Already Prepping for Winter

I know summer is not officially over but we have already begun preparing for winter. After our very disappointing summer, I really don't mind, ha. We kicked it off by purchasing a new wood stove for the hubbs "man land" room. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac it is going to be a blustery cold winter!

This is a US Stove 1261 Cast Iron small log stove. We bought it for $189.99 at Rural King (which was $202 and some change after taxes). What is so amazing is this stove was in a crate small enough to fit in the backseat of my Ford Focus! This smaller sized  stove is better suited for the hubb's room (about 120sf).  The added bonus of this stove is you can cook on it! So it has an extra function in the event we lose power and are unable to get fuel for the generator. We can  always hunker down in his man room. 

The biggest hurdle we have will be removing the hulking beast of the old stove. It is very old (we got it used, free from a friend of the hubbs) and HEAVY! The heat bricks have disintegrated. It has rusted holes and is no longer safe. We plan to remove the remaining fire brick, disassemble what we can, and hope to scrap the iron. 

The hubbs is replacing all the stove pipe over the next few weeks. We expect the upgrade will be not only more safe but more efficient, as well. We  have begun to source  firewood and hope to have a cord bought, split and stacked by October 1.

Since the hubbs is going to open up the window area where the stove pipe currently vents, we have decided to upgrade it a bit, as well. The entire window opening and plate glass will be removed. One third will be framed out for the vent. This portion will have cement board, tile the interior with leftover tile  from another project, and trimmed for finished look. The exterior is going to be faced with thin brick veneer or concrete block veneer--Yes there is such a thing!-- if we can find it local at a reasonable cost, which can then be painted the same color as the garage. The remaining 2/3 portion of the opening will have a functional window, big enough to install a small window unit A/C.

The hubbs is unsure if he wants to install the window before winter.  He said he may just board and cover it for the winter but he would finish the stove pipe vent side. He said he wanted to empty the room, paint, install his exhaust ventilation (because he is a smoker) and set up the wood stove. Personally I think it can all be done before the cold snap but he said he would like to focus on the back of our house and installing the kitchen door. I found that to be a logical reason. Shhhh don't tell him I actually like his idea!

This was not a project on our lists and may seem somewhat frivolous given all the other things we need to do. However, I felt we are always focused on the house and the poor hubbs is an afterthought. He works so hard and deserves a nice comfortable place to relax. Since he prefers hanging out in his man room after work, I think it's a fair trade off, as I have a nice updated kitchen.

Anyone else planning ahead for winter?

Welcome to man land

I have another door post but it is really about the the hubb's man room (aka man land). He found a a free storm door and it was to wide to fit any doors on the house so it sat in a back corner of the garage collecting dust for about a year. Then he decided to clean the garage. His plan was to set the door on the street for someone to take or he was going to set it out for trash night. I took a look at it and asked him if he was sure it wouldn't fit ANY of the doors on the house. He said no and  he was quite sure of himself.  Me being the nagging supportive wife that I am asked, "Are you REALLY sure?" And as proof to shut me up, he  remeasured all 3 of the exterior house doors to be certain. Then I said the magic words. Will it fit the garage entry door?

Light bulb moment!

It did fit! SORTA...There may have been a little rigging and finagling but free is good. While not the prettiest picture  (we REALLY need to do some painting in the spring) it works to keep the draft out of his man room.

Here's a peek into the hubb's man room

Here is our garage watch cat Boy Meow-Meow sleeping on the job

All the concrete (floors and block walls) makes it mighty chilly. The hubbs has a baseboard heater-which I have forbidden him to use-since he has the wood stove. The exterior door was a poor fit with lots of gaps. He rigged it the best he could with found items. Do you like the painted vinyl cove moulding he used as a draft blocker? There was no money to fix it when there is so much to do on the house.  I have to give him credit for trying, haha

Looking out the storm door towards the house. He used my garden stakes (urgh!!) cut to size of the opening for a more snug fit. Notice the garage door and kitchen window almost align. SOMEDAY maybe we will have an addition that connects the house and garage. That would be an extra room of  15 x 15 feet. But I digress

And finally his free and fantastically rigged storm door! One everything is freshened up with a coat of paint in the Spring it will look nice. The hubbs said his room is about 15°F warmer since he added the storm door (and we insulated the the 2 dry-walled  walls facing the open part of the garage--you can see the walls HERE). The room would be a frigid 45°F before he started the wood stove, now it is around 60°F. Once he gets the stove fired up the room heats to a tropical 80°F. Must be nice!

The only money put into this room was the cost of  2 additional rolls of insulation (we used all the left over pieces from the work on the house), a few sheets of drywall and a knob and chain kit for the storm door. Everything else has been left over supplies from the house projects (some drywall and paint), cast off furniture and accessories, dumpster/ road side finds or freebies given to him. Even his wood stove was free! It was a beast to move--it took 4 men to move it!  Overall the hubbs is happy with his man room. He has heat in the winter, an old window unit AC for the summer, a toilet and he ran cable  to the TV. He can smoke his cigarettes and occasional smelly cigar without me complaining (well not too much complaining). Drink his beer, play video games or poker. Mostly it keeps him from making to many messes in the house, haha

I TRIED to decorate his room with hunting and fishing stuff but he wasn't having any part of it. He told me I had the house and the yard. The garage was his domain and not to sissy-fy it. whatever....