Progress Report #16

Change of Plans...So, here we are facing the middle of October. We aren't really where we had hoped to be by now, although I don't know how we would've gotten any farther. We have worked VERY HARD during the past 10 weeks, and as I think back and revisit my earlier blog entries, I am truly pleased with our progress. However, we have become concerned that with colder weather coming soon, starting the building process right now might put us in a bad situation later if we are unable to get the heating systems in place. We really do not have "extra" money in the budget to pay others to do the work if we run short on time, so we have decided to delay construction until early spring. In addition to our concerns about cold weather, Hubby needs to have some minor surgery, which he can have done this winter, and be completely healed when we begin building.

The delay is actually giving us a chance to re-think a few things. Our original plan was to heat our home with a radiant-floor hydronic system, relying on an outdoor wood furnace for the heat source. We chose this system because we have a lifetime of free wood on our property, and it seemed silly not to utilize it. One of the drawbacks of this furnace, however, is that it has to be fed daily, so traveling for any length of time during the colder months presents a problem. This system also requires a heat-exchanger, where the water from the furnace transfers its heat to the water that circulates throughout the house. Not a huge drawback, but it adds an extra expense and there is a slight loss in efficiency.

Months ago I came across plans for a similar hydronic system using solar panels mounted to a garden shed to heat the water. We weren't thinking solar at the time, so I didn't pursue this option. However, I was recently researching another heating idea and came upon these plans again, and this time, it "clicked." It is a much simpler, do-it-yourself system, and although the cost to build probably won't be much less than the outdoor wood furnace, we would gain the freedom from having to load the furnace daily, and get a garden shed, too. (Something we were planning to build eventually.) Before we decide, we have some on-site evaluation to do, that will, Lord willing, prove this system a viable option.

The other aspect we are reconsidering is the placement of the fireplace. But, first, a bit of background information. When we first began thinking about building a new home, I started researching "alternative" building options. One process that really fascinates me is "slip-form" construction. It is possible, with this process, minimal skill and LOTS of time, to build gorgeous stone homes that are very energy-efficient and inexpensive. If we were 10-15 years younger, I think we might have considered it.

One of the resources I purchased in the beginning of my research phase to learn more about slipform construction was a book called "Living Homes," by Thomas J. Elpel. You can see it here: www.hopspress.com. The book is a fantastic resource for home-building in general, but its real value is the comprehensive knowledge the author possesses, and shares with his readers. This is where I first learned of a masonry stove, or Russian fireplace as they are also called.

Masonry stoves are designed with a lot of mass to absorb the heat from the fire. Then, instead of a straight flue, the exhaust flows through a snake-like flue that extracts more heat as the exhaust is vented to the outside. The masonry warms up slowly, then radiates the heat outwards for hours or days afterwards. Masonry stoves burn much hotter, resulting in very little creosote buildup, and less smoke, and these stoves can approach 90% efficiency.

Our house plans included a gas fireplace on the external great room wall, so we just decided to build the masonry stove there. But, it seems that moving the stove to a central location will maximize the radiant benefits, so we are looking at that possibility. I really don't think this is a do-it-yourself project, so our Amish builder has agreed to build it for us, but I think I'll try to find a local stone mason for an additional bid or two. Here is a beautiful example of a masonry stove.

So, our heating plan will consist of a masonry stove/Russian fireplace centrally located in the great room, with solar-heated hydronic radiant-floor throughout the house for the colder, "outer" areas of the house, with an option for electric back-up during cloudy periods when needed.

Even though we've postponed construction, I will continue to post updates, hopefully with pictures! I know...I know...you're missin' the wood photos, aren't you?

Stay tuned,
Kris