You’ve had enough of winter, high heating bills and covering up with blankets just to watch TV!! Time to invest in a wood burning stove. Before you go to the hardware store and get everything you need, there are a few things to look into first.
  • Make sure you have adequate room in your home to fit a stove. There are clearance standards that have to be meet. Just because it will fit in the corner of your living room, that may not mean you have enough room once you factor in the clearance needed.
  • Floor protection will be needed. You want flooring such as sheet metal, grouted ceramic tile or mortared brick.
  • Wall protection
  • Insurance. Make sure you check with your homeowners insurance company to see if installing a wood burning stove will change your premium or coverage.
Look into having your new wood burning stove installed by a certified professional. While this may look like a DIY project, it may be a bigger project then you think. Don’t risk your home or the safety of your family to save a few bucks.
Image source: James Halliday, Flicr