Selecting and Installing a Wood-burning Stove
Choose a stove whose capacity matches the heating requirements of the space you intend to heat. A stove that is too small will have to be refueled frequently and still may not generate enough warmth. An overly large stove can be even worse, causing overheating on all but the coldest days, and more creosote build up from general use. Manufacturers usually specify the heating characteristics of a stove in terms of the number of rooms or the number of cubic feet of space the stove can heat. In a few cases they give the heat output in BTUs per hour. An average-sized room contains about 1,500 cubic feet. When the temperature outside is at the freezing level, you should be able to heat such a room with a stove that puts out 15,000 BTUs per hour. Of course, there are many variables to consider. How well insulated and weatherproofed is your house? (The better your house retains heat, the smaller the stove you will need.) Is your home laid out ranch style or does it have a compact two-story design? (It is easier to heat a compact house than a sprawling single-level home.) What sort of wind velocities are typical in winter? (The more wind, the bigger the stove you will require.) Above all, you must consider the severity of the winter in your area. A stove that will function admirably in Maryland or Arkansas may work only marginally in New York, Kansas, and eastern Oregon and be totally inadequate in northern Maine, Minnesota, Montana, or Alaska. Though a central location for the radiant heat unit is advisable, other considerations such as chimney location may take precedence. Bear in mind that you will frequently be transporting firewood into the house; the trail of dust, mud, and wood chips that usually follows a trip from woodpile to stove can become a nuisance. To shorten the trail, place the stove near the doorway through which the wood will be brought or install a through-the-wall woodbox.
Not very long ago it was easy to find a discarded cast-iron parlor stove or cooking range. Now, however, these have become treasured antiques, and unless you are lucky they will cost you as much as a new stove. Besides being attractively designed, old stoves were made to last; however, many were built to burn coal rather than wood, so their fireboxes tended to be smaller. Wood can be used in a coal stove, but you must cut it into shorter pieces and load the stove more often. If you come across a stove you like, examine it carefully for cracks, particularly in the firebox. Cracks are responsible for inefficient operation and will cause the room to smoke up when the stove is started. Sometimes a cracked firebox can be fixed by welding or brazing, but this must be done by a specialist—repairing cast iron is a very tricky business. Cracks found in other parts of the stove, where the operating temperature does not rise as high, can be chinked with stove putty. 
Before buying an old stove, be sure you will be able to replace essential parts, such as grates and doors, that happen to be warped, broken, or missing. There are a number of stove works around the country able to provide parts or cast new ones for you. Be wary of stoves that show signs of extensive rust. Surface rust can be removed with a wire brush followed by the use of stove black, but if vital inner parts are corroded, you may find it difficult or impossible to repair them.
Through-the-wall woodbox conserves heat because you do not have to open house door to fetch each load of wood. Keep interior of box dry to help prevent insect infestation and wood rot. Weatherstrip both doors.