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The ambience factor that comes from real wood burning in the fireplace is very attractive. So, in spite of the drawbacks, we're contemplating putting a real wood-burning fireplace in the family room.
We have designed the family room fireplace with an area for wood storage. It's nearest the back door. Then we have a spot on the back balcony, fairly near the same door, to store the wood waiting to be brought in. That will come, I suppose, from some pile in the backyard somewhere, which will come from, I don't know, the Amazon rain forest or something else equally eco-hostile.
Yea, so the wood is the best and the worst part about wood-burning fireplaces. But I've found a way to alleviate some of the work and mess that are usually involved.
WB Fowler, a Canadian company, has created a small electrical elevator to move your wood from the basement up to your fireplace. It's called the WoodWaiter.
The WoodWaiter comes in a number of configurations and sizes. The lift can move from your basement into a typical-looking wood storage area set into your fireplace. It can even pop up through a trap door in your floor.
This eliminates not only the hauling of wood up stairs, but the mess that trails after you when you haul it.
Our plan is to store the wood outside, not in living space in our basement. Should we decide to go with a wood-burning fireplace, I'd want a configuration that would allow loading of the wood from one side of the WoodWaiter, and unloading from the other to accommodate the indoor/outdoor aspect of our fireplace/storage. That would also require some kind of secure door to access the WoodWaiter from the outside.
I don't know if the WoodWaiter is designed to meet the specifications we require. Depending on our ultimate fireplace decision—after looking at all the fireplace alternatives we can find—I may be looking into that possibility. But it's current design may be a great addition to you home.
Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.
This post is very interesting in many ways. First that’s a kind of cool idea,but here’s the main problem I see with it. You mention storing your firewood outside in piles and hint that it may be not too eco friendly. If you are not storing your firewood properly to get the most efficient burn then yes you may be doing the environment a disservice by increasing the amount it takes to heat your home. Only through storing it in a proper firewood shed will you take the first step in properly seasoning your firewood. The benefits of heating your home with firewood is far superior to the damages done to the environment, and far less damaging than any other home heating method. Remember softwood firewood should season for 1 year minimum while for hardwood it is 2-3 years. Beyond that storing it in the basement may be an interesting concept, i’d only be worried about the increased termite infestation possibilities.