Wood Burning Stove Tips & Guide

It’s the little things that really go a long way to turning a house into a home, and wood stoves can certainly add the cozy warmth and focal point that every home benefits from. With energy costs rising, wood burning stoves can also save money as an efficient method of heating as alternatives to natural gas, coal and oil.

There are many variations when it comes to wood stoves, especially in terms of design and dimensions. The stove you buy will obviously depend on a number of things, including the size of space that needs to be heated, whether you want a wood burning stove or pellet stove, how often the stove will be used, and how much you can afford to spend.

If you’ve yet to search for wood stoves you’ll more than likely be overwhelmed with the choice of models and styles available when you do. Some really are more than just a heating appliance due to their stylish and unique designs. You’ll come across anything from small cast iron wood stoves to soapstone woodstoves and enamelled wood stoves, all ranging in price points.

You will have probably already decided upon whether a space or central heater is what you need, but consider the pros and cons of each first. Central furnaces are of course great for heating the entire house, but you do lose out on the visual effect of a crackling wood fire. They can also be highly inefficient when compared to other whole-house heating methods.

Wood burning stoves are far more practical for space heating, and for this reason are far more popular. It is often not a requirement for the entire house to be heated, adding to the benefit of buying wood stoves.

Depending on the decor of the room where your wood stove will be situated, you will have a few options in terms of materials. Steel and cast iron wood burning stoves (or pot belly stoves) are two of the most popular, but soapstone wood stoves should certainly be considered for those that enjoy elegant and stylish designs. This isn’t to say that cast iron or steel wood stoves aren’t aesthetically pleasing too as you’ll find many finely crafted models manufactured using these materials. Cast iron models, however, are often more detailed than the steel type. One thing to check when buying wood stoves made from any material is the durability.

The efficiency of new wood burning stoves are far superior than those of 30 years ago. Many wood stove manufacturers will report their efficiency ratings along with the model specifications. Detailed information can be found on many models of the popular makes of wood stoves online. WoodStoveStore.net provides useful guides, plans, tips and reviews for everything you need to know about buying wood burning stoves.