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| Author | Message | 
| paulz Member
 | # Posted: 30 Dec 2015 08:06pm Reply
 
 The best I've been able to muster with my wood stove going full tilt is 55F.  High 20s outside.  Since I just built my cabin this summer I haven't gotten around to insulating, just studs, sheathing, paper and ship lap siding/comp shingle roof.  Anyone care to guess how many degrees improvement I might expect with insulation and sheet rock?  Considering a propane heater but we don't have that long a winter (northern Calif.) plus I have enough firewood on my property to supply the county.
 
 
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| AK Seabee Member
 | # Posted: 30 Dec 2015 08:15pm Reply
 
 What size woodstove do you have and what are you burning?
 
 I have a 18x24 in Alaska and my cabin will sweat you out with a Napoleon woodstove burning birch and spruce at -40F
 
 You will be pleasantly surprised once you insulate.
 
 
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| neb Member
 | # Posted: 30 Dec 2015 08:49pm Reply
 
 Yes once you insulate it will be a different story.  I just have a small 10x12 which is not insulated and can keep mine about 70 in minus temps.  I have to keep feeding the stove because the stove is small.  I don't live there so it isn't a big deal.
 
 
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| FishHog Member
 | # Posted: 31 Dec 2015 08:11am Reply
 
 on boxing day I had mine up to 90deg before I opened the window to cool it down.  Stopped stoking up the woodstove after about 6pm so I can actually sleep.  Think I need a smaller woodstove as it overheats the cottage quickly.  The propane furnace keeps it at a good temp for sleeping.  60deg or so.  By the time the coffee is ready in the morning the wood stove is roaring again and it warms up fast.
 
 
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| paulz Member
 | # Posted: 31 Dec 2015 10:08am Reply
 
 Thanks for the replies.  I am burning bay wood in an Arrow airtight with double box and a fan that blows the air out in between.  The bay has a decent reputation for burning (and I have a boatload of it) but I am going to try some of my neighbor's oak.  Insulation will have to wait until spring I am afraid.
 
 
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| Don_P Member
 | # Posted: 31 Dec 2015 11:59am Reply
 
 Infiltration is the most important thing, no amount of insulation can overcome a drafty house.
 Infiltration, insulation, insolation.
 
 
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| silverwaterlady Member
 | # Posted: 31 Dec 2015 12:35pm Reply
 
 Cold,cold,cold. No insulation means the heat goes up and out the roof. Even sitting in front of the stove does not help much.
 
 
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| groingo Member
 | # Posted: 31 Dec 2015 01:30pm Reply
 
 As an inexpensive work around I used is simple plastic 4 mil sheeting on the walls and the ceiling, really helped a lot keeping the heat in the room and reducing the amount of heat loss through the ceiling, since plastic does not conduct cold just lightly staple in place and you will be much warmer for peanuts and when it warms up and you are ready to insulate just peel it off.
 
 When it comes insulation time of course closed cell foam insulation is best but in your climate you have many options.
 
 Regardless, there is nothing beats a good comforter!
 
 
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| Salty Craig Member
 | # Posted: 2 Jan 2016 09:22pm Reply
 
 My wife would not be that happy looking at 55 degrees. After you insulate, that cabin could double as a sauna. You won't believe the difference.
 
 Salty Craig
 
 
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| Salty Craig Member
 | # Posted: 2 Jan 2016 09:24pm Reply
 
 Is that a stop sign?
 
 
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| toofewweekends Member
 | # Posted: 2 Jan 2016 11:10pm Reply
 
 AK Seabee, your post reminds me that one winter it was well south of zero and I must have pushed the control on the stove the wrong way before going to bed because we got the place overcooked. Came down from the loft an hour or so later and the butter had melted!
 
 
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| AK Seabee Member
 | # Posted: 3 Jan 2016 12:18am Reply
 
 Toofewweekends,
 Wow, that is warm........ I made a few mistakes myself when our stove was new. Our stove will run us out for sure if we are not careful.
 
 
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| AK Seabee Member
 | # Posted: 3 Jan 2016 10:27pm Reply
 
 paulz,
 Bay wood burns hotter and lasts longer than what I burn. Your cabin will be toasty once you insulate.
 
 
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| Malamute Member
 | # Posted: 7 Jan 2016 10:38pm Reply
 
 Yes, insulation will help tremendously. Before I had my under floor insulated and skirted, my dog water froze on the floor. It was tolerable feeling, probably above 55 at person level. Floor was really cold though at zero-ish outside.
 
 Once the floor was done, it was fine. Log walls, about r 30-ish ceiling insulation, blaze king stove. I put in about 5-6 pieces of slab pine wood, tightly packed in the bottom, build a starter fire on top, and damp it down all the way once its going. It makes more heat than I really want most of the time. At zero temps and below, I do two fires/day, warmer than that usually don't need it. I've opened the door wide open for a while many many times because it was way too hot. Forgot to damp it down soon enough, or just more fire than I needed.
 
 
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| SubArcticGuy Member
 | # Posted: 8 Jan 2016 06:16pm Reply
 
 I am heading out to the cabin this evening...-20°C now with a low of -27.   I won't get the fire going until about 8pm so it might be a chilly night as it takes a couple of hours to warm up good.  Tomorrow night will be fine though.
 
 
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| toyota_mdt_tech Member
 | # Posted: 8 Jan 2016 11:46pm Reply
 
 Mine gets so warm, its uncomfortable. My woodstove would burn too fast.
 
 I did built a new woodstove, able to pile more wood on for all night and also to shut it down so tight, I coudl snuff out a fire totally if I have too.
 
 Once my place it warm, it holds heat for so long. The interior compnents and walls absorb the heat and it remains warm long after the fire it out.
 
 I have mine so well insulate, so well sealed, I dont even have bugs getting inside.
 
 
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| paulz Member
 | # Posted: 14 Jan 2016 10:39am Reply
 
 
 Quoting: Salty Craig My wife would not be that happy looking at 55 degrees. After you insulate, that cabin could double as a sauna. You won't believe the difference. 
 She has menopause going so she says. Sleeps uncovered while I have blankets, sleeping bags, coats and the dog piled on top of me.
 
 
 Quoting: Salty Craig Is that a stop sign?
 Yes, from the metal scrap yard, they have a bunch of them.  I think it's misspelled.
 
 For rolled insulation would I want foil backed, paper backed or unbacked and which way does it go?
 
 
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| Cowracer Member
 | # Posted: 14 Jan 2016 04:27pm - Edited by: Cowracer Reply
 
 Mine is 2x6 gambrel roof, fully insulated with craft faced fiberglass batts. With 2x4 walls, also fully insulated.  I put the facing paper to the inside. I have no other materials on the walls or roof other than the t1-11 siding, plastic wrap and a metal roof
 
 
  
 
  
 It takes a bit to get it warm when its cold inside, but once up to temp, I can maintain 75 upstairs with no problem with just a 1500watt quartz heater on a 19 degree night. Downstairs had no heat at that time and it was in the low 40's. Now with an additional quartz heater downstairs, I can maintain any temp that you would feel comfortable at.
 
 All the itching and crap involved in putting up the insulation was WELL worth it.
 
 Tim
 
 
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| paulz Member
 | # Posted: 3 Feb 2016 09:24am Reply
 
 I have scored some free fiberglass batts from a friend doing a demo.  Is it true mice love the stuff?  That has me a little worried.  Any precautions?
 
 
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| Nate R Member
 | # Posted: 3 Feb 2016 10:41am Reply
 
 I can assure you that mice love the stuff. I've got a situation in a house I own where I've seen the mice rib accessible fiberglass into little shreds and carry it off. Not sure what to do about precautions in a cabin though.
 
 
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| Haltzy Member
 | # Posted: 3 Feb 2016 05:44pm - Edited by: Haltzy Reply
 
 toyota_mdt_tech
 
 Do you have a breakdown of your wall insulation and sealing layers.
 
 My thoughts  are, staring on the outside:
 
 Finish, 1" Styrofoam  (taped), Housewarp (taped)  3/8osb (Acoustic sealed bottom plates steal flashing) 2X6 wall, Fiberglass insulation, HV Poly, finish.
 
 http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/sites/default/files/Furring%20over%20Roxul%20-%20 BSC%20illo.jpg
 
 Thoughts?
 
 
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| rayyy Member
 | # Posted: 6 Feb 2016 04:45pm Reply
 
 I know that when the phone rings at 2:00AM and a voice say's   raaaay it's time to plow the snoooooow,it's warm and cozy in my cabin and climbing out of this nice warm bed is the last thing I want to do
 ,,,thank God I only have to do this for one more year!
 
 
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| FishSeeker Member
 | # Posted: 1 Mar 2016 05:23pm - Edited by: FishSeeker Reply
 
 I agree the insulation will make all the difference. I'm in Washington State so it's warming up a bit now but I got up to my cabin last Friday and it was 40 degrees and we got the stove going and within an hour we were up to 65 and it settled at about 75 and never was below 72 until we left on Sunday. My cabin's 1000 sf including loft and I've got a Lopi stove and I normally burn fir.
 
 We left for a drive up to Diablo Dam and then into town for a bit and after 4 hours of not stoking the fire it was still 72 when we got back. And I have no sheetrock in my place. It's a cedar cabin with insulation and wood paneling. So once you insulate you'll notice a big difference and momma will be much happier. And keeping momma happy is a good thing.
 
 
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| RckyMtnHi Member
 | # Posted: 2 Mar 2016 02:38pm Reply
 
 I took this pic in late Dec. 2015. This was in a 28x12 shed cabin(gable roof) with batt insulation (R13 walls R21 ceiling) with a lopi 440T woodstove burning pine.  This is after about 5 hours of the fire being started.
 
 
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