Log burner with no chimney breast?

kates08

We're currently looking to move and have just viewed a house which was practically perfect, the only non-perfect thing was that the chimney breast had been removed. It is a 1930's semi detached house and still has the chimney on the roof, but the chimney breast (which would have run up the adjoining wall and thought the main bedroom) has been taken out completely.

What are the options for installing a log burner is a house that has had the chimney breast removed? Would it be hideously expensive? I love the house, but I really want a log burner!

Grenage

You simply install a flue, which would generally need doing anyway. It's common to simply go out through the wall and up. I don't think it looks very nice, but it's completely subjective.

Davesnave

Grenage wrote: »

You simply install a flue, which would generally need doing anyway. It's common to simply go out through the wall and up. I don't think it looks very nice, but it's completely subjective.

That's hard to do, as the OP says the fireplace position is on the adjoining wall of the semis.

If it's also the front room of the house where the fire's wanted, no council is going to allow a stainless steel flue on the frontage.

A flue could be taken up internally in the original position of the chimney breast and boxed-in where it passes through the bedroom above. How it would negotiate whatever support has been added to the chimney, I can't say. It could perhaps bypass that altogether if necessary, maybe by placing the fire/flue in the corner of the room instead.

(In a situation like this it's well-worth having a surveyor/ structural engineer check the retained chimney support is adequate too. Some are not. When was it done and is there building regs paperwork?)

Whether all this faff is worth it is debatable. Nowadays, I have a wood burner, because I've almost unlimited storage and a lot of free wood. However, if I lived in town, I'd do what I did before and have a gas-fired stove, which is cleaner and needs no storage facility, or hard-to-source seasoned and dry wood.

FreeBear

Davesnave wrote: »

A flue could be taken up internally in the original position of the chimney breast and boxed-in where it passes through the bedroom above. How it would negotiate whatever support has been added to the chimney, I can't say. It could perhaps bypass that altogether if necessary, maybe by placing the fire/flue in the corner of the room instead.

A twin wall insulated flue was my first thought also - Some ideas here - http://www.stovefittersmanual.co.uk/articles/installing-a-twin-wall-flue-chimney/

If the original chimney stack could be utilised, it would save having long lengths of flue poking out of the roof or running up the outside of the house. It isn't going to be cheap, and much would depend on how the stack is currently supported.

kates08

Davesnave wrote: »

That's hard to do, as the OP says the fireplace position is on the adjoining wall of the semis.

If it's also the front room of the house where the fire's wanted, no council is going to allow a stainless steel flue on the frontage.

Thanks for the reply - bit confused by the comment about the council, do you mean we'd need planning permission to install it?

kates08

Thanks for the replies all, I think we'll probably make an offer on the house and then if all goes through OK I will get someone to come round and have a look. It isn't the end of the world if we can't have one, a wood burner is just something I've always really wanted, and we're looking to stay in this house long term as I can't handle the stress of selling/buying again for at least another 10 years!

Considering the style of the house the completely flat wall in the living room does look a bit odd, but that could be because we've looked at loads of similar houses recently which all have chimney breasts.

Davesnave

kates08 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply - bit confused by the comment about the council, do you mean we'd need planning permission to install it?

A steel flue on the front of a house wouldn't be allowed, so in a front lounges-adjoining semi, the flue couldn't go 'out and up,' as Grenage suggested.

A flue could go up through the building, as we've mentioned, or it could go 'out and up' on a side or rear wall.

As Grenage says, a stainless steel flue going up the side of a house never looks visually great. It's quite common on barn conversions, but totally out of keeping with a 1930s semi.

I'm not sure about PP for new flues, but it's certain the installation will need to be signed off for building regs, either by a building inpector or, more likely, by the installer, assuming they're qualified.