Hey PrepHer
When I was heating with wood I bought my wood from the guy in 8 foot lengths and saved 1/3 the cost of cut and split
Just some thing to think about if you have a splitter and saw already (and of course time)

i use a tank top heater
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/1/HeatingAirConditioning/PortableBaseboardHeaters/PRDOVR~0762130P/Remington+16%2C000+BTU+Single+Tank+Top+Heater.jsp?locale=en

for small needs
and

for another option

http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=116

Do you know of anyone that has used the buddy heater? I was just told they sell them at Princess Auto. I need something for my second floor and depending on the cost this seems like the best way for me to go.

I can tell you in 4 weeks, i ordered mine from cabela's during a sales and will be testing them mid Dec

will a big buddy heat for 8 hours on a 16oz/1lb tank?

Thanks all for the answers. I only have to make sure the room does not go below 50 so I would only run it short sessions.

WildE - you have never told what kind you use lol

Was just at Princess Auto in Kitchener.

I bought the Remington at Canadian Tire for $60 bucks.

The same unit, except made by another company (same BTU's, parabolic heater, etc.) is $50 bucks at Princess Auto.

The Buddy Heater posted by Threestorms at Princess Auto is $130 bucks.

I have a fairly large kerosene heater. In a winter power outage I put it in the basement and it keeps everything from freezing. Not hot but, good enough to get by. Kerosene is fairly cheap and stores for ever.
Also available at Canadian Tire.

Bulk kerosene is even cheaper if you can find it. Anyone know of a bulk kerosene supplier in south/southwestern Ontario?

Always remember safety. If you are using any device for heat that consumes oxygen have a working smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, carbon dioxide detector and if you have propane tanks in the house a propane detector. Carbon monoxide will disperse throught the house. Carbon dioxide will pool at lower levels as will propane. Make sure all your detectors are battery operated. If they are line powered they will NOT be functional once the power is off. Be Safe.

JAB

So those that have wood stoves: How much do they cost to install, certify?

I believe we paid less than $2000 to by a wood stove and have it installed by a WETT certified installer. The previous owners took their antique stove with them so we started out with a chimney. We had a double wall pipe installed. It cost about $120 to have it cleaned. I've purchased the brushes and poles at TCS store so I could do it myself.

We love our wood stove.. it is a nicer heat than the Forced Air Furnace. The wood seems to warm all surfaces in the house ,not just the air, and does not "cool off" as quick. With access to a 200 acre wood lot that has everything on it from Elm to Birch to Poplar we have a good mixture of soft and hard woods to burn. I will admit though, all of the work involved with felling, cutting and splitting is getting to this old body. But at least with not buying oil every month my pocket book is healthy 😀

Hey Clay8ton I just regard the work of collecting and preparing the wood as exercise. It helps keep me a little fitter than I would otherwise be.

Hey Clay8ton I just regard the work of colllecting and prepareing the wood as exercise. It helps kepp me a little fitter than I would otherwise be.

Your right... it is VERY good exercise and that is something I need.I remember when I was growing up in N.O. that I hated piling firewood, gardening and looking after the Farm Animals but after 30 years in the City, and a job that wasn't very physical, I couldn't wait to get back at it. I am looking forward to a lot more years of "bringing in the wood" and eventually (I hope) not to hurt as much. 😆

My 2 cents worth. our floor is cold so my feet are resting on a rock wraped in a towel that is heated on our woodstove. High density rocks are a heat sink. We take them into bed instead of a water bottle but unlike a water bottle, they will still be shedding heat in the morning. Once we make a second attempt at the root cellar, hot rocks can be hauled out to it in the exteem freezes. Same goes with the chicken coop. The reason I bring it up is that if you have no indoor stove or lost your home, these can be heated out doors and brought in. This technique saved my life once when I had to sleep on hot rocks covered with cedar bows. 2 reheats got me through a night without blankets

cernunnos5
very good points. I have found that after digging down some more so there can be a layer of green bows before the cold ground, so the hot rocks can be placed ontop of them in the shallow trench, then covered with the green bows then your bedding. Normally this gets me through till about 5am or so, which in the bush means get up time anyways.

Sail, the outdoor store sells Martin propane heaters and appliances. Martin makes a propane heater with a thermostat, this for only $60 more than what I paid for with the big buddy. That would have saved me a couple hundred in propane purchases last year alone. Some days I come in and the place is an oven and some days it is a fridge (due to the wind blowing normally) so the built in thermostat would have been wonderful.

This is one topic I'm always concerned about and am sad to say I feel poorly prepared for.

I opted to go with a Volcano 2 Cook Stove that will burn Propane, wood and Charcoal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zShbxr0lys

I keep few large Propane tanks, and a dozen or so small one pound propane tanks handy for short term emergencies.
I have trees in my backyard and a chainsaw should I need to tough out a longer outage.
My plan would be to essentially seal off one room, with a window ajar for ventilation. Battery powered CO2 detectors are on stand by as well just in case.

I'm still looking for a safe/affordable indoor heating alternative. A woodstove would be nice but not having a pre-existing chimney makes the cost of installing one almost cost prohibitive.

Otherwise its a good supply of winter cloths rated for extreme temperatures.