On Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 8:16:07 PM UTC-4, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 9/13/2017 5:14 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 13 Sep 2017 16:55:13 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

Â* Anybody know of a calculator to guesstimate how much wood I'll need
for winter ? Will have to have an "average degree-days sort of input ....
I can find tables of average BTU's per unit for most species of wood - I
burn red and white oak almost exclusively .
Â* Snag

A couple of critical variables are difficult impossible
to factor in to a calculator - what type of structure ?
- old & drafty - or new and sealed ? somewhere between ?
How warm do you like to keep it ?
Also - if the structure is open to the howling winds -
it will affect things as much as degree days.
I would ask a few wood-burning neighbours before trusting
a guess-work calculator.
John T.

Â* New construction , insulated R-11 walls and R-17 ceilings . All
double glazed windows and doors . Crawl space insulated with 1" foam as
skirting - to be covered with stone later, leaving foam panels in place
. I didn't make it super air tight simply because we need some air
infiltration for combustion air . But it's not drafty , no big cracks or
anything .

Â* I did find some info online , like in our cold zone I should need 3
million BTU's/month as a base figure for a 1500 sf house . I have 3
cords of red/white oak out there , at around 24m BTU's per and 50%
efficiency that's enough wood for a whole 12 months . I have my doubts
... I figure that's some kind of average .We like to keep it around 74°
, we're sheltered by deciduous woods and down in a holler , and my
neighbors were no help , they don't so much stockpile as cut as needed -
standing dead if they got it , green if not . They're idiots . I
miscalculated last year after increasing the size of the house , I think
I actually burned about 2 cords . I'm not planning on getting caught
short again . Been cutting all summer in the hope that I can get ahead
of things again - and plan on cutting all winter , got a bunch of
dead/dying/diseased and leaners marked with orange paint so I can find
'em later . I prefer cutting in winter , no ticks ...

Â* --

Â* Snag

there are new homes being built today that use almost no heat. like a 600 watt hairdryer heats the entire home all winter..

super indsulated r60 cielings and walls, triple insulated windows etc.........

when considering the costs of super insulation its not a deal breaker because the energy costs are so low.

there are companies building brand new homes of poured concrete, rebar reinforced. a foot thick high strength concrete with storm shutters can ride out a harvey sized storm as long as you are high enough elevation wise