Installing the ceiling grates

When we designed the house we chose not to put any heating units on the second floor. We have solar powered radiant floor heat through the slab on the first floor but our main heat source is the wood stove.

Everybody loves the wood stove

Really, really loves it

We did this with the assumption that heat would travel up the stairwell (much like it did in our Troy house). Just to be safe we also cut two air ducts into the ceiling/floor to help with air circulation. One is right above the wood stove (maximum heat transfer) and goes into the upstairs bathroom; the other is in the kitchen and goes into the master bedroom.

This has worked great. It's quite warm in the room off the stairwell, very warm in the bathroom, and about 5 degrees cooler in the bedroom, which makes for more comfortable sleeping anyway. On the downside, we've had two holes cut into the ceiling for the last two years. Obviously we have not had holes in the floor - we covered those immediately with antique grates. But we never seemed to get around to putting in the ceiling grates; just wasn't a priority. 

But we finally did it!

In the kitchen - screwing in the supports

And over the wood stove

Mounted

Close up

It's a small change. Barely noticeable really. But it's one more step toward finishing the house. And we get to cross it off the 2015 goals. Woot!