what to do with my fireplace?

longwalks1

Just bought a 1930's semi in a rural village and it has a lovely big chimney that bricked up with a tacky, electric fire that doesnt work. options are:

Replace with modern elec fire
Open fireplace
Wood burner stove

Opinions anyone? Open to suggestions

littlepinkbiscuits

Woodburner, always! It's free heat if you can get hold of wood and looks fab. You can cook on it if needed too. I've just bought a little cottage and the chimneys have been removed but I'll get a woodburner in here somehow!

longwalks1

Thanks pink, i am edging towards a woodburner too, looks like it'll be autumn time by the time I do it, so can stockpile wood before then. just after others opinions, as i doubt i could get wood free anywhere though, may look into dual fuel burners?

littlepinkbiscuits

You can get free wood from your own garden, growing stuff like hazel that needs chopping back every year. If you know a friendly local business who have pallets to get rid of (they have to pay for removal). Alternatively, a local tree surgeon might sell uncut and unseasoned wood cheaply. At my old house some of the neighbours used to drop wood off for me too

I did have a multifuel stove but only ever burned wood on it.

Gloomendoom

Please don't get taken in by the free heat myth. You will need a forest full of hazel to fuel a stove.

I don't have to pay for my fuel but there is still a cost in time and a not inconsiderable investment in tools, ppe etc.

Anguished

Yep, go for woodburner. Fitted mine in December & used it nearly every day since. It is a bit of a luxury but great back up in the advent of a power cut and looks brilliant.

jessie15

Is it a job you can do yourself or should only professionals fit woodburners?

SG27

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Please don't get taken in by the free heat myth. You will need a forest full of hazel to fuel a stove.

I don't have to pay for my fuel but there is still a cost in time and a not inconsiderable investment in tools, ppe etc.

I agree

You will never buy wood cheap enough to beat gas central heating and you never be able to collect and process enough free wood for it to be your main source of heating unless you have a couple of acres of forest several log stores for seasoning and several hours a day to chop split and stack it.

Ectophile

jessie15 wrote: »

Is it a job you can do yourself or should only professionals fit woodburners?

The normal route is to get a HETAS installer.

If you want to do it legally yourself, then you'll need to have a good read of Building Regulations Part J (http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADJ_2010.pdf), and pay your council's building control to sign it off.

Or do it on the quiet, and hope that you don't kill yourself with carbon monoxide. And if you sell the house in the near future, hope the buyer's solicitor doesn't ask any awkward questions.

littlepinkbiscuits

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Please don't get taken in by the free heat myth. You will need a forest full of hazel to fuel a stove.

I don't have to pay for my fuel but there is still a cost in time and a not inconsiderable investment in tools, ppe etc.

In the five winters I had a woodburner, I did not pay for wood at all. Once you put the word out you will find wood comes from all sorts of sources, most of it already processed in some way so minimal work required to make it fit the woodburner. I used a £20 reciprocating saw and a £20 sawhorse (both already purchased for other DIY projects), and spent around an hour a month cutting wood for my fire, which I enjoyed doing as it was great exercise! Cuttings from the (not huge) garden provided free kindling. So much of it that I left a bin bag full for the new owners when I sold the property.