I just bought a ski cabin and the stove is basicly dangerous and unusable so I'm totaly remodeling the alcove.

For a stove if I open it up to the overhead beam and protect it I can get a pretty big wood stove in there (Jotul F500 Oslo). I worry though that because it's in a deep alcove the heat won't circulate well to the rest of the house without a blower = noise. The house is less than air tight so I also worry about the stove creating drafts.

The other option would be a Fireplace Xtrortinare zero clearence fireplace. Con's are that it is mechanicaly complex, requires exectricity and may allow cold air to blow in when not in use. However I'm told that by the design relying on blowing air in from outside it will circulate the heat to all area's of the house rapidly, eliminate drafts and because the blower is remote, it's quiet.

The bedrooms are downstairs and the weather sealing is not up to par for a winter cabin so the positive pressure design of the fireplace x sounds interesting.

Anyone have any opinions here? Reading on the web people seem to have hit or miss experiences with the fireplaces.