Heating you home.

[carol b]

Winter is about to set in upon us again. We are considering buying
an add on wood burner for our home. I like the option espesially now
that I found out that a tank of propane will cost me over 1200 dollars.
I don't like cutting down alot of trees due to the environmental costs.
Wood is cheap and is a great suppliment to our existing furnace. I have
made a promise to replace trees every year. I can plant seedlings in my
yard and in the counties many parks.
We should all be aware of our impact on the world and do what we can
to replace what we take from nature.
How are you going to heat your homes this winter? I am concerned that
we will see many people dying from cold exposure this winter. Do you
think there is anything that can be done to prevent the loss of life due
to the rising cost of fuel?

[moneysense]

We already have a wood burner but will be upgrading to a larger, different type this year.

One thing you need to watch for in wood burners is the grate in the bottom. Check it before each season starts to see that it is not broken anywhere.

As wood, if you watch what your county is doing along the roads in your area, you may find that that have been cutting down trees along the highways and side roads. In our area, the wood is there for the taking as long as you ask first.

Another option may be to cut up trees that have fallen but havent been down too long. This may help on cutting down on the amount of timber you have to fell each year to keep a good supply of wood on hand.

Also, to start those fires, we save news papers and tear up cardboard boxes to use as fire starters. You can also stuff toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes with rolled up news papers to make small "logs" to help get the fire going faster.

Also, be sure to get a woodburner with a blower, as this helps to circulate the heat better.

[dimetime]

You have made a great post here Carol b, the use of a wood burner in a home is a great idea, but it does impact the earth. I love the plan you have made to plant saplings on your own property as well as the parks around they county for the enjoyment of all.


A great way of lighting a wood burner is to save up your dryer lint, also save your toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls. Stuff your dryer lint into the empty tubes. This will light your wood burner quite nicely and it will save you from throwing out your lint and empty rolls. The less we put into land fills the better off we all are.

Another idea for getting yourself some wood to burn is to contact business which do tree removals. Some will give you the wood but may charge for delivery and unloading. I know a few who do this for those who have wood burners. It never hurts to ask, the worst thing any can say is no.