Fireplace surround ideas?

greensalad

I've actually decided I'd prefer to have an inset woodburning stove rather than a freestanding one. Initially I thought I would have a gas line capped off somewhere (because the gas meter runs along this wall to my gas cooker, and it seemed feasible that a 60s house would've had a gas fireplace originally). However after talking to the neighbours apparently they aren't gas. So that was when I switched to the idea of a freestanding, even though I vastly prefer the look of inset. I hadn't realised inset was available for solid fuel. 

I guess I'll have to talk to my builder, or perhaps a specialist installer, about building the appropriate cavity for the inset. From what I see online they all come in a steel box anyway and have specifications around what to fit, so I'm guessing it's a standard method of installation. 

stuart45

The builder can prepare the opening for the stove, but needs to check with the fitter about the space at the top to allow him to make the liner connection.

FreeBear

greensalad said: I guess I'll have to talk to my builder, or perhaps a specialist installer, about building the appropriate cavity for the inset. From what I see online they all come in a steel box anyway and have specifications around what to fit, so I'm guessing it's a standard method of installation. 

My multifuel stove -

The builders opening was lined with aerated blocks (breeze blocks), a platform constructed from reinforced concrete lintels, and more breeze blocks. There is another pair of concrete lintels above the stove with a gap of ~200mm infilled with bricks - This gap was left open to allow for the final connection to be made to the flue liner during installation. Vermiculite was used to back fill around the stove before bricking up the gap. If I were to do it again, I'd go for a Stovax with a forced air kit..

As it is, the Arada i500 works quite well, and the space underneath holds enough wood for 3-4 days. Just need to be very careful when putting a log on as it is all too easy to get hot embers falling out. Already have a small burn mark on the carpet...

greensalad

Thanks for the image! I'm considering something very similar, possibly with a log store underneath (though I'm a bit concerned about it becoming a spider home lol)

kimwp

Worth noting that fuel burners are pretty but really bad for the environment and really bad for your health (the particles released into your house/lungs).

twopenny

Yeah you'll get heat in the bedroom - we used to in the old days with open fires.
But the chimney breast heating the living room wall will heat the back of the tv also.
A liner which will be needed may mean no heat in the room s. Someone will know.
Have you looked at retail shops for stone fireplaces? Gorgeous.
https://www.thefireplace-company.co.uk/products

greensalad

kimwp said:

Worth noting that fuel burners are pretty but really bad for the environment and really bad for your health (the particles released into your house/lungs).

A lot of the newer ones seem to have much better DEFRA ratings than the older ones. I believe there has recently been reclassification of a lot of them to make them more ecofriendly. 

I'm also ripping out an open fire (much worse) and replacing it with a closed fire, so it's a massive upgrade to the safety of it.

casper_gutman

kimwp said:

Worth noting that fuel burners are pretty but really bad for the environment and really bad for your health (the particles released into your house/lungs).

I suppose that depends on what you mean by "the environment". An efficient wood burner fuelled by renewable locally-sourced timber surely isn't "really bad" from a global environment/climate change point of view, and I haven't seen any publicity about environmental consequences (as opposed to effects on human health) due to particulate emissions from wood burning.

I have tended to assume that burning renewable dry hardwood in an efficient stove in rural areas where there is no cause for concern regarding air quality is reasonably okay, and would be interested in information suggesting otherwise.