If you live in an area where the temperature is continuously making you and your family want to curl up in bed all day long, then you need to consider different ways of adding warmth to your wooden house to make it more cosy and pleasant. Even though log houses are popular for their energy efficiency, installing an efficient heating system in a log house is vital.
In this article we will be discussing the different types of heating systems and what are important things to keep in mind when installing a heating system in a log house.
Different Types of Heating System and The Things to Consider When Installing Them:
Radiant flooring heating system:
This is a really effective system to warm up your entire log house. It is a great way to save energy because there is no air that needs to move around through ducts in the entire house, and this will certainly assist in cutting down on utility bills. Radiant flooring heating systems are also great for family members who suffer from allergies. There will be no dust and pollen circulating in the household’s air, which will prevent allergies from flaring up. They work especially well in log homes as it distributes the heat evenly throughout the entire house. In general, log cabins have a tendency to be warmer in rooms that have a southern facing wall and rooms with northern facing walls remain cooler as the sun doesn’t really reach them as much. But by installing a radiant flooring heating system your north and south facing rooms will have even temperatures as the heat radiating up from the floors causes the heat to warm up the entire house. If your log house is made up of Western White Wood then installing a radiant heating system will help you heat up the house more efficiently, as this type of wood stores the heat well and radiates it back out from the walls. Moreover, these heating systems operate silently and present you with a peaceful living atmosphere.
Natural Gas fireplaces:
Using natural gas fireplaces is another really effective way to warm up a log house. It is also one of the most popular and traditional methods to cosy up a residential log cabin. Nothing is more soothing and relaxing than curling up with your loved ones or a good book around a radiant fireplace on a chilly cold night. Having a natural fireplace could also help you create an environmentally friendly home as well as save you money. Unlike a log fireplace, a natural gas fire can provide continuous heat. You will be surprised to know that you can save up to 25% on utility bills with gas fireplaces. It is also easier and safer to work with. A popular method used to heat residential log houses is to have two fireplaces back to back using the same chimney, but in two different rooms. Using this type of system you can heat up to four rooms very easily. The rooms without fireplaces may still need an extra heat source during the colder months though. Especially in colder climates, log houses with fireplaces are also equipped with a forced air system or a radiant floor heater as well.
Wood burning stoves:
For many log home owners these are quite popular heating solutions as generally log houses are located in areas where firewood is readily available and abundant. Wood burning stoves can heat a small one or two room log cabin effectively, but for family sized log cabins especially the ones located in colder climates a backup heating system is needed. A popular combination is to use a wood burning stove and have radiant heated floors as well to distribute the heat evenly. They also make a great backup system for practically any heating method including conventional forced air furnaces. When installing stoves it is important to consider whether to have an exhaust pipe or to install a chimney and also how to place them in the log house. If you already have a chimney installed then the chances are that you can adapt it to work with your wood burner. Designing the log cabin with the chimney in the centre of the cabin will allow for better heat distribution. With a centrally located chimney and a well designed log house, you may be able to heat up a cabin with three rooms effectively. On the other hand, if you are installing an exhaust pipe instead of a chimney, then the best way to make use of all the heat is to run the pipe all the way up through the ceiling because the length of pipe radiates a nice amount of heat by itself
Geothermal heating:
This is a common choice of many log home owners due to its eco-friendly appeal. Today more and more people consider the environment when making decisions to heat their home. In such instances, geothermal heating systems are an ideal choice. Furthermore, they are very cost effective. Mainly there are two types of geothermal heating; both involve an extensive piping system outside of your home. Both types are installed underground, but one is installed vertically straight down into the ground and the other is installed horizontally in a trench. Several hundred feet of pipe is used to carry the water required to operate a geothermal heat pump. Installing that pipe in a vertical trench is a lot easier. Slinky is the best functional vertical pipe installation. It is a method that installs pipes in a spring or slinky like pattern inside a vertical trench. The vertical straight down method outperforms any type of horizontal installation when it comes to heating efficiency.
When choosing heating system for your log house, it’s best to take these factors into consideration as well:
* The age of your house.
* The dimensions of your house.
* How much you are ready to spend on installation.
* Whether your house is adequately insulated.
* How long you want the heating to operate for.
* Will you be needing all night heating or just at certain times?
* How environment friendly do you want your heating to be?
* How cost effective does it need to be?
* How easy should the heating system be to operate and maintain?
* How safe do you want it to be?
Always remember that the heating system you choose should keep your log house comfortable as well as should enable you to save on utility bills.
