A knock on wood heat: It's not for the whole house

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

November 3, 2005

I grew up in the Midwest, where my home was heated by a wood-burning stove. This wasn't in the 1930s; it was the 1970s. Now, as an adult living on Long Island and with the rising cost of heating fuel, I would love to buy a wood stove to heat my two-story home. Is this a bad idea? Could I temporarily disconnect my baseboard heating and have it reconnected in the future? The better stoves cost about $7,000. Would this be a sound investment? -- Amber R., Farmingville

Like you, I enjoy the comfort and ambience generated by wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. There's something about burning wood that brings out the Daniel Boone in me, I guess. However, I would not suggest using a wood-burning stove, no matter how efficient, to heat your entire two-story home. In my opinion, a wood-burning stove is more suited to space heating. Investing $7,000 in a high-efficiency stove to heat the family room and perhaps an adjacent eat-in kitchen is a bit pricey. Although our winters seem long and cold, they are, in fact, rather mild compared to other parts of the country. Supplementing your current heating system with a wood-burning stove designed to warm the most frequently used living areas is probably the best option. Stoves that run from about $1,000 are designed for efficiency and safety. Shop for wood-burning appliances that are certified as low-emission by the Environmental Protection Agency. Advanced-combustion high-efficiency units are most desirable. They burn about one-third of the wood, reduce smoke emissions by about 90 percent and generate the same amount of heat as most older models. The Canadian Renewable Energy Network has a series of brochures and documents on wood-burning stoves and heat sources at www.canren.gc.ca/prod_serv/index.asp.

If you think wood is best for heating your entire house, then consider a wood-burning furnace. Some of these are built outdoors in stainless-steel storage units that look a lot like sheds. Others are built indoors and not only burn wood but can generate heat from corn, wood pellets and dried grains (wheat and rye). Some can even burn cherry pits. Other models of wood-burning furnaces are equipped with backup units that operate on natural gas or oil. When the wood fires die out, the backup units kick in.