|
| Author |
Message |
OwenChristensen
Member
|
# Posted: 16 Nov 2014 18:15 - Edited by: OwenChristensen
Reply
I was there all alone this weekend. The week before I had fell and split a nice dead red oak for the Ashley stove. I also have a lp gas wall furnace. I spent a lot of my thoughts on subjects discussed on this forum. The conditions were cold 15 deg. highs and low single digits for lows. I was comfy enough. I was frustrated by the gas furnace trying to come on even at the lowest setting. I shut it off. I figured out that the cold air returning to the hot wood stove was cooling the thermostat and kicking the heat on. Way to close, I should have had the stoves farther apart.
The next subject; Floor insulation; I have none, but the floor is carpeted. I had a couple small thermometers. I put the one on the wall chest high, 75 deg. , then in the ceiling 88 deg, then the floor in a far corner away from the heat, it read 62 deg. I'm not too sure what to think of this, but the floor felt fine to me.
The other thing was the type of wood. I normally burn maple, mostly dry , but sometimes I put a large greener piece to hold fire all night. The dry oak burned up completely and I put wood on about 2 am to keep the fire going. I'm quite sure it would have burned up by morning. The maple builds a large bed of hot coals.
Now that brings up chimney fires. I had one at my home once in a metal chimney above a Franklin fireplace, poor door seal. Of course wet wood will add to the problem when not burning real hot. My cabin is small and a good stove door seal is an absolute. If I can't starve the fire for air, it would get too hot. Now in the last twenty years I've never had a runaway chimney fire like the one at home. Again if you can shut off the incoming air the fire can't go wild. I have had chimney fires, but controlled and shut them down after I think it has cooked out the creosote. Never letting it get crazy hot. Afterwards a bump on the pipe and the dried out crumbs fall down inside.
By the way, On that runaway chimney fire at home, I discharged a fire extinguisher into the fireplace and it snuffed out the fire right away, scary though.
I had six inches of new snow and clear skies this weekend. It was so beautiful.
|
|
Malamute
Member
|
# Posted: 16 Nov 2014 18:28 - Edited by: Malamute
Reply
I've heard, from a firefighter, that that's what they generally do, shoot an extinguisher into the stove and it draws it up the pipe. Keeping large extinguishers on hand, and not letting them degrade and go bad, is important.
I usually have several extinguishers around.
Your place stayed pretty warm. When first in my present place I had a cold spell, about zero, and my dog water froze on the floor in the cabin. I got busy insulating under the floor, then put OSB over (actually under) it to keep critters out.
|
|
OwenChristensen
Member
|
# Posted: 16 Nov 2014 18:53
Reply
I did bank the snow around the cabin. I even do that at home.
Owen
|
|
BryanL
Member
|
# Posted: 16 Nov 2014 20:01
Reply
It did get cold this weekend Owen. Was out hunting yesterday morning in Mora area and it was -6. Thought a lot about how I would be heating my cabin next year. At 12x24 I'm not thinking a wood burner is worth the effort. Some sort of propane heater set up is what I'm leaning towards. Btw, 9 turkey, 3 pheasants, a few grouse and a lot of squirrels were seen but no deer.
|
|
bldginsp
Member
|
# Posted: 16 Nov 2014 22:41
Reply
Owen- I'm amazed that the uninsulated floor stayed acceptably warm with single digit temps outside. I've been in cabins with minimal insulation in the floor with temps around 25F and my feet were cold to the floor even with wool socks and fluffy slippers.
Do you suppose that the banking on the outside causes the air space below the floor to stay well above outside ambient? Only thing I can think of.
The problem with good underfloor ventilation is that it guarantees that the air directly beneath the insulation (or floor) will be as cold as possible.
|
|
creeky
Member
|
# Posted: 17 Nov 2014 08:03
Reply
There's a couple of inches of snow on the ground and more falling as I write. Somehow I always forget how magical that first snow is. Everything suddenly so clean. There's no wind. Sun can't make it through the heavy cloud. So this soft light and no sound other than a woodpecker hitting a tree about 200 feet away. Sounds like it's right next to me.
I use 4 or 5" of insulation on my floors now. Long story I'll tell another time. But when I insulated the wash house from 3 to 4 seasons one thing I noticed is that the temperature striation went from hot-ceiling & cold-floor, to warm-ceiling & warm-floor by the time I was done. Sealing up all air gaps and insulating the entire building to r25 or better.
I was thinking of feeding the turkeys this winter. They came by the bedroom real early this morning.
Right. And, thx for the reminder, it's time to seal up under the studio. I've got roxul and a bunch of used bubble insulation. I figure I'll make tubes and squeeze it between the boards and the ground. Keep the arctic winds from blowing through.
Last year I used straw bales. Worked good and no critters. But seemed to hold a lot of moisture...
|
|
OwenChristensen
Member
|
# Posted: 17 Nov 2014 08:33 - Edited by: OwenChristensen
Reply
I know a lot of people close up their cabins for winter, but it's my favorite time of year.
I choose to heat with wood, I have a lot. I use the LP. furnace during the fall and spring when it's hard to have just a little wood fire.
The night moonlight on the snow was cool. Even just a 1/4 moon lit up the back yard. The shadow of the cabin roof and the chimney smoke floating along across the snow was special. After deer season I feed the deer and watch them to the point of being tried during the day. That's what naps are for.
|
|
|
