If you had a choice - wood burner or gas fire? Help!

[Grockle]

I don't have a chimney or hearth but want to install a fire.

I've always wanted a wood burner but, thinking about it, a gas fire seems like a better option:

No fuel to source
No cleaning
No lighting it then worrying if I have to go out
No ugly flue

The gas fire I've seen is beautiful - with a tiled surround, iron looking grate, just like the one that should be in my Victorian/ Edwardian house. But would a wood burner be better/ nicer?

[Jergens]

I LOVE our wood burner. Would def recommend it over gas fire. Nothing beats sitting in front of it on a winter's night with a book and a glass of wine

[littleredsquirrel]

Do you have a free wood supply? Do you have somewhere to store lots and lots of wood? Do you have somewhere to store paper and kindling? Do you want instant heat or is the heat source just a back up to decent central heating? Do you have a location for a woodburner where the pipe can go through a wall and continue upwards until it is at least one meter above the roofline? Do you have enough space for a large fire resistant hearth?

If so get a wood burner.

[WoodBurnerBabe]

Well I think my username probably indicates where my feelings lie!

[MakeMeJumpIntoTheAir]

I've got a woodburner but after being at someone's house with a gas fire - it is the cleaner and easier option. I prefer the look of a woodburner much more than gas fires, but it depends on whether you want ease over hassle.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheMistletoes]

Our woodburner is in the middle room of our Victorian terrace where there is more space for woodbaskets, a large enough hearth etc and close to the back door for bringing wood in. We have a flame effect gas fire in the front room but only use it about once a year. If we had more space in there and a bigger fireplace (it's got a fabulous old fashioned cast iron surround which I would hate to lose) I would get another woodburner.

You probably need some sort of fireplace installer expert to come out and survey your property to see what would suit it the best and cost it all up for you.

[Grockle]

I have:

no free wood supply although could probably get some
nowhere to store wood
central heating so fire would be backup - just a nice thing to have rather than a source of heat (unless particularly economical)
no chimney or flue but an outside wall...

I have contacted gas fire & wood burner people.

Thank you!

[BabyMummy29]

Inherited a wood burner when I bought this house. Hate it with a passion and have only used it about 3 times. Can't be arsed with all the buying of wood, laying and cleaning it out etc etc, Much easier to switch on the gas.

As for all this guff about "I leave the living room door open and it heats the whole house" - as told to me by the vendor - no it doesn't/

[NigellasDealer]

would go for the woodburner

[EasterHoliday]

you can get gas fires that look like wood burners - OH is currently googling them next to me right now!

[WipsGlitter]

I'd love a wood burner.

[specialsubject]

love our woodburner, but what littleredsquirrel says is absolutely right. We have all those things - and don't forget it produces dust so extra hoovering required.

no, it doesn't heat the whole house!

[HarrietSchulenberg]

Wood burner. Gas fires may be instant heat but they're waaaaay more expensive than woodburners. If you've got central heating and aren't planning on using it that much then you'll be able to find enough free wood if you get out for walks.

[PigletJohn]

you say you have no chimney or hearth. What will it cost to get one?

btw I would go for a multifuel not a woodburner. More flexibility in fuel, and a sack of solid fuel burns longer, and hotter, with more heat than a barrow of wood.

Do you have a free source of substantial logs? Are you willing and able to saw, split and store them? and carry them inside in cold weather? are you comfortable with bringing wildlife into your living room?

[Catsmamma]

we have two woodburners, and I love them, but i have dh and teens to chops wood. I can do it, but it is knackering

as is an afternoon spent stacking a tonne of wood. As a family we can get it done in an hour or so, but that is three or four of us moving each and every piece from the drive to the woodstore

and the spiders!!

and the cats often take offence to the logs and try to pee on them. Which is nice. NOT!

So yes, they are lovely and warm, but lots of work and mess.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheMistletoes]

We buy logs, so no chopping etc but we only use it one or two evenings a week and only use one load of logs (£50) per winter. It takes one person a couple of hours to wheelbarrow it from the drive to the back and stack it. If it is lit for hours and hours it does warm most of the (small) house, but really doesn't just over the course of an evening. It does make a bit of a mess too, sawdust, splinters and ash around the hearth. You need to factor in the cost of getting it swept too (ours costs £40). It is a luxury not a heating replacement for us. I do love it despite all this.

[Grockle]

'wildlife' doesn't bother me but I am not able to split and carry tons of logs, due to illness. I can do a few but not a lot. And extra cleaning is not ideal!

[Grockle]

Or electric... I think the one I liked best was electric

[Lucylouby]

We had an open fire in our old house. I loved it, but it was a lot of work and I expect a wood burner is the same. DH had to chop and log up all the bits of tree, cart it onto the wood pile. I then had to bring in a basket full each day, clean and light the fire, fill the coal scuttle etc. I had to go out side in the rain/snow/dark/cold to fetch the fuel for the fire. So, as much as I love the look of the fire,I'm not sure it's worth all the work. I didn't notice much extra dust as a result of the fire though

[Pimpf]

Wood burner every single time. Was a life saver when our central heating system broke down last year. Is lovely to look at, heats very quickly and is easy to clean.

Saying that, unless you have a cheap supply of wood, it's not cheap, it can be a hassle to clean (unless you do really like it- which I do). The heat isn't controllable, I have been known in the past to have to open a window as its got too hot!!

[Rascalls3]

Our wood burner and open fire really were invaluable during three days of no power over Christmas. Fortunately I have a husband prepared to do the hard graft and plenty of free wood. Combination of coal and wood work best. Looks miles better than a gas fire. Not sure if I would be bother to light it very often if it was all down to me though!

[MinnesotaNice]

What about a pellet stove? Don't personally know a whole lot about them, as we have always had a gas fireplace. My dad has mentioned them and is really keen to get one after they move house.
www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves/Pellet-Stoves.html

[Ragusa]

We have a multifuel and I don't find it too much hassle. No chopping wood - buy it pre-chopped by the pallett. Made a woodstore out of leftover palletts. Stacking it after delivery is a bit of a pain.

Even a small woodburner (say 4-5kw) should keep a small house warm in an evening. Our heating kicks off after it has been lit for 45 mins. I think gas fires are mostly decorative aren't they? Very inefficient....

[OhYouMerryLittleKitten]

I adore my wood burner. It really does heat the bottom of my little house. I also love chopping and sawing wood even if my body doesn't. It appeals to my little house on the prairie instincts. I love being self reliant when we lose power too.

[Ragusa]

I am not sure about venting it through a wall though. The fitting cost may well put you off.