Our woodstove is burning right now. It is our “back up” heat source as we lose power with some regularity. In truth, it is the primary heat source Friday night to Monday morning, then it is usually left alone during the week as we are too busy with work to tend it.
A few thoughts:
1) A woodstove is wonderful. One with a cooking top is even better.
In today’s modern/tight homes, you may well need a “cold air intake” in order to get proper draw through the stove – this involves a pipe (double walled is best) from outside of your house, through the wall, and into the back of the stove. Otherwise the stove tries to pull air into itself to burn, via drawing through any cracks around windows and such. Modern homes are often too airtight, and so the fire doesn’t burn well.
2) Firewood really needs to be seasoned – usually until it “checks” (starts cracking at the end). You want to use hardwood (maple, ash, oak, birch, beech), as softwood (pine, spruce, etc) causes too much creosote to build up.
3) Firewood is a prep in itself. You’ll need a shed. If you’re just worried about a week or so, you won’t need more than a cord. But if you are thinking EMP prep – you’ll need a bunch of wood (my shed holds 7 cords – it wouldn’t get me through a full winter if it was my only source… unless we restricted ourselves to 1 room).
Then comes firewood tools – chainsaw (look for a class on how to be safe – like “game of logging”) maul, and again axe and crosscut saw if you’re thinking long term grid down (yes, I’ve gone that far 😉 ).
4) If you are not going to get a regular woodstove, you might consider a “tent stove”. These are woodstoves designed to go inside “wall tents”. Having said that, you still need a hearth to place it on, and probably one behind it. These are pretty affordable at any stove store.
5) CAVEAT – there are rules and regulations, I would not dream of using anything other than a professionally installed stove – unless it were a SHTF scenario. Saving money on heating isn’t worth burning your home down and killing your family.
I’m not trying to be a downer, but just expressing how deep the rabbit hole goes. It’s one thing to buy a tent stove and some extra piping, and read up/prep how to run the chimney out a window… and then never use it unless SHTF.
In any other situation, from regular use, to hurricane power outage, I would have a professional installation.
If finances are an issue, maybe consider buying the stove in year 1, then in year 2 buy the hearth and backing and chimney, in year 3 get it hooked up and the chimney placed?
Good luck with whatever you decide!