A little info on my House

I am heating a 1920 Colonial with 33 original wood framed windows and no additional insulation in my walls. My attic does have bats of Owens Corning A65 "Unfaced" R25 Fiberglass Insulation
and the addition of vinyl storm windows. The storm windows were here when I purchased the house; they are of poor quality and have a good amount of air leaks in them. At some point I would like to change out all the windows with Anderson or Pella wood windows but the cost would be very high, vinyl replacement windows just don’t look right in a house of this age. My second option which is what I will end up doing it replacing these cheap storm windows with Harvey storm windows which are the best you can find and are still a fraction the cost compared to replacing the whole wood windows.




This is the reason I chose the Hearthstone Mansfield it is considered oversized for my size house but with the lack of proper insulation the stove works out just right for the job at hand. One thing I have done which as helped is on the main floor of my house where the Mansfield is located I have installed on all the widows 3M 2141W Indoor 5-Window Insulator Kit this has cut down most of the drafts on the main floor of the house.

My Soapstone Stove Choice

I did a lot of research before I purchased my Soapstone wood burning stove. I looked at all the big names like Tulikivi, Woodstock, and Hearthstone after looking at the Tulikivi and Hearthstone inperson and reading countless reviews here online I went with the Hearthstone Mansfield. Woodstock is sold direct to the consumer and not through any dealer networks, being the are up in New Hampshire and I am in NY the only way to see one of their stoves would be to make a road trip. Instead  I talked to a tech at Woodstock who was very knowledgeable about their products but in the end after looking at the reviews and specs of each company's product line I was glade I went with the Hearstone Mansfield. This stove met my needs.

The stoves specifications are as follows:

Heats up to 2,500 sq. ft.

Burn Time Up to 10 hours

Heat Life Up to 14 hours

Size 80,000 BTUs

EPA Rating 2.8 grams per hour

Efficiency 77.4% Low Heating Value

Width 27"

Height (includes flue collar) 31"

Depth 29"

Maximum Log Length 21"

Firebox Capacity 3.2 cubic feet

Flue Exit & Diameter Top exit only 6" flue collar

Weight: 550 Lbs.

Soapstone Stove Heating Intro

Heating your home with a Soapstone Wood Burning stove is nothing like heating with a cast iron or steel wood burning stove. Soapstone is a natural material – metamorphic rock - formed millions of years ago under intense heat and pressure. Because it started out in a lava like state deep within the earth, and because it has an unusually stable makeup, soapstone can easily withstand fire and rapid changes in temperature.

For hundreds of years, soapstone has been known for its ability to retain heat. Other stones, such as granite and marble, also hold and radiate heat, but only soapstone has the added benefit of being able to endure  direct flames indefinitely.

Because of this, the firebox of a soapstone stove is actually constructed of stone, which lasts longer than  steel, cast iron or refractory bricks used in other types of  wood burning stoves. Many thick pieces of stone make up the top, sides and back of the stove. Each piece of soapstone forms both the inside and outer wall of the stove. Inside, the stone directly absorbs the heat of the fire, while outside, it radiates heat into the room.

Once heated, soapstone stays warm for several hours, making it the perfect material for overnight heating or for other long periods of time when you can’t tend the fire.

The heat radiated from the Soapstone is gentle, even and comfortable; you can sit close to a soapstone stove without getting the uncomfortable blast of heat you would feel from a steel or cast iron stove.