Talking about our firewood and heating system and thinking about what we would do differently now with nearly 20 years of operating a wood fired boiler to heat our home, garage and workshop.
Talking about our firewood and heating system and thinking about what we would do differently now with nearly 20 years of operating a wood fired boiler to heat our home, garage and workshop.
When you said, “we waited and waited” to have kids, I knew EXACTLY how that felt. Wife and I just had our first baby girl after 7 years of waiting. God bless you and your family my friend.
We tried for 8 years before we had ours.
I am going to nominate you for entertainer of the year. If you can cut firewood, dig holes, and spread gravel all the while offering up really sound advice and hold my rapt attention you MUST be the entertainer of the year. Stumbled onto your channel yesterday and have binge watched you during a snowstorm. You and your family have restored my hope for humanity. Keep up the good work.
That's very kind of you! Thanks so much for checking out a bunch of the videos!
It's so nice that your girls pitch in with the chores . So many kid have their eyes glued to a smart phone or computer screen .
The kids always helping out is one of my favorite parts of this channel. My kids have to help with one chore per day. Sometimes they just take the trash out and other times we stack wood for a couple hours.
My wife and I have been "remodeling " our house for 15 years😂😂. I do the man i wish i would've done this or that all the time. Nice video!👍👍
Another great video. Your practicality, smarts and family values is what makes the videos enjoyable but it’s your humility that keeps me coming back. May God continue to bless you and your family.
Thanks!
You're making more memories by how you live. Most children these days have no clue compared to your girls. Kudos !!!!
Hopefully a new generation will learn from your experience and they will benefit from the wisdom.
Wtf… negative 20° is crazy. I'm from Brazil; when it starts to get cold, it's about 20°c or 68°F. Big love from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!
Mr, Koch; You should continue to do you because it appears you serve a very generous Master and lead a very blessed life. What works for everyone else shouldn't even be on your radar.
Bells on the door and a dog that knows how use them ! That was a great idea.
Most people that comment on what you should do, don’t have any good sense. You are very handy, smart, logical, etc. That is proven with your channel content. Please don’t waste your time or ours with viewers’ silly comments. We watch this channel for your content, and love it! If there are comments worth speaking to, then do. Otherwise, smile and shake your head and let it be like water off a duck’s back. God bless you and yours!!!
Pretty much agree with Mr Wilcox
Well I try :)
💯
@@digdrivediy odd question for you…at about the 51 second mark when you’re suiting up, there’s some slip on boots in the background. What brand are they? I’ve been shopping for a pair of slip on boots….some call them Chelsea boots….just today and saw those.
@@waltermitty7452 They are OBOZ brand. I wear OBOZ for everyday wear (lace up ones too). Unfortunately I think the slip ones are no longer available as I haven't been able to find a new pair.
Impressive. Great tour video. MOST impressive is how your family works together.❤
My wife and I are regular viewers and wish to thank you for your honest assessment of things and inviting us to share in your family. So, we trust you to sort through people's silliness and woulda, shoulda, and coulda junk.
Thanks so much for watching!
I liked one of your final comments “it’s a lot of work but it builds character “. So true.
My wife and I enjoy your channel very much. We are both 80 years old, live in Brown County, Indiana, on 80 wooded acres and have heated primarily with wood for the past 55 years. It was interesting to hear your speculation about whether or not you will continue with wood heat into the future. I enjoy the process of harvesting firewood and we both enjoy having a stove in the living room and fiddling with it to keep the temperature in a desirable range. This was easier to do once we both retired and can tend the stoves all day. We have a propane forced air furnace as a backup and use that on those days in the spring and fall when temperatures swing up into the 50's but require a little heat at night. Most of our wood is harvested from fallen storm damaged trees, so we never have to cut down a live tree. I stay 3 years ahead on harvesting so the wood is always well seasoned. This is also a little bit of insurance for when the day comes that I can no longer keep up with it, but I don't "plan" to ever give up harvesting firewood. When that day comes, we will probably purchase firewood even if it doesn't save us any money. (using John Deere Gator, Stihl chainsaws, and a "box store" hydraulic splitter)
Wow, 80 and still tending the fire. There is something about fire that is hard to put into words. May your heart and hearths, always be warm. Thanks!
This is great to hear! I hope I can be as able bodied when I'm in my 80's. Ideally I'll keep up with firewood as long as I can. The question is more related to how much we travel. I can envision a day when we want to hang around here less in the winter as our goal is to one day travel a bit more, especially in the winter. I enjoy the activities of it all though for now and hope I still feel that way for many years to come.
Love the vidéos Neil and Wife and your Girls .
We have all been there and had to start somewhere. Love what you did. That was a lot to take on as a new couple starting out.
Planting the windbreak/trees are never too late. I finally planted some trees in my yard a couple years ago & really regret not doing it sooner. I’m in southeastern Indiana, primarily heat with electric heat pump, but have a wood stove in the basement for the colder periods. Love not NEEDING to heat with wood (I did that in the past), but do enjoy being able to keep the furnace from running when the temp is 10* outside.
3 words everybody uses sir, woulda, coulda, shoulda. If we knew everything, world would be a dull place due to us all being the same. Family, health then everything else makes us better people. Thank you for bringing us not your life, truly enjoy it. Retired old fart from Michigan that regrets not doing things right but am happy. ❤
Thanks for the tip for using the pipe to put in the driveway markers!
I thoroughly enjoy this channel. It feels like home. Comfortable, informative, wholesome, and entertaining.
Wow, thank you!
@@digdrivediy thank you
I enjoy it when you include your family in the videos. stay warm....
Neil you hit the nail on the head, "when heating with wood and leaving a door or window open it doesn't hurt you very much". Compared to a heat source you have to buy. Heating with wood is by far the best feeling to experience.
Loved this video. Shows daily life in the cold of winter we never experience here in Australia.
That wood burner isn't the only thing that is smokin hot! Congrats on the beautiful bride. :)
High five!
Best part of your channel is your relationship with your family!
Loved this video... I think this one was more for us ladies! 😅 Have a great 2024 and keep warm up in the northern hemisphere! 💪💛🇿🇦
Neil I never miss your videos, My wife of 51 years and I watch every sunday morning My take on things I would change is very small as I am happy with where we are in our lives and I wonder if any change in the past would have altered where we are now and I wouldn,t change this for the world Keep up the good work and enjoy each step along the way and we will keep watching!!
Thanks for that. I'm grateful to have you folks watching!
Neil, im from the Uk. A small village. Your videos and your calm outlook on things are an absolute inspiration to me. Thank you so much sir.
Wow, thank you
You can do anything with a big enough budget. You guys are smart. You don’t need any advice. Keep on truckin! Peace!
I love that your daughters help you with chores.
Some people will always tell you not to burn wood or raise a garden or hunt or build stuff yourself etc, don't listen to those kind. Good luck.
You have the equipment to process large amounts of wood, I'ld say you made the right choice everyday. Nothing beats wood heat, especially after being outside in the cold all day once you hit that warmth from a wood stove it almost puts you to sleep. As someone who has a Woodstove I am jealous of your wood furnace setup. Plus the amount of propane it would cost to heat the house, garage, shop and everything would be a second mortgage. Plus can run out of propane in the middle of a holiday weekend or loose power. Woodstove needs to power. Rule of thumb warm basement warm house . The blown in insulation from outside helps but over time it settles and has voids, if you could get into your attic and add insulation that would help a lot. Heat rises. I think the brick house did alot to break the wind as much as bushes . Vinyl siding is easy to remove and save , add a layer of foam board insulation and put the siding back on. You have a beautiful home and property. And an even more beautiful family.
Great video Neil. Brings back memories of using a coal furnace to heat the old farm house. The good old days.
Neil, I also remember my Dad was 86 years old and we was still helping him plant trees. He said I might not be able to enjoy them but someone else might. That still helps me to plant trees at age 68.
Very true. My father-in-law plants a lot of trees on their property.
So, you did it right from the beginning. You found a great partner and created a beautiful family. On that foundation, you can build and rebuild anything.
I admire your candor we all go through ways to save and my wife and I saved in similar ways. Thank you for sharing and allowing us to take a ride along with your preparations. I do help a buddy of mine with his firewood and your videos help us find ways to making it more efficient. God Bless!
You have a wonderful location and a wonderful family life Neil. Thanks for sharing.
Great remodel! Real nice house and a wonderful home!
That’s nice that you have help with the firewood.
I live in Oceanside CA. My windows are so old they are single pane from 1974, and they rattle when Camp Pendleton does training excercises. I get such a laugh when friends come over and they say "You should replace your windows"! I always reply with "Wow, never thought of that! What a great idea! If you want to help me pay for it, I will do it"! Amazing how fast they shut up when I say that! You guys are doing great! Keep up the awesome work!
As an Englishman I love watching your videos. Your home and life style looks very idyllic. I live near farms in England and they have the same approach to heating as you and some of them are a few hundred years old. As for ideas for making improvements to your home efficiency I’d put an extra woolly jumper on!
We used a wood boiler in an old farmhouse- keep going! Yeah- we were cold a lot. LOL. Love your videos.
beautiful family, home, shop.....thanks for sharing♥
We do a lot of things when we are young that we would change when we are older. I have found that most of the time, it was due to being ignorant or broke at the time. That's what life is all about, learning lessons along the way and making improvements as we learn. That's called wisdom. I also feel that it's our duty to pass along to our children what we've learned in order to maybe make their lives a little easier (if they will listen). Thanks for sharing brother.
Those Wood Stove top Sterling engine fans that run using the heat of the stove really help circulate the air inside the house
You made the right choices at the moment. No looking back. Keep up the hard work. You’re a good man. Good family. Blessed.
Oh my goodness! My husband was watching your pond process this morning and I was hooked. We sat on our couch for almost 2 hrs saying, “well we gotta watch to the end of the project.” ( Saturday mornings are lazy for us) So I signed up! These are so much better than watching TV and all the junk that is on it nowadays. We are also Ohioians, central part and also believers!
Thanks for sharing your Sunday with us!
You do the best you can with the resources available. I would say you are doing better than most, and you are a good example of how to get things done. 👍👍
Nice video. You're a great husband and father. Family first. Stay warm.
My parents supplemented heat with a wood stove in the basement (also had oil heat)... One of my fondest memories as a child is sitting on top of the big vent at the bottom of the stairs on the ground floor... I'd wrap up in a big fluffy towel after getting out of the tub and just sit there... 😊😊😊
Heating the house and shop with firewood and using the old Rubbermaid cart… brings back the memories. I did the same for over 19 years and saved a lot of money in the process and enjoyed great heat during the cold winters. Lol, still have the Rubbermaid cart. Great video!
Great family! Great video! Great job! I look forward to your next post
Thanks for sharing. Winter ❄️ seems like here in Quebec Canada 🇨🇦. Lot of preps with old houses in cold times to make sure bust nothing. 🇨🇦❄️❄️🇨🇦👋🏼🔥
Neal, you have a wonderful home and your care and preparation is wonderful and you look back not complain but to justify. Hallelujah
I would have done what you did… lived and learned and did the best I could manage at the time with the knowledge I had at that time. It’s easy for others to knit pick but there is nothing wrong with the approach you took. My wife and I made some mistakes as well along the way but the mistakes are part of the journey. Wish you all the best, we are also getting ready for the deep freeze up here in Michigan!
Neil, our house was built in 1972 as an addition to a house trailer. I. 1984 they tore the house trailer down and again built on to the addition. My wife and i bought the old farm house in 2014 and went through 1500 gallon of propane our first winter! That spring we ripped the old aluminum siding off our house and put house wrap all the way around as well as new windows! What a difference that made. Our gas bill went down to 800 bucks that winter. Fast forward to 2019 and we installed out central boiler 6048, we have not bought propane for 4 years now! Its quite the upgront investment upfront but will pay for itself rather quickly. We love your videos every sunday. I was a bit shocked when i didnt see the firewood processor video this week! However ill be patient and wait! Thanks for the content you produce!
I don’t think you should have done anything differently! The decision you shared and the priceless memories that those decisions have provided are to me much more important than a few more conveniences. Shared goals and hard work develop a bond you can’t get in any other way. Y’all have done great and are richer in way most people would envy. Keep following your mutual goals.
Such a great video, I can totally relate as my husband and I live in an 1870s farmhouse .
Thank God for the farmers! I could not do what you do. Thanks
Good video Neil. Enjoyed seeing what you have to do to get ready for winter. Like the way you include your family in your activities. We're in Eastern NC and it gets cold at times but thankfully it doesn't that cold and we usually don't get much snow.
We have had a really mild winter in the NE. It went from 30 to 20 and I was reminded how small differences at the extremes make a big difference. I had to find my proper winter coat today.
Great video, such a sweet family! Enjoy every minute of it!
Thanks KOL!
You did the best with what you had available. Looks like it worked out pretty well.
Thanks for showing the corn cob insulation. I always love seeing simply solutions from different parts of the country to combat the cold. Loved this look inside how you stay warm.
When I found out I was going to be a father I changed gears. I became a cdl dad. I did what I needed to be financially responsible. Seeing your vids I know you’re someone whom I could look up to. I want that work life. It builds character. I applaud you.
Thanks man!
I loved this video! Thank you Neil! Reminds me of so much of what we do in Alaska to get ready for winter.
The wind was just a howling 🥶
Neil, I feel like I’m watching an episode of my upbringing and totally get where you’re coming from. In 1998 my wife and I were engaged, we were only 22, high school sweethearts and started building our house in the woods that my grandfather had on our own with lots of help from family, I know the pinch you talk about, burn wood in an outside boiler, farm, do excavation, and 6 kids later wouldn’t change it for the world! Hard work makes who you are, I feel the cold here to in north central ohio, anyways love watching your channel grow, keep the firewood coming!
I think your house is awesome! Multiple ways to heat is fine i would actually prefer it. If something goes out ul still be warm! You have a beautiful piece of property. Very well taken care of and appreciate the kind of tour of it lol.
Neil you have a healthy beutiful family, in a wonderful home. who cares how you should, if you would, You did what was best for you all, with the money that was there, And you all are so blessed.
My wife and I rehabed a 1929 Montgomery ward kit house in Schenectady NY 20 years ago. It was the first redo the house had had and insulation was the worst. Even after it was done it was still cold in the NE winters. Still we made it work and I appreciate what you have done and don’t let the naysayers tell you what to do. Live your truth and make it better down the road. Stay warm and look for the spring!
Always awesome to see you and your family working as a team 😮😊❤
That's a awesome house, garage and shop setup. As my grandfather used to say a house that breathes is a healthy house that'll last a lifetime. The multiple heating systems is a perfect setup for anyone who lives in the rural areas.
One of my biggest regrets is that i had a house built that allows my 14 year old son stroll round in shorts indoors in January swiping from gadget to gadget. Will only show enthusiasm when lightning a firepit with his friends in September. We need to teach our kids to respect and contribute to household maintenance from the earliest age. Well done sir👍
Neil, you know EVERYONE watching this wants to see the updates!!! I was lucky enough to take down a family barn from 1855 a few years back. Have kept all of the lumber and siding in my current barn and my family has been able use it on projects around our houses. Means so much to everyone to have that wood! Love your channel.
I know exactly how you feel about things you did and why. I regret not putting in a steel beam in my garage ceiling to support the room above. I have been living with a Lally column in the middle of the garage for 38 years all because I did not want to spend $1,700. At the time interest for a mortgage was 10%.
Looks GOOD for what you did in the past and what you are doing now ! And what Looks REALLY GREAT and most importantly is your loving family !😊❤
I look forward to your videos each week, great job as always. Don't worry about what others say, work with what you have, and always learn from the past. I have great memories of gathering wood, splitting by hand all of the wood, and stacking it for our family and other people that my father thought needed help. The windblock would help.
Thank you so much!
Great video, open, honest, informational!
Neil… I too grew up with wood heat. In fact both homes we lived in were wood only heat… and no air conditioning. Once I moved out, my apartments and our first home were heated with natural gas. I missed the joy of cutting firewood as much as I missed having a heat source to back up to when I came in from the cold! Once we started looking for our ‘Forever Home’ we set our sights on one with wood heat. And we found the perfect answer. Thirty five years ago, we bought a three bedroom ranch home on three acres. And, we bought Sassafras Valley… it had seven acres of hardwood timber on it. The two properties are adjoined on their north to south boundaries. The house was set up with an electric heat pump for heat and air. It is ducted through the floor in the crawl space below. That is the absolute worst heating system I’ve ever lived around. The air always felt cold and it cost a fortune to use! Two years ago, we replaced it with a high efficiency propane gas heat and electric air unit. It is a bit cheaper and much more pleasant solution. AND… the home had a fireplace that was ducted through the attic to every room of the house. The fireplace was not air tight… but, if I could keep enough wood cut… it put out excellent heat. We could comfortably heat the house with outside temps down to -12f. Over the years, we too replaced our windows, added on a small utility room, insulated the attic with 24” of blown-in fiberglass and… totally replaced the fireplace. We are fortunate to have a local Fireplace manufacturer (New Air). I had known the owners for years. When I was ready to replace the unit, they came over and recommended we make changes in our plans. He suggested we upgrade to an airtight unit with dual doors. The doors in the living room have glass windows in the doors. The other doors are solid steel and open into the garage. He also recommended a higher volume fan system to circulate more air. That worked out great! The amount of wood burnt was decreased by a fourth. The fire is fed through the garage… and I never get in trouble for spilling sawdust and wood debris on the floor of the house. The fan upgrade has done wonders to even out air flow to the far end of the house. But, the biggest surprise was that the steel doors provide radiant heat to keep Gabby the dog and Flora the cat comfy in the garage. After 10 years of using this fireplace, I wouldn’t change a thing. As I type this, the outside temperature is -2f. Inside here it is 76f… I am sitting on the hearth of the fireplace and don’t feel one bit guilty for wearing a short sleeved t-shirt and shorts. Well sir, that’s enough. I need to go throw another couple of sticks on the fire. Neil… I hope the joys of wood cutting and heating hold up for you… I plan on sticking with it for as long as I can manage to do so. PS… I posted a video about some pop guns that I made… I was wondering if you grew up playing with them too?
Just found this comment 2 weeks later! I like hearing stories of the evolution of getting to the right solution. I wish I had known then what I know now, but I'm learning that almost everyone goes through the same bit of growing, er learning pains. Our energy consumption is certainly high but we are also heating a lot of square footage. The nice part is I never worried about it too much until I started posting to KZhead. We can work on ways to make it better, just as you have done over the years, and I don't mind continuing to cut wood as long as I'm able. I think it has most definitely saved us a good bit of money! Thanks for sharing about your evolution to the right solution! The fill side in the garage sounds wonderful! We didn't play with pop guns too much as a kid but there was one or two at an Aunt & Uncles house that got fired every time we were there. Sounds like a fun project though! Did I ever tell you that you inspired us to make bird houses with the kids? Grandpa made a "kit" for each Grandkid and we put them together over Christmas time. I can't remember if I put clips in a video or not but it was a good time! Thanks Dave!
@@digdrivediy Yep, I have let a few comments slip by me too. It happens. Thanks for getting back with me. I’m glad you still enjoy wood heat… it is a built in heating and fitness program. How wonderful… building birdhouses is a terrific craft bonding project. I hope you get them filled this spring. In our area…, late February is time to clean old and hang new bluebird houses. That reminds me… I’m overdue to post the shotgun pop-gun video….
You made me remember the days when I went to the woods with they garden tractor and four kids. I would cut and split the kids would take the tractor and wagon and move the wood to the barn. After an afternoon in the woods I'd check out the barn and be surprised with the amount of wood stacked in the barn ready for the fireplace. Yep I'd take loads of wood to the front porch for the fireplace. I didn't have a wood stove or a heatilator in the fireplace, but it did keep the living room warm. Cutting and splitting wood was fun. Ten pound sledge and two five pound wedges. Ha.
I grew up with Fire wood & my Dad still heats with firewood. I think all the extra physical activity helps to keep my 85 year old Dad active.
This...
Hindsight is 20/20!! You did what you thought was right at that time in life.
Suggested project for next summer. Plant a live windscreen along the back edge of your lawn and it would also add privacy and help keep the corn husk from blowing in your pond.
Video was great. I like when you change things up a bit. Great job! Thanks
I appreciate that!
You have such a nice clean, tidy property... You must work hard at it everyday to keep it that way and it shows. Beautiful place.
Thanks! My wife does a good deal of it!
I wish I could still burn wood. Not only is it the best heat it heats you multiple times. Collecting it, splitting it, stacking it, using it. Also your home is beautiful. I think you made a lot of good choices to get where you are today.
I think you are well suited to surviving if any or most of your means of staying warm don't pan out . Like if a EMP or a storm or a supplier got shut off from your homestead for what ever reason you would be very well protected. Congratulations on a successful family enviroment and a great place to grow a family. I'm very impressed and envious. Stay warm.
Great video, thank you very much, you and your family are great. In Russia, in regions where in winter the temperature drops below -10C (14F), a second row of windows is installed. This creates an air gap as a heat insulator. A regular frame with windows that cannot be opened.
Great video. We have been burning wood all my life. We also have a propane forced air furnace for extreme cold. Keep on keeping on buddy!
I don't see how anyone can knock what you have done and what you are doing. You did what was right at the time and it's easy to use hindsight to find things to do differently, but, if it works then it can't be wrong. Besides which, it is all part of life, part of living, and you have a life that others surely envy and one that will give you loads of memories. What you did got you to where you are now and made you all who you are, it's all a part of you. Nothing is perfect and even if you did it all, as you now think you should have, you'd still be here today thinking of the things you would like to have done differently. One thing I did notice though, all that hard work on the pond and nobody out there swimming! 🤣 Keep up with the very excellent videos, we love the insight into your lives that you bring to us and are only a little bit jealous... Andy, (England)
Really appreciate it Andy!
Really nice video…… well, they’ve all been great this year. Grew up on a farm in the UK, and now live in southern France on the edge of a mountain, but winter and cutting wood, and keeping warm, is the same everywhere…..and developing the houses in a parallel timeframe, with technological progress and financial progress being what it is, you’ll get no criticisms from us, just empathy. And hey, seasons are great for making memories aren’t they. P.S. our well has been empty for 2 years, apparently it’s always had water for the previous 60 years, but now can only fill it from the bore hole. For me that’s an indicator that things are changing, so we’re gonna need to adapt.
Very well said! Thanks!
There is a product called outsulation. E.I.F.S. Exterior Insulation Finisf System. Synthetic stucco.When you flash and caulk properly the systen works well. It is a stucco look and it would require removing the current siding. You could put up to 4 inches of EPS board (Expanded Poly Styrene.) It completely seals the house but leaves inferior windows exposed. It costs anywhere from $8 to $14 per square foot. It would be a project but it would solve your Insulation needs. Love your channel and especially the hard work you do. My brothers family lived in Shenandoah Ia so I know the winters are rough. Stay warm.
DUUUUDE - Neil - Mr Koch, a few positive points: - You’re clearly a “neat and tidy” guy - That said, when your girls spilled the food you didn’t react negatively - good dad! - I’m 60 and we’ve raised three children to adulthood. The reminder that “Life is messy” helped in that. - There’s so much to praise about your videos, esp considering they’re a part of the social media that so often can be ugly or even evil. Your videos are positive, affirming, free from vulgarities and replete with the “good” in life. For all of that, thank you! David Epp from So Cal (So Cal, where if you live here too long, you see those who live in colder climes and are unable to fathom how that’s possible lol)
Thanks so much David! The cats were happy to help clean up the spill so no worries to have there! :)
Loved the video. Very informative of what you guys go through up north. I live in south Louisiana and if we see a few days of weather below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s experienced like a crisis. Lol
I am from Fort Wayne and stumbled across your channel a few months ago. I love the videos and what you and your family have done with the place. I hope 2024 treats you well!
Thanks so much! Always happy to hear from a local viewer!
The beauty of you and your family - immediate and extended - is that you all have a tremendous amount of common sense without losing the plot. You're here to live your life and raise a family. From my view you guys are doing very well. I enjoy watching your vids immensely as much for the stories of the week as to check in with how you and your clan are doing in general. Thanks for that and eep going!
Reason #700 why I don’t live in the country. Y’all are amazing.
Man I bought my house when I was 23 and broke. The house is not as old as yours but still the building process in 82 leaves me with all the same problems when it comes to heating. I really think it’s more cost effective to just burn extra wood on the couple below freezing weeks a year then it is to rip apart the house to re-insulate. I did recently replace windows, and that was enough to make a big difference. Could’ve should’ve would’ve is the story of my life😂 No regrets only memories.
So, so true! Didn't take much to split up an extra load of wood for that extra cold week!