Autumn is in the air and the mornings are getting cool here at Whitten House – making me grateful for modern heating options. I can’t imagine what it was like to wake up here on a Maine winter morning when the only heating option was open fireplaces.
I have installed invisible radiant heat in most of the house but the modern kitchen is located in a 1960’s addition with a concrete slab floor, making radiant installation impractical. A gas heating stove on a thermostat provides heat for that room. The thermostat is a 1930’s or 40’s Minneapolis Honeywell unit that I purchased new-in-box as a more visually compatible option than any of the plastic units made today.
Modern gas stoves can be a compatible means to heat historic houses if you select a model that resembles a historic wood stove. Historic stoves can be converted to gas as well. For those who do not want to deal with wood or coal as a heating fuel, this is a great option.
The topic of heating (and cooling) of historic houses is covered in depth in Chapter 8 of Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.
The 720 page award-winning and best-selling hardcover book is available in bookstores and from online retailers (it is currently 32% off on Amazon! http://ow.ly/N7ba50y4PSL).
Signed and personalized copies are available directly from the author on this site, click here: https://yourhistorichouse.com/shop/.
Bookstores can order copies from W.W. Norton.
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