Cheap firewood!

[FarmerChick]

your smart Quail. I also wanted to build a home over at my other land but I am not going to. I sure couldn't sell this home and get what I want, and building the new one would be an arm and a leg. I am getting close to 50 years old and I ain't going into super debt anymore...LOL...unless I win the lottery I think I am staying put also.

I have a doublewide trailer. 3 bed/2 bath and I am getting ready to build on a family room off the back now. It is easier like you said financially to add on and stay put. good move for me too. My construction starts in about 2 weeks or so I guess.....contractor was supposed to come over tonight to finalize all but he got sick....so tomorrow he said.

I don't want a bigger home than this once the room is added, cause heck, I don't want to clean anymore..HA HA

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Thank you for the compliment. I think I am trying more to be frugal than smart, though. lol

We have five kids, so buying a new home isn't financially smart (especially with the mortgage problems today) when we are still buying diapers and kids clothes and shoes and Kids their own chickens because mom won't share her chickens

No seriously, I don't mind my house being small, but my livingroom definitely needs to be bigger and my daughter would like a bigger bedroom. You know, girls need their space

My husband is 37 and I will be 30 in December. I don't want to be buying a house or anything and paying for it in my 40's or up until I am 60. I want my home here expanded and large enough that if my kids leave home and have to come back, they can.

I also don't want to have to worry about losing my home to a foreclosure, etc. Right now all we have for montly bills are electric, insurance, phone, and internet and then the yearly property taxes.

 

[FarmerChick]

I know what you mean about financial stability. I am the same way. When you can add on to an exisiting situation and not have to take on a big debt, hey, it is a smart way to go!

5 kids....if they all want chickens then I am sure your yard is loaded with chickens..HA HA---and you are hoarding your own chickens..HA HA

So many are losing those big homes they financed. And these tough times are sure not over. Staying put right now seems so much safer to me. I couldn't even imagine true financial trouble....and Tony's job, well ya never know about lay offs and such...ugh

I just want one more room also. Once I have the family room added there will not be anything else I could ever need with this home.

and yes, girls do need their privacy!

Is this addition something you will be building or are you getting a contractor?

 

[Zenbirder]

I am always interested in how people get away with heating a whole house with wood....just always curious how it vents thru the floorplan.

Our house is only about 1400 square feet, large enough just for the two of us. The floor plan is very open, and the wood stove is almost in the center of the house. It is my job to build and maintain fires, DH cuts the wood. I am really stubborn on this one, this will be the sixth winter in a row that we have not lit the pilot light on the propane heater system. This forces me not to get lazy and to plan ahead with my fires. Needless to say I have had a lot of practice now in knowing what wood (oak and juniper) and what sizes logs to use for what predicted temps. It really does take dedication, I have to get up 2 to 3 times a night when it is really cold to add wood to the fire. This is one big chore in my life to add to the list of labor intensive - but very frugal ways of living.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

5 kids....if they all want chickens then I am sure your yard is loaded with chickens..HA HA---and you are hoarding your own chickens..HA HA

Well, the oldest 3 all want their own chickens. The youngest is only 8 weeks and has no clue. My 3 yr old hasn't asked for any chickens LOLOL I can always share the offspring of my chickens, but that's it! My chickens are my chickens LOL

Is this addition something you will be building or are you getting a contractor?

Oh I don't want the expense of a contractor! My husband and Father in law will do most of the work, with some directing from me

 

[FarmerChick]

8 weeks is your baby! Oh my you surely have your hands full. Babies are soooo cute! I know you are having a blast with that new baby!!!!!

HA HA HA---oh my hubby hates it when I am the boss on projects (and that is darn near every one...I leave all the tractor problems and work to him!)

Since we have so much farm work and Tony works a 4 day--12 hr. shift job also....I decided to do a contractor on this addition. I just can't handle it....I am at my limit and "have had it" ya know..LOL..time for me to let someone else do the hard work!

 

[FarmerChick]

Zenbirder
that is really interesting about what it takes to tend the fire on the coldest nights. Do you literally set an alarm or do you have an internal alarm and just get up.....that would be me, I am up all hours of the night. Lucky if I sleep 4 hrs. straight and only get about 6 anyway..HA HA

once something like stoking the fire becomes a habit, it is just that, something we can do without much thought. Automatic pilot..LOL

We had a coal stove in PA....we would load the coal up and it would easily last the night...one nice thing about that!

 

[Zenbirder]

My internal alarm clock is mostly tied to uhummm..... my bladder. I also just know if the night is going to be really cold (starting temp, cloud cover, wind speeds and dew point) to start a fire earlier that will be a longer burning one and I will re-load it with more quantity of wood every time I get up. The WORST thing is to have a fire go out in the middle of the night and have to start from scratch. You always want to catch it before the embers are gone so it is an easy relight. I have a number of tricks, loading and fuels and damper levels, to get a fire going again as quickly as possible. I try to wake up for as short a time as possible.

On nights where we will have only morning chills I load the stove in the late afternoon with a quick and hot burning load, and light it in the morning when I get the coffee. By the time DH and I have spent quality time together the house is warm.

 

[Beekissed]

I am always interested in how people get away with heating a whole house with wood....just always curious how it vents thru the floorplan.

Our house is only about 1400 square feet, large enough just for the two of us. The floor plan is very open, and the wood stove is almost in the center of the house. It is my job to build and maintain fires, DH cuts the wood. I am really stubborn on this one, this will be the sixth winter in a row that we have not lit the pilot light on the propane heater system. This forces me not to get lazy and to plan ahead with my fires. Needless to say I have had a lot of practice now in knowing what wood (oak and juniper) and what sizes logs to use for what predicted temps. It really does take dedication, I have to get up 2 to 3 times a night when it is really cold to add wood to the fire. This is one big chore in my life to add to the list of labor intensive - but very frugal ways of living.

I am wondering if your stove is as airtight as it needs to be? Usually one can bank up the stove each night and it will still be going on coals by morning. If we mix our wood with a little green, it lasts even longer. If the seal around the door needs replaced, it will let in too much air and burn more rapidly...was wondering if this is happening with your stove. My stove is more leaky than I would want, even, but it will maintain a good fire all night without replenishing.

 

[FarmerChick]

HA HA---hear ya on the bladder. Hitting that age that everything I drink goes straight thru..HA HA

You sure have a great system happening!
We'll just have to call you Blaze! LOL