Basic Information About Soapstone Wood Stoves
As more and more people are looking toward alternative sources to meet their home energy needs, wood burning stoves are become more and more popular. While wood burning stoves have long been popular for their energy efficiency, their minimal environmental impact, and for the atmosphere they create, their cost efficiency is now getting notice as well. For those looking to take serious advantage of the cost benefits of heating with a wood stove, the only way to go is with soapstone wood stoves. While there are other types of wood stoves available, only those made with soapstone maintain and radiate heat, even after the fire has burned out. A soapstone wood stove is a traditional cast iron stove insert surrounded by thick soapstone. The purpose of using soapstone is to utilize its natural properties of retaining and radiating heat for long periods of time, in order to maintain the heat created by burning wood. The key to choosing soapstone wood stoves is to choose brands that place at least 60mm thick soapstone slabs round the insert. You'll find that many soapstone wood stove products only use an average of 30mm thick slabs, which is not enough mass to maintain heat. The soapstone in these products is merely decorative, and not what you are looking for if cost effective heat is your goal. There are a number of high quality brands that offer stoves made with enough soapstone to retain and radiate heat for two to three hours after the fire is put out. Youll want to check the specifications of any soapstone wood stoves you are considering, in order to make sure the soapstone will be functional, not just decorative. After you have found some brands and styles that appeal to you, spend some time reading consumer ratings and customer reviews for each one. This is an excellent way to get honest information about each stove, rather than sales hype. Upon choosing a stove, it's a smart idea to hire someone to do a professional installation. With high quality comes expense, and installing soapstone wood stoves isn't the right project for a do-it-yourself approach. If you are a do-it-yourself type, then channel that energy toward creating a solid woodstock, as a wood stove is only good if there is wood to burn in it. |