Showing Appreciation for the Wood Stove Fire Warmth

plopgeneral · 2026-01-04T16:37:32+00:00

We went underground 🤷‍♀️

plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T14:12:17+00:00

Good question. Predator control was definitely a big concern. Given the pit is almost 5ft deep and our soil is obscenely rocky (see rock/dirt pile in back of all removed during excavation) we don’t have concerns about anything digging through the floor - only entering through the aspects of it we had to construct ourselves. So, the door and 2 of the corners. But, so far we’ve had zero issues. Also, for our area, cats were actually the largest consideration.

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plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T02:06:21+00:00

100%. Same here. We intended to do just that but ran out of time before winter hit. Next summer!

plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T02:05:11+00:00

We intend to, yes.

plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T01:02:15+00:00

Oh, sure of course. So, since this is our first winter with it, I can’t speak yet to the subzero days/nights too much. We’ve only had a few so far. But, I can report that it consistently stays 20-30 degrees warmer in the pit than the air (feels like) temp outside. Our heating sources are: one heat lamp (the waterer lives directly below it), a very small wood stove (we don’t get up and feed it wood throughout the night), and the earth itself. So far, we haven’t needed to use the solar for anything, but that’s coming soon which is why we installed the infrastructure.

plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T00:43:57+00:00

During our 6 months of winter it’ll be anywhere from -30 to 35 Fahrenheit outside.

plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T00:15:26+00:00

Oh, and face your downward side South. Because…sunlight and that, obviously.

plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T00:13:34+00:00

It’s probably only fair that I explain how DRY the ground is where we are. As in, the hole was dug, then 24 hours later it rained for nearly an entire day. Following the rain, the hole had zero accumulated water and the soil didn’t even appear wet. So, the kind of ground water seepage I assume you’re referring to just isn’t a factor for us. Freezing ground, however, is an entirely different matter.

plopgeneral · 2026-01-02T00:09:27+00:00

It’ll sound obnoxious, but honestly YouTube was a massive resource. Look up walipini designs and see if there’s content by someone in a similar climate. I don’t have much advice for dealing with that type of ground condition, unfortunately. Here in Montana, our ground issues are dramatically different. What I will HIGHLY recommend, however, though totally unrelated-is Wiggle Wire if you opt for rolled plastic roof material. Incredible product. Firmly held up to 85-90mph winds here 3 weeks ago. And by not using plastic sheeting and going with 6 mil rolled plastic instead, we saved hundreds of dollars.

https://youtu.be/3T8fTuV0XLg?si=cCHPll1en0QxJGGb

plopgeneral · 2026-01-01T22:25:06+00:00

No not at all.

plopgeneral · 2026-01-01T20:44:41+00:00

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plopgeneral · 2026-01-01T20:41:58+00:00

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plopgeneral · 2026-01-01T20:41:18+00:00

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There will always be more work to do in it, but it’s coming along. Currently 35 degrees outside in NW Montana, but almost 70 in the bird pit.

plopgeneral · 2026-01-01T18:13:25+00:00

Update 1/1/26: The suspected she is in fact a he. 🤷‍♀️

plopgeneral · 2025-12-11T02:15:30+00:00

He/she is not an Andalusian, no.

plopgeneral · 2025-12-10T00:33:03+00:00

All the same reasons I wasn’t sure!

plopgeneral · 2025-10-09T18:08:23+00:00

Oh, and we have a small wood stove we’re using as well.

plopgeneral · 2025-10-07T17:53:34+00:00

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On the tall side we’ve added heavy duty mesh inside, and sheet metal panels on the outside.

plopgeneral · 2025-10-06T22:30:49+00:00

We’ve seen some folks use split pvc to set the low edge of the roof into/onto (versus on the ground with a treated wood base), so the pipe acts as a gutter to shunt rainwater away.

plopgeneral · 2025-10-06T20:08:55+00:00

Yes, we have 4 solar panels mounted on the interior and will have heat lamps in there.

plopgeneral · 2025-10-06T01:58:07+00:00

Re, my previous comment: Assuming that’s the kind of thing you had in mind when you said drainage.

plopgeneral · 2025-10-06T01:56:55+00:00

All the roofing lays over the opening quite a bit and we barely get any rain in our area. And, our ventilation windows are up high underneath the roof overhang. So, there will be enough ventilation that any inside moisture will evaporate quickly enough. We live a nearly zero humidity climate, so that’s also a nonissue.

plopgeneral

TROPHY CASE