The recent growth into Saratoga County made sense for owner Tim Willard.

“It is a growing market,” said Willard. “We felt there was a need for more competition here and the timing was ideal. Enviro, one of the principal lines we sell, became available in area. We immediately started looking for a location to set up shop in.”

Finding the current Wilton storefront was a stroke of luck for Willard; the rustic barn, which features beams and knotty pine harkens to the original store in Pine Lake.

“The showroom fits perfectly. It has a comfortable warm feel, something that people love about our first store,” said Willard.

Pine Lake offers a wide selection of gas, wood and pellet stoves and wide array of fireplaces and outdoor fire pits. The company offers products from Enviro, Quadra-Fire, Hearthstone, Vermont Castings and more.

The company does all its own installation and offers maintenance. Willard notes all the work is done by Pine Lake employees, he never subcontracts, and prefers the level of quality control that provides.

“We can build a fireplace from start to finish. If the customer says ‘I want a fireplace on this wall,’ we will install the unit with venting, finish it however they would want it to be finished - a lot of people at our other store like the Adirondack style - stone with a beam mantle - we have displays here that cater more toward contemporary - marble or granite with a custom mantle. We try to provide a wide variety of products that match people’s tastes - we can do the whole thing from start to finish.”

Surprisingly this summer, a time in which it’s hard to picture anyone thinking about cold December nights, has been very busy for both Pine Lake stores. Willard noted the new Saratoga location already has exceeded his expectations, partially bolstered by builders.

“Most of our work so far in Saratoga has been contracted through builders, they found us before we even opened our doors. Our other store is mostly homeowners, very little new construction.”

New construction aside, he attributes the surprising foresight into heating to the current gas prices and some strong manufacturer promotions by his suppliers.

“Fuel prices have really been in the news this summer with oil getting up to $75 a barrel. This is the time of year most people are locking in their budget for the upcoming winter and this year, they’re finding they are locking in at a higher level. People are trying to find any other way they can to heat their home and minimize the time their furnace is running, because of this they are becoming more and more aware of alternative ways to heat their home."

And, the alternate methods for heating homes  have grown exponentially, and are more appealing than in years past.

“Historically people thought gas fireplaces were just something to look at. Over time they’ve been made to be heaters you can use to heat a significant part of your house with and again minimize the time your furnace is on.”

Willard points out one gas fireplace in Pine Lake’s showplace can go from 20,000 to 40,000 BTUs with the turn of a dial, and is rated to heat 2,000 square feet.

With open floor plans becoming more de rigeur, Willard is a fan of space heating.

“Your furnace heats your entire house, including all the rooms you’re not in,” said Willard. “It’s going to cost you more money to heat your whole house whenever that furnace turns on. Put a fireplace or a free standing stove in the open space in which you spend most of your time and you’re going to spend less to heat that space. You might be a little cooler up in the bedroom but you’re not there all day. For people who really think about it and try to design a system for their home, they usually can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year in heating costs versus just turning the furnace on from September through May.”

Wood stoves also have seen a massive overhaul in the past 20 years. Willard notes they no longer billow huge clouds of black smoke like their predecessors or pollute as in years’ past. Not to mention, he notes, wood is a resource that is “here, renewable and sustainable.”

New wood stoves are much more efficient than in the past, usually holding around a 75 percent efficiency rating. Willard also notes that stoves receive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval.

“Stoves and fireplaces are nice to look at; they give you a tremendous amount of heat; they save on your fuel bill; and are good on the environment - its a nice combination of things,” said Willard.

“And, with our stoves, you get a lot for the price you pay, not to mention we’re very price competitive. We’re very excited about all our manufacturers because they’re able to provide a very high quality product but make it price competitive. The bottom line is it is a very good value.”

If you’re looking for a new wood burning stove or gas fireplace, be sure to visit Pine Lake Stoves at 747 Saratoga Road (Route 9) in Wilton or call 584-9070. The store is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.