Code takes the fun out of everything. I installed a pot-bellied stove in a guest house on me dad's farm once. It was a corner install and I ripped up the 3/4" pine floors and put down some fireproof mesh (like fire hose, actually) that I had and arkansas flagstone on the floor and walls, about 25'sq. on three sides. I had one 120 angle going from the back of the stove then a through-wall flange kit for the back wall of the house and obviously then a 90 degree elbow. I then just ran stovepipe up the side of the house and used another through-wall flange kit through the eve of the house, four feet above the roofline and capped it off. Cost about $300 total and haven't had a fire since I did it in 1991 If I had it to do over again, I would have gone up a couple of more feet with the damper part of the pipe coming out of the back of the stove, because it does tend to back the stove up (smoke) pretty severely with the slightest adjustment.

Sorry this wasn't really helpful, but I was pretty proud of that job when I finished it, since I lived there with my g/f one winter and had promised heat

Ya know... that could almost be called plumbing!

Best advise here has been - don't do it on the cheap. Pay the extra for a name brand double-insulated (triple wall), all fuel set-up. I recently walked by a house in town where a stainless steel chimney had been installed last fall and had to cross the yard to get a closer look. Appears to be chinese stainless steel, probably bought on sale at a big box; after one year that shiney stainless is riddled with rust holes.

Good luck,
Jim

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2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

i was looking at some 3' double wall insul, made in canada, at the lowes last night. $64 a section, but i can't find the thru the wall part?/? plus, i'm not thrilled about cutting thru my roof for the chimney.
i'm really leaning toward gas at this point but i was really liking the idea of chopping wood for excercise and having a wood fire!

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0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

Check this out hogleg: http://www.woodstove.com/pages/prefab_chimney.html

great site. i saw one like it yesterday but this has more info!
thanks,
gregg

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0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

Build a fire ring outside and you can still get your exercise and have lots of nice fires.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

while i was caring for my dad in '03 i rented an 18th century carriage house and on the property there was a pond that formed in the quarry where they quarried the stone for the main house. i remember building these huge fires in the ring down at the water on really cold nights (that winter i think the high temp in Pa was under 30 for like 25 days in a row, and it was always like 10 at night). those were some awesome fires and most of the time it was just me and some chimay

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0o==o0

James 4:8

"...let us put aside the blindness of mind of those who can conceive of nothing higher than what is known through the senses"
-Saint Gregory Palamas, ---Discourse on the Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ


Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

It is actually how I looked at it, but it was much more fun that plumbing because no pipe dope, brazing, leaks, ect.....

It is a law of the universe that no matter how careful you are, pipe dope will find its way onto unprotected skin.

Second to this, by only a slim margin, is PL Premium contruction adhesive.

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

Whe the systems break down and the conventional means of heating your abode no longer work, I don't wanna see you girlymen knocking on my door looking to thaw yourselves.

But you'll be welcomed anyway.

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300TD W124, Two VW TDI Passat Wagons,Cummins Ram 250, Kubota Tractor
23 cylinders sipping the sweet sauce of the soy bean

If I read correctly you have a oil burning furnace already?

How old is it? Are you gonna have to replace it soon. Why not go with a wood burning furnace? You can get a unit that is independant of the house and pumps the hot air into the house. Or a basement unit that radiates through the house.

I grew up in a early 1800's house, in upstate NY, that had a wood burner in the basement heated the whole house nicely.

But really look into radiant floor heating to balance the temperature in your house. There are systems now that can bet attached under existing floor and run off a standard water heater or a rooftop solar unit. Its nice even heat throughout the house and efficient. But can be a headache to install in existing houses.

I personally like the ventless gas units, but you are a victim to the fluctuation of gas prices. I would also look at getting the windows changed before you put a woodstove in. Its just money better spent replaceing the windows. And in reality right now electricity is cheaper then raw fuels, so at this time oil filled base board heaters are cheaper to run then gas (haven't done the math, and that is a quote from WV were coal is cheap hence electricity is cheap).

Be careful puching a hole through the roof, if the original design wasn't set up for it, it is easy to end up with ice jams and leaks, which will eat up any savings you might of had.

I have lived in the back of an uninsulated Dodge cargo van down
to 10 degrees, it is amazing what you can learn to be comfortable with. But the windows will improve resale/ equity more then a woodstove. So do the windows first and borrow against the improvement to do the chimney.

Hope that helps, sorry its so long; but its not a simple situation, as you are learning. You could always just run stovepipe out the window and up the side of the house, don't luagh! I've lived with less.

there are many good ideas in this post. i disagree about the retrofitting radiant heat. i dont think it would be very easy to do that effectively. and using electrical heat instead of burning something will take very cheap electricity to pan out. it wouldnt come close around here.

i agree about fixing the windows first if they are very leaky. but this is a tricky call on how to do it energy effeciently and cost effectively. if you pm me with some information i might be able to help you sort out the options.

good luck

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

For the past 14 years the only heat in my home has been a wood stove. Just had a new Country Striker S160 installed with new chimney and all new hearth (beautiful river rock) and the tab was about $6500. Most of that was for the rock walls and labor. Triple wall pipe up through the attic and everything new and safe. The old stove in the house was pre EPA.

I love burning wood for heat and when our power was knocked out Sunday night because a car hit a pole and we had no electricity from 6pm-3am, my house was warm. I can't say the same for the neighbors who don't have wood stoves.

You do have to know what you're doing so you don't overfire the stove or cause a chimney fire. Plenty of knowledge on hearth.com for anyone interested.

Just like with a fireplace, you have to be real careful when removing the ashes. One little glowing ember dumped in the wrong place can make for a big problem.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma