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fooboo
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# Posted: 22 Sep 2010 12:05pm
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I'm building a 14x24 cabin with loft and I'm looking for resources on properly sizing a fireplace for it. Does anyone know of any resources on the internet I can use to make this calculation?
I intend to place the fireplace at one end of the cabin on a wall that is 13' wide. I am thinking that a 5' wide fireplace with 4' wide bookshelves on either side would be a nice setup. I have no idea what size the hearth should be, and I want to make sure I size it appropriately because the fireplace will be the only form of heat.
The floor plan is fairly open and I plan on circulating the heat with one ceiling fan. The cabin will be in the Appalachians in Kentucky and the micro climate there is colder than the latitude suggests. The cold will be more in line with perhaps central Ohio so I want a fireplace that would be adequate for an area that receives a lot of snow and is cold for long periods.
thanks for any suggestions.
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fasenuff
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# Posted: 22 Sep 2010 07:54pm
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One thing to look at would be an insert. You will get far more heat from it and they do come with blowers to circulate the heat a lot better.
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fooboo
Member
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# Posted: 22 Sep 2010 10:53pm
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I've looked at some inserts but they are very expensive. I have an unlimited amount of stone on site to build a fireplace so the only cost to me is the mortar. So an insert, or even a wood stove are both way over my budget.
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fasenuff
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# Posted: 24 Sep 2010 09:37am
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I can understand that fully myself. I am having to do things cheaper than I would like due to lack of funds also. I have a friend who has a small fire place and he made a grate out of 1 1/2" water pipe that has a blower attached that does a really good job of putting out heat even with a low fire. He built it all himself and probably spent less than $20 on it. If you have access to a welder you might consider that as it would allow for a smaller fire place and be more effcient at putting out heat. Any fire place sends a majority of its heat out the chimney so any way you can recapture some of that lost heat will help.
As far as sizing of the fire place the most important thing is how much stone will be there to retain heat for you. With a thick stone surrounding it you will take longer to heat up but will stay warm longer even after the fire dies down.
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larry
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# Posted: 29 Sep 2010 09:16pm - Edited by: larry
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a fire place is the worst way to heat a house or cabin for the simple fact that most of the heat produced goes right up the chimney. i would suggest a EPA approved high efficiency wood stove. you can find a good selection at northerntool.com and drolet is a very good brand. you may pay more for the stove but you will save in the amount of wood you burn to make heat.
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fooboo
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# Posted: 30 Sep 2010 02:12am
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Thanks for that advice. I realize that a fireplace is not very efficient, however, I have an unlimited amount of field stone available along with an unlimited amount of firewood. The only cost will be a few fire bricks, a throat, some clay chimney tile, a damper, and some mortar. I may add a glass front which will reduce the amount of heat that goes up the chimney.
It mostly has to do with where the fresh air for the fire comes from, and using a glass door among other things. With a taller and more shallow hearth, also helps improve efficiency since a fire heats by radiance.
I'm still working out the fireplace vs. wood stove total cost of ownership. If it turns out that a wood stove is cheaper I'll be sure to report back to this thread what I find.
Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.
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Kithera
Member
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# Posted: 30 Sep 2010 11:17am
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Maybe a clay/masonry unit would be more to your liking. Still home built but much more in line with a wood stove than a fireplace.
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