Upgrading Your Mancave With a Woodstove
1.9 percent of US households still use wood for their heating needs as opposed to electricity or utility gas, according to a report by the US Census Bureau. Many people still rely on wood not only since it's usually cheaper than the other alternatives but also since it is better for the environment. While woodburning stoves are mostly installed in the living room or kitchen, you can find them anywhere in a home including in a bedroom, home office, or even your mancave. If you are lucky enough to have a mancave, adding a woodburning stove is a surefire way to make it so much better than it already is, especially if you live in an area that gets cold from time to time. However, being an addition that could potentially be dangerous, you must be careful to ensure that you install it correctly.
Choosing an ideal spot for your woodstove
You must make the decision of where you're going to be putting your stove in your mancave long before going out to buy one. Since a wood stove is a space heater, you want to have it installed in a central position where it can heat every corner of your mancave. To maximize its efficiency, pick a spot with good insulation so that the heat from the woodstove is not lost through windows or walls. You also want to install it in a spot where it won't cause your TV, gaming console, or other electrical appliances in your mancave to overheat. Keep in mind that your woodstove will require a chimney, which ideally should be vertical and with as few bends as possible.
Make it multifunctional
One of the things that people love most about mancaves is that they give you a safe spot where you can hide away from the rest of the world and be alone for as long as you want. To further cement this feeling in your mancave, you can choose a woodstove that allows you to cook on it. There are various wood stove options that are specifically designed to allow people to cook while still performing their primary function of heating, but any with a flat surface on top that's large enough to hold a cooking pot will do. This addition can transform your mancave from a place you hang out in from time to time to a prepper's dream space where you can live, eat, have fun, and stay warm for as long as you need to, even when there are power outages.
Choosing a wood stove
After identifying an ideal spot in your mancave to install your woodstove, the next step is to choose one. Modern wood stoves come in various sizes, designs, and finishes and not all of them will be a good fit for your mancave. The first thing to consider is the size of your woodstove which will depend on how much space you have in your mancave and your heating needs. You want a stove that is big enough to meet your heating needs but not too big that it makes your mancave uncomfortably warm or takes up too much room. Another thing to consider is the stove's clearance rating, which is the minimum distance you should maintain between the stove and nearby walls, furniture, and appliances. You must also consider the design of the woodstove and how it fits in with the overall design or theme of your mancave. Whatever you end up choosing, make sure that it is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.
A woodstove could be the thing that is missing in your mancave to take it to the next level. Not only will it make your mancave warm and cozy but it can also add to the aesthetic appeal and make it feel more homely. But, to be on the safe side, make sure your installation is done by certified professionals who'll follow safety guidelines to the letter.