Well now, let me tell ya somethin’ ’bout them wood stoves for inside yer house. Folks call ’em indoor wood stoves, fancy like. But to me, it’s just a stove that burns wood, and it’s inside, not out in the yard.
Now, I ain’t no fancy city gal with them gas heaters and such. I like a good ol’ wood stove, keeps ya warm and toasty, even when the wind’s howlin’ like a banshee outside. And let me tell ya, it can heat up a whole house, iffen ya get a good one. Heatin’ the whole place with just wood, now that’s somethin’. But don’t go thinkin’ it’ll happen overnight. Heard tell it takes a good two weeks for the heat to really soak into the floors and walls, get everything nice and warm.
- First off, ya gotta find yerself a stove. Big ones, small ones, all sorts. I seen some advertised on that there eBay thing. Said they had all kinds. “Indoor wood fired stove,” they called ’em. Said they had fire starters and fire pits too, whatever them things is for. Sounded like a bunch of fancy talk to me.
- Then ya gotta find the wood. Can’t just burn any ol’ thing, ya know. Gotta be good, dry wood. Green wood, that just smokes and sputters, don’t give ya much heat. And makes a mess somethin’ awful. I seen folks sellin’ wood by the cord, that’s how they measure it I guess. Seems like a lot of money for somethin’ ya can just pick up in the woods, but then again, I ain’t as young as I used to be, can’t be traipsin’ through the woods with an axe no more.
Anyways, back to them stoves. Some of them are real big, say they can heat up 2,500 square feet! That’s a mighty big space, bigger than my whole house, I reckon. Ashley Hearth Products, that’s what they called ’em. Said they was EPA certified, whatever that means. Must be important, all them fancy letters. They come in black, most of ’em, and got somethin’ called an “air wash system” and a “ash drawer”. The air wash thing, I guess that keeps the glass clean, so ya can see the fire. And the ash drawer, well that’s where the ashes go, makes it easier to clean, I suppose.
And they got these fire bricks inside, keeps the heat in, I reckon. Some of ’em are real tall, like 31 inches or so. That’s a good height, don’t gotta bend over too much to put the wood in. But ya gotta be careful, them stoves get hot, real hot. Don’t want no young’uns gettin’ too close, or they’ll get burnt somethin’ fierce. And always keep a bucket of sand nearby, just in case. Never had a fire myself, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, that’s what my old pappy used to say.
Now, I heard tell some folks got them stoves that look like fireplaces. I ain’t never seen one of them myself, but they sound mighty fancy. Probably cost a pretty penny too. Me, I like the good ol’ cast iron ones, the ones that look like they mean business. They ain’t pretty, but they get the job done. And that’s all that matters, ain’t it?
So, iffen yer thinkin’ ’bout gettin’ a wood stove for inside yer house, do yer research. Don’t just go buyin’ the first one ya see. Figure out how big ya need, what kinda features ya want, and how much yer willin’ to spend. And remember, burnin’ wood ain’t like flippin’ a switch. It takes work, ya gotta chop the wood, haul it inside, keep the fire goin’. But it’s worth it, in my opinion. Nothin’ like sittin’ by a warm fire on a cold winter night, with a cup of hot tea and a good book. Or just sittin’ and thinkin’, that’s good too. So go on, get yerself a wood stove, ya won’t regret it.
Tags: [wood stove, indoor heating, wood burning, home heating, Ashley Hearth Products, EPA certified, fireplace, cast iron stove, winter warmth]
