Heating With Wood

Heating With Wood Using A Cast Iron Wood Stove To Save Firewood

Heating with wood can be a family project that includes every single member. Even small children can benefit from the chores that come with wood heat. If you have a gas chain saw and some available trees to cut, split and stack in the shed, the entire family can get involved.

In many parts of the country it is quite common to use a cast iron wood stove to heat with wood and save a lot of money. Not only can this be economical, but enjoyable as well.

Much of the work is dirty and requires a lot of physical strength, but there are also many easier tasks. A good new or used stove will save money and firewood, while providing reliable heat for you home.such as dragging branches away, loading split wood into a truck, stacking it in the firewood shed, cleaning up the small sticks and other debris, sweeping around the fireplace insert or free standing stove and much more.

Being together in the woods is also quite enjoyable; you can have lunch together and connect with your surroundings in a special way. Learning about the oak, maple, beech, birch and other trees is educational for everyone. The experience of burning various hardwoods to find out what is the best firewood, which one has the most BTU's is a hands on learning process.

Sharpening a chainsaw chain takes practice and care; this also provides a learning opportunity for a young person. The many types of chain saws, such as Husqvarna, Jonsered, Stihl, Echo, Homelite, McCulloch and Poulan all have unique traits that can only be appreciated by actually using the saw. Learning about the small engine, gas and oil mixing, and the care and safety are also important lessons.

Once the wood is cut, it must be split, which is also a very enjoyable project. This is especially challenging for teenage boys, who are usually anxious to test their strength with ta splitting maul. It is a good idea to buy one with a fiberglass handle so it is not so easily broken.

If you have or rent a gas powered log splitter, your task will be much easier, especially with big diameter logs and gnarly, knotted pieces. You will find that splitting by hand is actually faster with the smaller pieces though.

Building a firewood shed can be a great family project as well. This can provide many lessons in construction and weather, with immediate, practical results. Once it is built, the entire family can help with stacking in the spring and bringing in the wood during the winter.

There are many lessons to learn with the actual wood stove as well. Safety is a huge lesson that is hard for young people to learn, and heating with wood provides many real-life lessons.

Some of the better wood stoves available are Jotul, Vermont Castings, Harmon, Morso, Lopi, Hampton and Quadra-Fire. Take some time to visit different stores, check out the details, ask questions and see what your friends and neighbors have experienced. Once you get the stove, you will have to live with it for a long time!