Local Cordwood Sparks Home Heat Woodstove Trend

PORTLAND, TN, March 01, 2012 (Press-News.org) Reducing expenditures to maintain quality of life standards has motivated homeowners to look more closely at their household heating bills to uncover savings. As a result, an increasing number of homeowners are turning away from fossil fuel in favor of wood heat. According to the Associated Press report titled - Wood heat heats up as homeowners give boot to oil - "Oil consumption has fallen as homeowners have found other sources of fuel, with wood being the fastest-growing alternative, according to census figures."

Craig Shankster, President of Morso NA is not surprised that the 2010 census stats numbers showed households with primary wood heating increased 1/3 to close to 2.4 million. Shankster points out that many rural and suburban families have turned to wood heat because they can purchase cordwood in advance locally at a more affordable price than fossil fuels.

If your are considering the purchase of a wood stove or wood-burning fireplace insert to lower your home heating costs, here are a few recommendations:

1. Take time in advance of visiting a local hearth stores and dealers to research wood stove features. Read fireplace and wood stove reviews, blog posts, and home improvement magazines.

2. Write down serious questions about performance, maintenance, quality standards, warranties and energy efficiency. Experienced wood stove dealers should be able to answer these questions, if not, go to another store.

3. Evaluate construction methods, materials, and company history. A low-price poorly assembled wood stove may not perform over time. While a quality high-performance stove may cost more initially, the long-term payoff is greater.

4. Form a short list of wood stove brands that have a documented track record of environmentally-responsible manufacturing processes and high quality standards.

5. Don't settle for less than the best. If your local hearth shop does not have the stove you want, ask that they order it or go online to see if the company has an online store.

Home decor should also be considered when deciding on the right wood stove. Many architects and interior designers recommend using wood stoves, fireplace inserts, and hearth accent accessories and tools as a design element to bring nature's beauty and tranquility into active homes.

For more information on Morso NA and dealer locations visit http://www.morsona.com or contact customer service at 866-883-9619.

You can also watch educational videos online to learn how to choose, install, operate, maintain, and fuel your wood stove, go to http://www.morsona.com or YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/craigshankster/featured