Expanding an Old Farmhouse and Getting Ready for Winter - Part Three - Conclusion - Well Somewhat

Rob putting in the insulation.

Wow, it has been a very busy summer and fall. I am so glad that I blog because when I am thinking of all the things we still have to do to this little house. I sit back, take a breathe, look at the pictures and blog posts and realize how much we have done.

In this pic you can see the rustic
beams Rob reclaimed
from one of the barns.

The last few weeks I have been so busy - planting garlic, clearing out and prepping our raised beds for next year, getting my children deep into the homeschool year and sitting by the wood stove. Wait, what? Yep that is when I remembered I hadn't posted the final pics of the wood stove actually going into place. So here you have it.

Sheet rock going into place.

After we had the hearth in place. We had already picked out our stove at Superior Hearth and Spa in Marlborough, CT. Choosing the right stove was a task of it's own. Rob wanted something that put out the most heat with the least wood. So he picked out the Pacific Energy Super 27. Of course I wanted the heat as well, but I thought the Super 27 looked a little too industrial and not enough homey. I wanted something that looked more like a Vermont Casting Resolute Acclaim. "I understand you wanting a workhorse but does it have to be so ugly" I pleaded. "It is just decoration who cares" he defended. We finally decided on a Pacific Energy Alderlea. It was pretty much the Super 27 with a pretty casting on the outside. It was more money but we turned in our old wood stove for a American Lung Association program that gave us money towards the purchase of a new stove. We could have put the wood stove into place ourselves but we decided to have Superior Hearth and Spa do it for us. 

Kolbe could not resist
taking a pic up the flue pipe.

The shiny flue from outside.

Before they came Rob made sure the insulation, mantle and sheet rock was in place. Since we had such an insulated flue we did not have to be too far from the wall. It also did not have to be fire board or stone but could be regular sheet rock. 

The crew from Superior Hearth worked with us to have the stove put in the perfect spot on the hearth. Then they adjusted the stove to be sure it was level. They then added the flue and connected it to the stove. And there you have it. Warmth!

As you can see we still have much work to do. But as goes with homesteading cosmetics are usually the last thing to be completed. I will keep you updated on further upcoming projects . . . but for now we are going to enjoy the fire.

Pacific Energy Alderlea

I just love the top
stove part that can swivel open.
It works perfect for making yogurt.

Rob still working on the project.

Any questions . . . 
 . . . be sure to
ask us in the comments.

So cozy and warm.