>>It doesn't make sense to fire up the monster free-standing wood
stove when it takes hours to heat the place. That would work for a a big
gathering.<<

This indicates a conflict to me, between an old-timey way of life and 
modern concepts of whole-building heating.

The monster wood stove provides radiant heat at a central point in the 
building, which brings people physically close together promoting more 
intimate social interaction.

If you install a spread-out heating system, say radiant panels around 
the perimeter, then people will tend to disperse all around next to the 
walls where it's physically warmer, but perhaps socially cooler.

The warm floor idea is interesting. I grew up in a house built in 1951 
that had radiant floor heating. During the long, cold Nebraska winters 
and blizzards us kids spent a lot of time on he floor where it was nice 
a cozy, rolling around, shooting marbles on the carpet, "camping out" 
all night under blanket tents, etc. When one of us was sick the doctor 
would visit and say our radiant floor was good because the germs were 
not blown all around the house like a forced hot air system would do.

I can imagine coming late to a dance at the hall and finding all the 
grangers rolling around on the floor.

John
m h h

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