DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

Built a hearth and installed a pellet stove over the last couple weeks in my basement.

I got the dime a dozen englander stove from HD, but the kicker is I got it on sale for $650! It should do the trick heating up my place and offsetting the oil cost, probably pay for itself in a year or 2.

So I framed a section on the floor, maybe a little bigger than needed.
Poured 640lbs of concrete to make a pad, ended up being about 3.5" high.



Borrowed my father in-laws wet saw and made my cuts, layed em out.



After the mastic/grout and stove install.





(used 2x4's for now for the bracket mount, until I find something better)


Pretty happy with how it came out cause I'm a far cry from a Bob Vila. Getting inspected this week.

Also I've been keeping my uncle busy, installed about 15 outlets and a transfer switch for a generator. Just gotta keep tossing up drywall and finish framing for now...

Yeah this is where the car monies are going......
I wanted to finish this up cause the detailing season is rolling in. But I've been getting my hands dirty under cars a bit too.

tektrans

iTrader: (23)

Very nice. I like it. I do all sorts of construction also including tile work. Nice job!

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

Thanks. Eventually I'll finish off the room, so I wanted something that looked kinda nice. They wanted like $250 and up for a simple hearth pad, I made this one for about $160.

I'm gonna put furring strips and drywall up behind it. I like doing stuff myself if I can and I figured it would be a cool project. Cutting with a wet saw is kinda fun anyways. I'm a computer geek at work, so doing some constructive manual labor at home is nice too. Installing the stove pipe was pretty easy too.

Hey since your in the business, I got a question for you. The wall thimble on the exterior siding....Is it common to just cut out the round hole (about 7") and lay the square thimble over the siding, or cut the siding out the shape of the square and flush mount it? I'm thinking about flush mounting it and calking around the siding/thimble edge, or runniign a j-channel around it. I just slapped it up for now until I figure out what I wanna do.

4DRUSH

iTrader: (2)

Nice job, even for a self proclaimed computer geek.


I would cut the siding for the square exterior trim piece & caulk or J-channel around it. Clearance around the stove pipe should be your main concern. Do you have any type of sleeve through the wall, in case something would sag or drop on the horizontal pipe?

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

Thanks

Yeah the thimbal allows for the clearance to the walls. The inner pipe is a double walled 3" and the thimbal gives another 3" or so of open air clearance and encases it in a galvanized sheetmetal piece.

Yeah I think I'm gonna trim the siding to fit the squared off ends. Should make for a better weather/bug tight seal.

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

Did my taxes over the weekend. Took the $300 tax credit for "Biomass fuel stoves". Now my $650 stove is $350, sweet.

Burned almost 2 tons so far. I've used just under 1/3 tank of oil since Oct. Keeps the upstairs about 70* on a 30* day. Not to shabby for a little stove.

stevo92z28

iTrader: (22)

That is awesome. I want a wood stove so bad. I have tons of wood and nothing to burn it with! Unfortunately my house really isn't set up well for a stove and it would be hard to get heat to other parts of the house without cooking in the main room it's located. It's a cape cod but i have really considered it.

The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

We put a pellet insert into our fireplace in our family room and it's made a considerable difference. It's a 2-story room with a lot of windows, so it would get cold in the winter with just an open fireplace even with the damper closed. Now it's warmer in the room just having the insert in place.

I'm considering putting one in the basement as well when we move to finish the basement. I figure I'm already buying the pellets, might as well buy some more.

nikon1999

iTrader: (22)

looks great dan!

I've been doing a ton of work to my house this winter... I have a natural brick fireplace that is as old as the house and needs some work outside.

I'm contemplating taking it out and throwing in an insert of some kind... The living room is freezing cause of that fireplace, so much cold air blows down and in. I've used two tanks of oil since october

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

Some of the inserts are real nice, If I had a chimney and fireplace I would surely get one. I just have a cookie cutter split level about 1200sqft upstairs, but its a new 2x6 construction so I don't need a massive heat source to keep it warm. The basement gets cold in the winter and I am slowly finishing it, the stove will be the primary heat source down there. For what I've spent I really can't complain I would buy this stove again, no problems. One day I'll get a nicer unit but for now I'm happy with it.

Most insert stoves I find are quieter because the fireplace houses the exhaust fan and muffles the sound. The stove I got is a little loud (something to consider if going in a living room), but it has quieted down after breaking in a few months, thats really my only gripe, that and the hopper is a tiny bit too small. But seriously after the tax rebate I spent 10-15% of what a nice Harman stove costs and got close to the same result with a tiny bit more maintenance. (Although I really want a Harman P68)

Its nice to have an alternative heat source and its a nice "even" controllable heat. If you are used to burning wood and get one you will never go back. Figure I burn about 1.25 bags a day, 50 bags (1 ton) is equivalent to 2 cords of wood for me, no cutting, splitting, stacking, feeding.... So far its been a good investment for sure, especially with oil going back up.

Friggy

iTrader: (1)

Nice job on the Hearth!

I have done quite a bit of tiling, and my share of hearth pads, and can appreciate a nice job when I see it. It is such a good feeling to do it yourself and have people compliment your final project. I love that this is a truly do it yourself forum!! How did you end up finalizing the vent on the outside? I have used vinyl meter trim on installs before. It is a vinyl block for power meters, with built in J channel, they come in various sizes, then high temp silicone around the exhaust flange to the trim. Also, just my opinion, but I think you should paint your pipe flat black. Would look killer.

Here is a pic of my latest hearth..


Nice job,
Steve

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

I would love to put one of those in my basement, I could really use some heat down there. The heat that would radiant thru the floor would probably help with the oil bill as well.

Could use one in the garage too LOL. Been thinking about a small wood stove for out there, I can get free pallets from work all day long so I'd have a free fuel source that's easily cut to size with a sawzall... just end up with a bunch of nails in the ash pile Thing that's stopping me from doing it, is A having to put up a chimney, or something like that.. I'm not much on having the town inspect stuff in my garage, just another way for them to bend me over for more tax money, and B having a 55 gal drum of race fuel, in the same 24x24 area as a wood stove I don't think is the best idea.

I've been living with a 120V space heater and I'll turn on a little propane heater for 1/2 an hour to get it warmed up, the electric one keeps it at about 50 when it's in the low 20's outside so it's o.k., once it gets to about 60 I find it getting warm to be working on stuff so that's the sign to turn the propane off. I go thru about 2 grill bottles a year fwiw in the garage as supplemental heat.

The electric one isn't TOO expensive to run, thought about a 230V one, I have the wiring for a 3rd 230V outlet in place already so I could put one in, just not sure what that would do to the electric bill.

Something with an actual thermostat, that I can set to about 55 would be great all winter, anyone have any good reccomendations for a 230V electric that can do that? It's late enough so I will wait until next year on it, but it would be nice to have something in mind in case one shows up for sale on craigs list, or on clearance somewhere.



Next house ( I will have it built like I want), I want to have an open dining room, kitchen and living room area, and put a big wood stove with an outside air feed for the fire put in, and have a 2nd wood/oil burning furnace in the basement, one that will heat via baseboard heat... couple people I know that have them love them. They also heat their hot water with the same setup, pretty slick way to do it. Just have the oil for backup when you can't keep the fire going due to hours of the day, and in the summer when you don't need the heat on. I'll put a 2 car on the house attached, but out back, I want to put up a 40x40 steel building for a shop, that way I can put the truck, trailer and race car all indoors. Put solar panels on EVERYTHING too, so I can pump power back into the grid and the electric company can send ME a check every month

Hopefully I'll live to see that house built LOL.

JL ws-6

iTrader: (50)

Since we're showing pictures, here's the shelve I just got done putting up in my garage. 3 feet deep, I just threw everything back up on them for now, once it's all organized there will be a TON more room. That and all the interior panels up on the top shelf are going back in the car soon

Sorry they're upside down LOL. I'm not quite savvy enough to rotate them

WS6 John

iTrader: (2)

Not a pellet burning stove/fireplace, but it is wood burning and very efficient. I gutted the entire room down to the studs, ordered some cabinets, and built the fireplace from scratch. I use it as my primary heat source during the cold days of the winter. I burn 2-3 cords of wood a year. I have a lot more money in this fireplace then the others that posted, but I will break even after 5 years. I have yet to buy any wood. I pick up trees that people cut down. I have 6-7 split cords of oak in my backyard and actually had to refuse wood several times recently due to having too much.

I had a contractor install the venting for insurance purposes, which was by far the easiest part of the job. My insurance company told me that I may not be covered if the fireplace caused a fire and I installed the venting by myself.

The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

Here's my pellet insert in our fireplace..

The family room is 2-story, so without the insert, it was pretty cold in there due to the draft of the fireplace.

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for the compliment, and I agree I will paint that pipe black eventually (and use something other than 2x4 for the brace mount). Outside I cut the thimbal so it sits flush and I will eventually put some j-channel around it. I just caulked it for now and used high temp around the thimbal opening (to keep bugs out mostly).

I really enjoyed making the hearth pad, It was my 1st time doing non mesh ceramic and cutting tile. I wouldn't mind doing it as a hobby actually. Although I learned I gotta go a little thicker w/ the mastic. I had one tile pop I gotta fix. You do great work, lots of little pieces and angles, looks store bought!

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

WS6 John, It is much much harder getting the inspection and insurance coverage with a wood burning stove. Your setup looks great love the natural stone. If you got tons of wood its a no brainer to get a wood stove.

The Alchemist, looks sweet buddy. My next place will have a nice fireplace like that some day. My parents put propane inserts into their fireplaces, looks similar. I'm sure it helps a lot heating up the place.

JL, you sound just like me. My next house will have....EVERYTHING, lol. MY buddy "02SCvette" put a wall mount propane unit in his garage, works pretty darn good and its quiet, about 2 ft wide and 6 ft tall..


BTW I got up this morning and it was 72* upstairs, 29* outside (stove set 1/6max 9/9, feed/blower). I've been burning these pellets called "Hardwood Heat" and they burn WAY hotter than the maine pellets with not much more ash.

The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

Any links to the pellets you got? I'm always curious for something better.

DannoWS6

iTrader: (5)

I've burned about 4 different brands this year. I bought 3 tons from tractor supply and every pallet was different, lol.

This is the one I'm talking about



The main premium pellets burn fine too but don't put out nearly the same heat. I haven't had a problem with any of the pellets as far as burn quality or ash goes. I did however get one bag of the stuff in the pic with a huge wad of compacted sawdust the size of a cantelope, but all other bags have been fine.

As a test I used an infrared thermometer and picked a part on the stove to test about 2" in from top center. With the stove on the same setting and after letting it burn overnight it read about 20* (122-140) hotter and the air coming out of the unit was noticably hotter to a point you could barely stand in front of it for long. For whatever reason it seems to burn it a tad faster though, not sure how that works with the same settings and all, more fines maybe?

Friggy

iTrader: (1)

Yeah this is kind of what I do. I would love to do it full time, but it is such sporadic work. I am currently doing our master bath with a custom tile walk in shower, whirlpool tub, etc... Thanks for the compliment too, I like the size of your hearth. I barely met minimum requirements on mine due to the odd sized corner I had to put it in.

I don't know if MWP (Maine Wood Pellets) makes it down your way or not, but I have been burning these for two years and have no complaints. 2.5 ton/1700 sq-ft house. I also know that Energex from Canada is rated #1 around here, but pricey.

Man, there is some nice stone work in these pics.