How much to install woodburner when we don't have a chimney?

andrewf75

We're looking to get a woodburner installed. Does anyone know if the companies that supply and install them also install hearths/widen the fireplace opening or whatever else needs doing? We have a chimney which used to house a boiler, but I have no idea what needs doing to it before it can take a woodburner.

rustyboy21

Andrew

Go to a good, reputable fireplace showroom in your vicinity and speak to them first. Any good , reputable retailer, who is accredited to instal solid fule will be able to help you. You will need the old boiler removing AND the old boiler flue liner. This isnt a negotiable item, solid fuel WILLNOT work on a gas rated liner. They will be able to supply and fit the hearth and widen the opening for you, you will also need the chimney breast plastering.

It is not going to be cheap. I would refer you to my previous post above for you to double check you are comfortable with having a wood burner and the intial cost outlay and the ongoing costs with regards to having one installed.

You can half your price by having a gas stove installled, most wont need a liner, gas is cheaper to run, unless you live in the countryside and have the ability to store , season and cut the wood up easily.

Wood burners are not really made for Urban living, even though the stove companies use that in the marketing blurb.

andrewf75

rustyboy21 wrote: »

Andrew

Go to a good, reputable fireplace showroom in your vicinity and speak to them first. Any good , reputable retailer, who is accredited to instal solid fule will be able to help you. You will need the old boiler removing AND the old boiler flue liner. This isnt a negotiable item, solid fuel WILLNOT work on a gas rated liner. They will be able to supply and fit the hearth and widen the opening for you, you will also need the chimney breast plastering.

It is not going to be cheap. I would refer you to my previous post above for you to double check you are comfortable with having a wood burner and the intial cost outlay and the ongoing costs with regards to having one installed.

You can half your price by having a gas stove installled, most wont need a liner, gas is cheaper to run, unless you live in the countryside and have the ability to store , season and cut the wood up easily.

Wood burners are not really made for Urban living, even though the stove companies use that in the marketing blurb.

Thanks a lot for your advice.
The boiler is gone, although the flue is still there.
Yes I know what I'm doing. I live in a town close to rural areas but have a large garden with space to store logs and all the neighbours have woodburners (and love them) so I'm looking at saving cash by doing joint deliveries. Its also not going to be on much, just on cold winter evenings, no plans to heat the whole house. My neighbour says a £100 worth of wood lasts them through the winter.

Will go to a showroom and speak to someone...

No interest whatsoever in gas. If its not a real fire burning I'd rather not have a fireplace at all. A fake fire just doesn't do it for me!

Davesnave

andrewf75 wrote: »

No interest whatsoever in gas. If its not a real fire burning I'd rather not have a fireplace at all. A fake fire just doesn't do it for me!

Err....gas burning is a real fire. There are flames and the coals get red hot; they just don't get consumed.

Have you looked at properly efficient gas coal fires, not the silly ones which are purely ornamental or make a pretence of it?

If you have, in what way are they 'fake?'

andrewf75

I haven't really looked at decent gas fires to be honest, so I will do so. A trip to a showroom is definitely in order. But for me its still not the same as a fire which actually burns stuff! Part of the appeal for me is the whole ritual of collecting wood, cutting it and lighting the fire. I can see that a gas fire is much easier, but its not the same. Bit like a gas barbecue....

Davesnave

andrewf75 wrote: »

I haven't really looked at decent gas fires to be honest, so I will do so. A trip to a showroom is definitely in order. But for me its still not the same as a fire which actually burns stuff! Part of the appeal for me is the whole ritual of collecting wood, cutting it and lighting the fire. I can see that a gas fire is much easier, but its not the same. Bit like a gas barbecue....

I'm glad you're open-minded enough to have a look. I agree totally about the ritual bit, but for me it's easy, as I have the space to leave wood to condition and the time to chop it when I feel like it. Most of next winter's wood is already sorted.

In town we switched from an open Jetmaster fire to the gas coals and at that time it certainly felt like the right move. It was too long ago now for the model to be relevant, but the thing we found hardest was finding one that wasn't covered in gaudy brass!

Eventually we located an art deco style fire with a cast iron front and an output of about 3.5 kw, which suited our semi. So far as I know, it's still there.

zaax

You will need to check if you are in smokeless zone.

Bigun28

How easy is it to get these signed off by the council? Cost?


We're just planning to fit in a dual fuel burner (coal/wood) into a fire place which has an electric fire in place at the moment and doesn't look like it has been used as a fire place before. Single story building, chimney already in place. We just need to check the clearances, fit a thermal back wall and flue and connect up - all DIY.


But speaking with our burner supplier, we also need to get the whole installation signed off to cover house insurance in case a spark sets fire to something.

rustyboy21

andrewf75 wrote: »

I haven't really looked at decent gas fires to be honest, so I will do so. A trip to a showroom is definitely in order. But for me its still not the same as a fire which actually burns stuff! Part of the appeal for me is the whole ritual of collecting wood, cutting it and lighting the fire. I can see that a gas fire is much easier, but its not the same. Bit like a gas barbecue....

Andrew, Gas fires and indeed gas stoves have come on leaps and bounds over the past 2 years. Some of the gas stoves you can get are so realistic , it is amazing. They are also cheap to run.


Some really lovely looking gas stoves are from the likes of Faber. They have an unique burner, which has the gas jets coming from inside the logs, the flames do not touch the bottom of the burner and it looks like a real camp fire when it is on. The logs are also hand painted, so every log is different. They are not cheap, but by the time you have added in to the cost of a good liner for a stove and the high cost of install, which HETAS fitters are charging, then they work out cheaper, as well as cleaner. The best gas fire on the market for a standard fireplace is the Valor Airflame. It truly looks like a real coal fire with individual coals and an amazing glow, it also helps that it is bloody hot when it is going !


Have a good look at gas, it may surprise you what they look like now.

andrewf75

rustyboy21 wrote: »

Andrew, Gas fires and indeed gas stoves have come on leaps and bounds over the past 2 years. Some of the gas stoves you can get are so realistic , it is amazing. They are also cheap to run.


Some really lovely looking gas stoves are from the likes of Faber. They have an unique burner, which has the gas jets coming from inside the logs, the flames do not touch the bottom of the burner and it looks like a real camp fire when it is on. The logs are also hand painted, so every log is different. They are not cheap, but by the time you have added in to the cost of a good liner for a stove and the high cost of install, which HETAS fitters are charging, then they work out cheaper, as well as cleaner. The best gas fire on the market for a standard fireplace is the Valor Airflame. It truly looks like a real coal fire with individual coals and an amazing glow, it also helps that it is bloody hot when it is going !


Have a good look at gas, it may surprise you what they look like now.

Thanks, I will look at them with an open mind.

However....

I don't think however realistic it looks it could ever be the same for me. I think a large part of the appeal is the getting back to basics aspect of making fire - in much the same way as we love having a barbecue when using the oven would be much easier!