Global warming sure seems like its not showing up anytime soon. Dashing my dreams of pruning the palm trees I have always dreamed of having. So for now I am heating with wood. When considering purchasing a wood stove as a primary heat source for your home there is a few things to consider. You will see a lot of numbers btu ratings, firebox capacity, advertised heated area and more. As a professional in the hearth industry for over 20 years and . Ias a homeowner who heats with a wood stove. I suggest paying more attention to the advertised heating area rather than all those other numbers. Wood burning stove manufacturers test their stoves differently to come up with btu ratings and results may vary in the field. However the advertised heating capacity is a more accurate number. You as a homeowner cant reasonably measure if your stove produces x amount of btu. However when you install your stove in a 2000 sq foot area and it doesn`t do what it is advertised to do you get mad and it gives them a bad name .

   When selecting a wood stove for your home a few variables should be considered. First the square feet of the area you desire to heat. Second would be the construction of your home. If you have poor insulation, old windows and a generally drafty house you will typically need to compensate for this with extra heating. Third would be the climate you live in. If your Home is 100 years old, on top of a mountain your neighbor name is frosty go big.Example if your home is 1600 square feet buy the stove rated for up to 2000 square feet of heating. If you live in a area it makes the news when the thermometer drops below freezing go small. Example if your home is 1600 square feet buy the stove rated for up to 1600 square feet.

   A few more recommendations- First get the blower if you need to move heat around and get the most out of your stove. A wood stove with a blower will warm your home twice as fast as one without. Second- always respect minimum clearances when installing your wood stove and chimney. Third- Always burn seasoned wood to get the most out of your wood stove and to reduce creosote buildup in you chimney, buy a moisture meter.Fourth - Enjoy your wood burning stove be safe and Sweep your chimney every after every 2 cords of wood.