Here's the hole I ripped into my roof. The white stuff you see is talcum powder. I didn't want to destroy a felt tip marker on the sandpaper-like shingles so I just put the flange in place and shook a generous amount of powder around the inner circumference. This was working really nice until the vibrations from the saw made the powder displace near the end of the hole so I just eyeballed the finish.
You can also note the truss that I cut off and sistered to the right.
And here's a quick snap of the entire install. I have the ceiling trim installed now which isn't in this photo.
So far, I've made a couple of fires. I mentioned that I've never owned a wood stove so I can't make comparisons, but this baby was kicking out the heat. I've never said it before, but I can now say that I'm partially looking forward to the weather getting chilly!
All of the fuel I burnt was fairly green, which I understand will drop the efficiency and can create creasote but that's all I had. I'm thinking about buying a cord of seasoned wood and mixing it in. I'd hate buying wood when I can get it free but nothing I have is seasoned.
I think I already have a feel for the procedure of getting the stove up to operating temperature. Basicaly, all dampers open for sull flame until the temp is up. Then, bring down the catalyst and leave for a bit. Then, start shutting down the intake.
TruGrit, if you're heating 900sf with this monster, you're surely going to stay warm. The room the stove is in is probably around a quarter of that (250-ish sf) and it was super hot and toasty. At first I had reservations about where I installed the stove, which is at the end of my house. The bedrooms are at the opposite end of the ranch and I prefer cooler sleeping temperatures so I think it's all going to work out.
Having said all of that, the temperature outdoors really hasn't been too cold, so my opinion may change.
