3 Important Factors to Consider When Choosing a Wood Stove for your Home

Shopping for a wood stove can be mind-boggling, especially since there are so many styles to choose from. With assistance from our friends at Morso, we’ve prepared a checklist to help you shop for the stove that best meets your needs.

1.  How do you plan to use your stove?

Wood stoves are typically used for zone heating – that is, for heating a particular area or “zone” of your home. Stoves are excellent for supplementing your existing heating system, and may help you cut back on oil, gas, or electric energy consumption.

And here in the Puget Sound area, where our weather is mild year-round, you can often use a wood stove as the sole source of heat for your home.

2.  What is your inside temperature preference?

If your home is well-insulated and your windows and doors are weatherproofed and have good seals, a wood stove that cranks out less heat may be just the ticket.

This may vary depending on how well insulated your home is and the quantity and quality of windows and doors, affect the inside temperature in your home and energy consumption. 

3.  How much area do you want to heat?

1000-1200 sq. ft.

A small stove is ideal for heating smaller areas such as living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and seasonal cabins or cottages.

Larger homes with central heating can also benefit from a small wood stove for zone heating purposes. 

1200-2000 sq. ft.

A medium stove is ideal for heating older small homes and medium-sized energy-efficient homes. They also work well in 4-season cottages and cabins.

2000+ sq. ft.

A large wood stove is ideal for heating large, open plan homes or older, drafty, medium-sized houses in colder climates.

Our friends at Morso (renowned for their high-performance, Scandinavian designed cast-iron stoves), shared a YouTube video that walks you through the ins and outs of choosing a wood stove:

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