dirty. You will be dusting often if you are a type ‘A’ home maker. You must empty the stove twice a month and the fire box dust pan once a month—Again it is dirty. Where you stack the wood in the house you will have additional dirt thanks to peeling bark, dirt, and yes in some cases bugs. Walking in with wood from outside you will bring mud and snow in with you. Have I mentioned yet—Wood heat is dirty.

The Ugly
For some coughing up a large chunk of change is a challenge; However, a friend of mine just puts $100– a month into a blank envelope starting in October. Then by March or April when he orders his tri-axle load of wood you readily have the money. Cutting up the wood then splitting is hard work. It is also dangerous as logs roll on you while cutting and chain saws buck. Add to that chore the stacking and by the time you are done you will say, “I ain’t doing this next year!” You will though as there is nothing better than siting in your recliner one January day when the snow is coming down horizontally, the temperature outside are low double digits, and a nice adult beverage at your side. While your wood stove is keeping you all toasty and maybe cooking your dinner to boot.

Cost Benefit
This year I kept copious notes on what I spent which I will share below. When it was all said and done adding in the price of the logs, selling the extra, fuel & oil for the chain saws, splitter, and tractor plus the fee I paid to have the wood stacked it cost me $97– a cord. Looking at the below table I cut 7-cords and then sold the remainder to a neighbor for raw cost a cord uncut. Of course I could have cut, then split an sold the extra for $160– a cord (3.5 cords X $160– a cord = $560-) but neighbors try to help neighbors on the mountain. This would have brought my cost per cord down to $44– a cord. I could have also reduced my out lay by $7– a cord if I stacked my own wood; However, a 14 year-old boy needs money too for important stuff like ham radio equipment.
Keep in mind the cost reflects stove wood cut to the exact length I wanted, the exact type of wood I wanted to burn, the time to saw all of the wood was
lessened due sawing clean logs and not having to stop as often to sharpen the chain saw chain.

Raw Cost of Wood
$700.00 Oil for Saws and Splitter
$20-
Total Cords from Tri-Axle
10.5 Diesel for Tractor $10.00
Total Cost Logs sold
<$235.00> Professionally Sharpened Chain
$24.00
Cords Sold 3.5 Stacking fee $49.00
Raw #, Cabin Cost Per Cord
$67.00
per cord
Total $679.00
Gas for Saws and Splitter
$45.00 Final cost per cord for cabin
$97.00

Stoves
Now let’s look at stoves versus fireplaces.
A fireplace is a very inefficient way of heating a whole house. It is estimated you will burn up to 3-times what you would burn in a sealed efficient wood stove. Plus, you have to add in a safety factor as you will need to watch your fire in a fireplace 24/7. Then the dirt and soot is doubly bad with an open fire when compared to a wood stove— Bottomline, there is no comparison.
At our house in Rhode Island we used a Jotul F3CB which is rated for a 1,300 sf house and with a maximum out put of 42,000 btu’s. Well it did a good job keeping the house warm until the temperatures hit 10 degrees F and the wind blew off the sound. When
this happened the stove just could not keep up. The good thing is that only happened once or twice a year. Having a cabin in Northeastern Pennsylvania presented another challenge to over come. It is not uncommon to have weeks where the highs were in the teens and at night –20 degrees F. was the norm.
We liked the Jotul style, quality, and having an option of side loading as well as front loading. Our log cabin is 1,500 sf above the basement which adds an another 1,000 sf which we do not heat. The Jotul F-500 Oslo seemed to meet our needs with its side and front loading options. It was rated for a 2,000 sf house, with its maximum output of 70,000 btu’s.
We located the stove as centrally as we could and added the biggest area ceiling fan we could buy. The stove sits on an insulated riser to make it easier to clean and load wood. As mentioned previously we often cook stews, make pot roasts, and such on it. All of those cast iron pans, Dutch ovens, skillets, and kettles I had been collecting over the years has paid off.
I used to clean the chimney in the fall however I now pay a professional to do that, typically in May or June. My wife has this vision of me doing a header off the roof – Silly girl. Typically, I get antennas & such ready and while the chimney sweep is on the roof, he does a little bit of antenna placement and or repair while up there. Of course, I pay him for his time.
I know that many of the readers are in the process of figuring out the best way to heat their shelter during a SHTF drama. I hope that this article makes the decision a bit easier for you and your family. Heck why reinvent the wheel. Peace brothers and sisters!

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26 Comments

  1. robert orians January 1, 2019 at 08:07

    After years of experience we put our old Shenandoah in the basement of our new house the wife and I built starting it at the age of 50 years old . The floor is always warm and the heat comes up naturally through convection . Most of the dirt and dust is contained down there too . It also moderates the heat so you don’t have those wild up and down cycles that can come with wood heat . With 30 acres of Ash dying from the Ash Borer we have way more wood than we can use and sell the excess . We also have the tops of 104 Black Walnut trees we sold two years ago for 40K . Should have another decent harvest in another 8 years . I spend about $300 yearly on chainsaws and supplies but I make several thousand from the excess firewood and firewood is cheap here in the Buckeye because of the Emerald Ash Borer blessing our Chinese friends sent us . Is anyone else contemplating a class action lawsuit against the Chinese over that ? Get a Shenandoah if you see one for sale . Best ever made .

    • JohnyMac January 5, 2019 at 10:05

      Yes Robert, the Ash Borer is here too now. Bummer! I like your idea of putting the stove into the basement.

  2. Anonymous January 1, 2019 at 08:59

    5

  3. panhandlerancher January 1, 2019 at 10:14

    I buried three 1000 gallon propane tanks to provide easy cooking and emergency heat. The mountain house had an efficient HVAC system so I added a no dust producing Heatmor wood burning hot water heating external furnace. The Heatmor burns wood that heats a stainless steel water jacket. The water is circulated in a radiator placed in series with the HVAC radiator and a second thermostat is added to control the HVAC fan motor. The house is thermostatically heated just as if the HVAC system was providing heat but the heat comes from the water radiator in the heating/cooling stack. Hot water is also circulated through a water jacket to make hot water in an electric hot water heater. Almost all hot water for the house is produced by the Heatmor. Propane heaters in the basement and first floor provide emergency heat apart from the HVAC, the Heatmor, and a fireplace. A Sopkis Magnum wood burning cookstove provides an alternate cooking method. PH

  4. Recon Prepper January 1, 2019 at 14:37

    Luckily I live in the woods so don’t have to purchase firewood. I just go outside and chop some down LOL :) Build up a stack and let it age a year under roof so it stays dry.

    • JohnyMac January 5, 2019 at 10:08

      Recon, it is certainly nice to have your own wood to cut. The only trees we cut up on our property are storm blown down ones. My thought is, as long as paper money is good I will use it to buy my logs. When paper money is worthless then I will be able to hit my property’s natural resources. Your staying ahead of the game by cutting down trees one year in advance is spot on!

  5. Devin S January 1, 2019 at 22:30

    Great article as usual. Also great idea about buying the logs instead of cut/split. I found a guy who was on time, stacked the wood on a trailer to dimension so you could see and was just a good honest guy, $200 a cord for split Tamarack (which is the best we can get up here. We heat exclusively with firewood and have a centrally located stoke. But one think I noticed you didn’t mention is a the cream of the crop Soap Stone lined stove. We plan to upgrade to one eventually, they are pricey but most people mention only needing to burn a third of the wood they normally burn because of the amazing heat retention of the snow. People used to use soap stone blocks they would heat all day by the fire then place under their beds to help heat them while they slept. I hope to cut my own this or next summer but want a splitter and need time, we have 7 acres of densely forested property, too densely to be safe, so many years of firewood. I just need more chainsaw practice and safety gear. ;-)

    • NC Scout January 1, 2019 at 22:57

      That’s a really good idea regarding soapstone. We don’t do that here, but NC doesn’t get cold enough. Where JohnnyMac is though it does. Hopefully he’ll chime in.

      • Devin S January 2, 2019 at 18:35

        I think I needed more sleep, not sure why I thought you wrote the article. :-)

    • James January 4, 2019 at 22:00

      Devin,have a good IFAK when doing chainsaw work close by that includes some Cat 7’s,don’t ask how I know this is perhaps needed!

      • JohnyMac January 5, 2019 at 10:17

        James, GREAT IDEA! Some other safety things are: Boots with steel toes, safety eye wear, heavy duty leather work gloves (I go through 3-4 pair a year), large band-aides handy, and wear long pants not shorts. :-( Peace.

        • James January 5, 2019 at 11:13

          Johhny,the kevlar chaps saved my ass,a nasty pinch but no blood,had a bar and chain full of kevlar strands,along with eye protection my best safety gear for chainsawing,and have used a chainsaw for decades yet life can throw you a curve ball,will say,the pinch did hurt like hell and bruised up in many pretty colors!

          I saw a live demo with the chaps on a log,sold me on them right then and there,was lucky was at the power supply shop that day.

      • Devin S January 10, 2019 at 18:31

        Actually, good point… I’m buying chaps and a helmet/face guard too, I don’t care if all the loggers in my neighborhood laugh at the IT guy in his safety suit. :-D

    • JohnyMac January 5, 2019 at 10:14

      Devin, if you go with one of those soap stone stoves, PLEASE do a write-up on it – Good, bad, and ugly. I am interested is a good review. We went with the Jotul F-500 Oslo because we love all of the stoves of theirs we have owned. Most folks consider Jotul the Cadillac of commercially manufactured stoves. Thanks!

      • Devin S January 10, 2019 at 18:36

        I will for sure. Wranglerstar on YouTube upgraded last year and they have mentioned it in a few videos about how much they love it and they burn less wood. Honestly the best option, especially if you want to save money are rocket mass heater stoves, but they tend to be big and kind of ugly. Paul Wheaton has a bunch of videos on the subject and many claim burning 1/10th the book as a normal high end stove. Wheaton produces and his people produce the cutting edge in homesteading, but man is that guy a jerk (not a pleasant person, in person I’ve heard).

  6. Reasonable Rascal January 3, 2019 at 21:09

    Wish I’d have had this info in hand back in the 70’s when the roomie and I used wood heat. One bit of advice: never move into a place in January planning to rely on wood heat, and not have a supply of wood already in hand. Furniture only goes so far. LOL

    I truly miss those days. The former roomie still heats with wood though he wore out his original Jotul after about 25 years. Would love to visit him just to experience the pleasure of the dry heat once more though.

    • JohnyMac January 5, 2019 at 10:19

      RR, to funny! I lost a mouthful of coffee over my computer keyboard when I read, “One bit of advice: never move into a place in January planning to rely on wood heat, and not have a supply of wood already in hand. Furniture only goes so far. LOL” Tooooo funnnnny!

      • Reasonable Rascal January 5, 2019 at 12:21

        Another bit of wisdom learned from those couple of years is that you will never get the semi-rotted plywood splinters out of the (fortunately disposable) carpet if you chop it up in the living room.

        Oh, and dampers. Always install a damper in the stovepipe. Your wood will last longer when you do.

        On the plus side that first winter I did learn that it is possible to sleep comfortably amidst minus 20 inside temps over the course of several days.

  7. Roseman January 4, 2019 at 15:14

    Our Vermont Castings Defiant is on it’s 41 st winter here. We average 5 cord per season and I process it all myself.
    Never purchased firewood. Most comes from my woodlot.
    The exercise I get as well as the wood is a part of my preps.

    • James January 4, 2019 at 21:58

      Roseman,agree with you that making the fuel yourself is a great workout,though,I cheat and wait till freezing weather to split/opens like a book then splitting by hand,this of course is wood for next year unless someone has a emergency.Firewood keep you warm when you cut it/split it/stack it/move it and finally when actually burning it.Ha ve a Lopi stove that tis a dragon when necc. and will burn just about anything.I have heard a lot of great things about the soapstone and plan on looking into it.That said,have a few old slider doors for panels and am going for a little solar water heat project,might cut down a bit on wood(or propane when cheating/not around).

      • JohnyMac January 5, 2019 at 10:26

        James, if you get chance please write about this option, “That said,have a few old slider doors for panels and am going for a little solar water heat project,might cut down a bit on wood(or propane when cheating/not around).” Thanks!

        • James January 5, 2019 at 11:21

          Johhny,hit the site builditsolar.com,a lot of plans there,am going with a siphon back system I hope,feel the largest pain will be making the water batch containment box,and,as a carpenter not too bad.This site has all sorts of great tried and true plans along with a little bit of ideas that need work,will go with tried and true and if it works out will enlargen(is that a word?) the system.I am building so able to use mounting stands that can take down during summer and just a few panels for domestic hot water.I am working like a dog at moment and will make hay while the sun shines,feel the economy will slow a bit(or more) and will then go full throttle on the heating,will if works out put up info./mistakes I made ect.,check out that site,great info to lighten your power load and perhaps even go “off grid”.

    • JohnyMac January 5, 2019 at 10:25

      Yes Roseman, the exercise you get is worth the effort. As the snow recedes here in NE PA, around mid-April, I get outside and bust my hump which keeps me so lean, mean, and handsome at 62-years-old ;-) Part of busting my hump is of course cutting our yearly firewood. I wish I could get into a physical fitness routine between December and April though. Be good!

  8. H P February 14, 2019 at 16:53

    Tip for anyone is considering venting a woodstove through an existing masonry chimney: use flexible stainless steel flue liner and insulate with perlite. I have both of my stoves set up this way after previously using uninsulated traditional stovepipe- the difference is truly night and day in terms of efficiency, heat retention, and soot deposits. Easy job for a competent DIYer- affordable too compared to professional flue liner system.

  9. Alaska Paul April 3, 2019 at 12:08

    Greatly enjoyed the article and discussion! I have burned wood in NW and South Central Alaska since 1972. I built homemade stoves but I really like the Jotuls as their secondary air combustion makes it clean burning without a catalytic converter. I use Excel chimneys. Cannot take enough precautions for fire. I have a wood splitter and a covered wood shed holding 6 cords of birch and spruce. I am 71 and I love to cut and harvest wood. The wood heat lifestyle is a spiritual one. You earn your heat and appreciate it more.

  10. […] MrsMac and I are always trying something different. Whether it be cutting wood for the wood stove, (Heating With Wood) growing our own vegetables, (Living Off The Land – Gardening) having our own egg laying […]

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