Do gas 'real flame' stoves look tacky?

theonlywayisup

Have you looked at bioethanol fires?  

Mickey666

Do gas 'real flame' stoves look tacky?

Yes.  Because they are fake.

But my opinion, or anyone else's, shouldn't matter because only the OP has to live with one.   If they so wish.

As for a 'real' woodstove being a faff to light, you must be doing it all wrong.  I have three, and soon to be four.  A single firelighter does the trick and I don't ever use any kindling (now that would be a faff), just load up with split logs light the firelighter and close the door.  WIthin 5-10 ins the stove is roaring.  Dead easy . . . but then I do season all my own logs undercover for at least 12 months so they are very dry.  Trying to burn unseasoned logs is really a waste of time - might as well get a gas stove

pollypenny

No. Our looks fine - lovely when on, okay when off.  I do stand a large vase of good quality artificial flowers in front of it when it's off, though. 

Waits for comment that artificial flowers are tacky. 😏

Belenus

pollypenny said:

No. Our looks fine - lovely when on, okay when off.  I do stand a large vase of good quality artificial flowers in front of it when it's off, though. 

Waits for comment that artificial flowers are tacky. 😏

Good quality and realistic artificial flowers are fine. We have a few displays of them around the house.

Like you we do normally have a vase of flowers, sometimes real, sometimes artificial, in front of our 'fake' gas fire for most of the year when the fire is not in use.

Regarding 'fake' gas fires, again good quality ones are fine. We have had three over the years in various houses and have been happy with all of them.

SootySweep1

Hi
Ours is a Gazco Manhatten and the flames aren't fake but the coal / wood that you are burning is fake. Ours was an ex display even though I don't think it was ever lit or connected 8n the showroom
In terms of artificial flowers I read an article where Alan Titchmarsh admitted that he had artificial flowers in his house !!
Jen

Michela

Mickey666 said:

Do gas 'real flame' stoves look tacky?

Yes.  Because they are fake.

But my opinion, or anyone else's, shouldn't matter because only the OP has to live with one.   If they so wish.

As for a 'real' woodstove being a faff to light, you must be doing it all wrong.  I have three, and soon to be four.  A single firelighter does the trick and I don't ever use any kindling (now that would be a faff), just load up with split logs light the firelighter and close the door.  WIthin 5-10 ins the stove is roaring.  Dead easy . . . but then I do season all my own logs undercover for at least 12 months so they are very dry.  Trying to burn unseasoned logs is really a waste of time - might as well get a gas stove

I will relook at the whole woodburner situation. I was concerned three was too much in our house and if we sell it having a gas option might appeal. But I do think I am doing it wrong with the current fires as they eat through the logs in no time. Perhaps it's the type of fuel I am using.

pollypenny said:

No. Our looks fine - lovely when on, okay when off.  I do stand a large vase of good quality artificial flowers in front of it when it's off, though. 

Waits for comment that artificial flowers are tacky. 😏

Actually I do have artificial flowers, decent ones, not the cheap fabric ones that gather dust from a 1970's Italian restaurant. I gather the same could be said for a gas stove, the better they are the more realistic they will look. It's not a cheap decision to make either way.

Davesnave

Michela said:

Mickey666 said:

Do gas 'real flame' stoves look tacky?

Yes.  Because they are fake.

But my opinion, or anyone else's, shouldn't matter because only the OP has to live with one.   If they so wish.

As for a 'real' woodstove being a faff to light, you must be doing it all wrong.  I have three, and soon to be four.  A single firelighter does the trick and I don't ever use any kindling (now that would be a faff), just load up with split logs light the firelighter and close the door.  WIthin 5-10 ins the stove is roaring.  Dead easy . . . but then I do season all my own logs undercover for at least 12 months so they are very dry.  Trying to burn unseasoned logs is really a waste of time - might as well get a gas stove

I will relook at the whole woodburner situation. I was concerned three was too much in our house and if we sell it having a gas option might appeal. But I do think I am doing it wrong with the current fires as they eat through the logs in no time. Perhaps it's the type of fuel I am using.

No, it will probably be control over the draw from the flue that's the key to it if the logs are dry. While no one should slumber their wood burner by reducing air throughput too much, many fires don't work as intended because of leaks or a huge pull from the chimney side. One only has to look at reviews on 'What Stove?' to see people having very different experiences with the same model! Each installation is unique.

That said, a well-used wood burner uses a lot of wood in a winter, which is fine if one has the storage and access to cheap wood, but most people who live in towns  don't have those things.

Davesnave

SootySweep1 said:

 I read an article where Alan Titchmarsh admitted that he had artificial flowers in his house !!
Jen

Good on him then. We are usually too busy outdoors with our plants etc to bother about growing stuff well indoors as well. A bit of basil on the windowsill and some cast iron things from mother in law in the conservatory and the rest are fake or picked and brought in from the garden. Indoor stuff has no predators to control bugs and can be hard to manage well. The number of times I see others with wonderful spider-mite infestations....!