The Log house Project begins........

[MotorSeven]

Mike, no it looked like a large traditional fireplace. The double wall firebox was all steel, it was thick, might have been boiler plate... not masonry.

955, yes, when I say to most folks that I am heating from the basement, , most tell me to go cutting a bunch of passive vents in the floor. This may or may not improve the heating and location can be critical. The good thing is that I will have time to experiment with the air flow on the sub floor this winter. I can cut in a vent if I think I need one and see how it changes things...not happy, seal it back up. My main focus is to get heat over to the bedroom and bathroom with the bathroom being on the opposite corner of the house from the stove.
I have not cut in the stairwell yet(don't yet know where I{she} want it) so your right a central location might be best. Did you put in a cold air intake for your Timberline stove? The stove side of my basement is not underground, so I plan on drilling a hole through the block and installing a 1" EMT metal line that terminates a couple of inches away from the stoves main air intake. I will rig a valve on it so intake can be regulated or closed off. I have read that this can make a big difference on the stoves heating ability, but have never tried it before.

I finally took a break and did something that did not require the gnashing of brain cells, head scratching or nail biting...........A Deck in a DAY!

I usually lay my decks out so the boards run perpendicular to a wall(no seams), but this was not possible on this deck without adding way more cost. As you can see. I am not a fan of deck boards butting into each other, as you always end up with one side cupping or twisting opposite from the other side...toe stubbers. So, I like to meet two runs together in a line with a vertical board between them. These are 2x8'x12's but the and joists were not on 2' centers, so I had to make 3 - 11' runs and one 3' run. I just can't do a traditional wooden ballester rail...it will block the view, so I am thinking of welding up some thin 1/2"x1/2"x36" solid square steel for ballisters on a thin top and bottom steel rails. Set between 4x4 posts with copper caps.

Today I got some of the 16' decking up:

I am rented scaffolding a week ago ($65 a week) and realized I would need it for quite some time. The price has really gone up since the last time I rented, so I hunted around on Craigslist. I found 4 bucks, wheels, 3 walk boards and all the pins & x-members for $250. It was a really good deal so I grabbed it....the rented stuff goes back this AM

 

[firefighter9208]

My Aunt and Uncle live in a traditional framed house with a basement. The house has a central heating unit, but they never use it. They have a fireplace insert on the main level and an Ashley wood heater in the basement. Like this: Automatic Circulating Wood and Coal Heaters .

My uncle went to the local "tin" shop (where they make heating ductwork) and had a "hood" made to fit over the top of the Ashley heater. Out fo the top of the hood is a 6" pipe. He bought a duct fan Air Booster Fans.comuct Fan-Centrifugal Duct Fan-Register Fan and placed it in the pipe. He cut the ductwork to the central heat unit and tied it in. The house is heated through the central heat floor registers.

The Ashley heater heaters the entire house (about 2500 sq. feet).

Chris

 

[MotorSeven]

Chris, I have actually thought of this exact same thing(might have read it somewhere). If I do need it, this will be easy to do...plenty of head room(10') in the basement, then 2 more feet of trusses with a central chase for duct-work. I'm only heating about 1300 sq ft plus the basement....I guess I'll find out in a little over a month. I don't even have the basement slab in yet......time is a flyin.

 

[MotorSeven]

It's been a long couple of days. Rain is headed our way on Monday night/Tuesday, so it's been helter skelter to get it decked and tar papered.
I have to say......scaffolding is the most necessary evil I have ever encountered. Hours are spent building it then taking it down to re-configure...no to mention the orangutan qualities needed to do this task without splattering all over the subfloor.
Anyway, it's done and tomorrow I will square the roof and paper it......then LET IT RAIN!

 

[MotorSeven]

I put the little good luck cedar tree up after I drove the last 3/8th's x 12" lag screw into the rafters(man what a chore):

Steak and 'taters tonight!

 

[tony Cecil]

You sure deserve it ...Tony

 

[tnmike]

The tar paper will be a major milestone. Kick back after its done , drink a couple of cold ones and watch it rain. A day off is much deserved.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Congratulations!!! Two years later and it's really starting to look like a house. You're moving along faster than most of my projects.

 

[tony Cecil]

I have a couple of further suggestions....As our cabin had no heat other than the fireplace, but did have elec space heaters in the two primative bathrooms, I suggest you have them in your bathroom also...Quick heat in the morning...Further over the years I added a window unit--small one--and it kept the entire house de-humadified, and the bedroom on the second floor loft area cool....Later in life as it has gottn warmer up here, I put in a couple of split units, the kind that have a small air blower and drain with the compressor outside....AS the floor is all `heart pine` I didn`t want to cut holes in it....only one bored two inch hole, and the unit is very inconspicuous, and works fine....I can keep the house open up until say two or three in the afternoon, then close the dorrrs and windows and it is cool in just a matter of minutes.......I`d consider the heater now and later the comfort of a/c....Tony

 

[955Lincoln]

955, yes, when I say to most folks that I am heating from the basement, , most tell me to go cutting a bunch of passive vents in the floor.

Well, I like the idea of passive vents but noise from my shop which is in the basement and faster fire spread had me concerned. I'm sure the insurance company would deny a claim because of the vents.

Did you put in a cold air intake for your Timberline stove?

No I did not. I wasn't on the internet, if it was even around?, in '82 and this is the way I research and learn about things. The stove store never mentioned anything about a cold air intake and that is the only way I would have thought about it. I can see how it would have made a big difference though. With a 36' flue the draw is rediculous and will close the heavy doors if I have one cracked open a few inches, but only if I have an outside door or window open. If the house is closed up it is very difficult to get a fire started. With an outdoor air source it's like a blowtorch and it will light anything you throw in there.

The stove side of my basement is not underground, so I plan on drilling a hole through the block and installing a 1" EMT metal line that terminates a couple of inches away from the stoves main air intake. I will rig a valve on it so intake can be regulated or closed off. I have read that this can make a big difference on the stoves heating ability, but have never tried it before.

Would the 1" EMT be for an outside air source? If so, I wouldn't think it would be near big enough.