patrick.net

I'm looking into a woodstove for the same reason. Are you going to run the vertical part of the chimney outside the house, or inside it?

I am going through the ceiling and the roof. Peninsula Heating and Air Conditioning can do this for you. They are real professionals!

Be careful with the local ordinances. Here in Santa Clara wood burning fireplaces are tightly regulated. I don't know if stoves are treated differently. One CAN install a wood burning fireplace but it must meet current emission standards which means it has a catalyst. Burn the wrong fuel, even a single sheet of glossy magazine paper and the very expensive catalyst is ruined.

A gas stove might also fit the bill. Gas works in power outages and a gas stove can radiate heat as effectively as a wood burner.

Yeah, check local codes. Things have gotten nuts in the Bay Area when it comes to adding a fireplace. As far as I am aware, no new wood stoves are allowed to be added. As new Renter said, maybe the ones with catalytic converters are still allowed. Even then, Thanksgiving and Christmas are more and more frequently becoming "no burn" or "spare the air" days around here.

I looked into putting in a wood burning fireplace just a few years ago. This manufacturer was one of the few that offered wood burners that were allowed. I personally spoke with the San Jose building department about permitting such a fireplace. As long as it meets the emission standards its fine. YMMV though.

http://www.fireplacex.com/ProductGuide/FuelTypeOverview.aspx?fueltype=wood&fueltab=0

I eventually decided to go with gas. This is the company we had put in the fireplace and they did an excellent job:

http://scstovesandfireplaces.com/stoves/

Before committing to wood be consider the possibility of blowback. Most fireplaces are sealed during operation but when you open the door to add wood if the conditions are right the smoke may go into the room rather than the chimney. Its very unpleasant. Wood burners also build up residue in the chimney which require periodic maintenance or a chimney fire may result.