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Original poster

Talk to me about woodburning stoves please

31 replies

freshmint · 21/02/2011 13:01

We are doing an overhaul and extension including a new big family room. My husband has requested a big fireplace so he can chuck huge logs on a roaring fire as we play boardgames on the hearthrug and listen to the wireless (or something like that). Anyway he likes chopping wood and wants a roaring fire.

Our architect has looked disapproving and says that woodburners are far more efficient.

Question - can you get a big woodburner you can chuck a log on/which has a bit of visibility so you can see roaring flames/which looks incredibly cool/all or any of the above so that I can convince my dh that an open fire isn't the be all and end all?

Or any other benefits of woodburners please. I am a woodburner virgin.

Ta muchly

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AMumInScotland · 21/02/2011 13:14

Woodburners are definitely far more efficient. Ours has a hatch in the top so we can drop logs up to about 15 inches into it, and glass doors at the front so you can see the flames. TBH you don't want too much flames because that shows they're not working efficiently, but you certainly get a lovely orange flickery light, with some flames, while still running it efficiently.

You can also get ones that you can put an old-fashioned coffee pot on top of, or big chunky pans or casserole dishes (usually with a trivet to reduce the heat a bit!) so he can play at being all outdoorsy and macho and cook stuff on it, which might appeal, specially if he wants to play at your family room being a rustic log cabin!

On the practical side, it's also far safer, as it can't spit chunks of burning wood out while the doors are shut, whereas an open fire can do that and burn your carpet (and the whole house if you're not nearby to notice)

AMumInScotland · 21/02/2011 13:20

Ours is a lot like this one

fruitymum · 21/02/2011 13:25

we have one in our lounge - a Morso which is very efficient and gives out loads of heat . We have a smaller one in our living room which is a Villager - gives out less heat but also cost a bit less. They are great - you can safely leave it going when you leave the house unlike an open fire. Also you can use up all sorts of scrappy wood in it. BTW we put underfloor heating in our kitchen extension which is the best Smile

Original poster
freshmint · 21/02/2011 13:27

I think we want quite a modern cool one. Family room will be more clean and modern than log cabin. I've been googling but "modern" in contemporary woodburners generally means "horrid"

Hmm

I can see it is safer and more efficient - I'm quite open to the idea but only if it is a nice one

OP posts:
Original poster
freshmint · 21/02/2011 13:28

yes we will have under floor heating as well.

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Original poster
freshmint · 21/02/2011 13:29

will google morso

yours is a bit too traditional for me I think muminscotland. do you ever cook on the top?

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AMumInScotland · 21/02/2011 13:33

We tried at the beginning, but tbh it was just too much of a faff! It's our backup plan for power cuts, but we haven't had any long enough to have to bother cooking, since we had it installed.

throckenholt · 21/02/2011 13:35

we have <a class="break-all" href="http://www.ecostoves.co.uk/imagelib/sitebuilder/misc/show_image.html?linkedwidth=300&linkpath=www.ecostoves.co.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/saey_200_plus.jpg.w300h229.jpg&target=tlx_picv8f7&title=Saey%20%60200%20Plus%60%20wood%20burning%20stove" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> this one.

They are much more efficient and safer than open fires and you don't lose all your heat up the chimney. They hold the heat for longer. We can get quite big logs in this one - it also has a side door but we rarely use it.

I think with wood burners you get what you pay for - cheap ones don't last as long. You would need a lined chimney too.

bloomingnora · 21/02/2011 13:36

Try these for some quite modern looking ones. We have one and they're great.

throckenholt · 21/02/2011 13:38

contemporary stoves - useful website - we used it a lot when we were researching what to buy.

Flowe · 21/02/2011 13:39

We had an extension last summer and installed a wood burning stove in what was the garage but is now a second living room. We also wanted a contemporary style but struggled as it needed to connect to the central heating system too. You will find a much bigger range of modern styles and pay less if you just want the fire. We found the people at Stoves online really helpful and bought a Woodfire F12 from them and now have lots of hot water and a lovely fire to sit by. You'll need a HETAS engineer to fit but we found one through the HETAS regulatory body online.

LemonDifficult · 21/02/2011 13:42

We have one and it's our principle way of heating the house. We have a Morso Squirrel, small and with a window so you can see the flames.

Our is a bit small, yours would be bigger and probably therefore take up less of your time as at the mo when we get a wood delivery DH chops up the logs further so they'll fit in our fire.

The thing about stoves is, they do give out a lot of heat. This is brilliant in a hall but can get stifling in a smaller space without lots of airflow. You can turn it down of course but it will be efficient so less of the 'roaring' stuff.

We're moving house shortly and I'm moving the stove that's there out of the kitchen and into hall.

someonesgotthenameichose · 21/02/2011 13:46

these look modern

fruitymum · 21/02/2011 13:50

found ours - its a morso 3610 - looks good in our modernish room.

Original poster
freshmint · 21/02/2011 13:51

Oh thanks very much everyone, lots to think about there.

Good point about needing one big enough so you don't have to rechop. We will produce a lot of our own wood but not all, I'm sure.

We will have an aga in the kitchen - the plan is for the stove to run underfloor heating in the family room/breakfast room/utility/kitchen/back hall... so not just the fire. Does that sound sensible?

ooh I quite like this one bloomingnora here

will that stifle us I wonder?

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bloomingnora · 21/02/2011 13:56

They are much warmer than you would expect. We have this and we have been known to open the doors to the garden to cool things down a bit! We are not running any additional heating from it though. It is so lovely though. I think they have more personality than an open fire. Also, they are adjustable to an extent which is useful. I would talk to someone who fits them about what size etc as they will also know the legal clearance required around the different sizes.

Original poster
freshmint · 21/02/2011 13:59

ah that is brilliant thanks someone

will calculate Grin. Yes adjustability is useful isn't it nora

lots to think about thanks!

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Original poster
freshmint · 21/02/2011 17:50

hmmm now thinking a double sided one from family room to breakfast room might be rather nice...

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Takver · 23/02/2011 09:38

freshmint, are you planning woodburning rayburn for the kitchen?

If so, and you're on a budget, then its worth knowing that the 1980s multifuel rayburns (Rayburn Supreme) are exactly the same as the Rayburn now sold for use with wood. We got this tip from our Rayburn installer & bought a second hand Supreme very reasonably on ebay, rather than shelling out for the new woodburning model - works a treat.

A completely different approach - friends of ours have a Finn oven - you burn it for a couple of hours in the evening, and it heats the house all day. They look very 'modern' but not grim, and you definitely get roaring flames when going (can't remember how hot they burn, but some insane temperature, hence why they are very efficient). Theirs runs their underfloor heating / domestic hot water, & their house is always very toasty. They are quite pricey though I think.

Takver · 23/02/2011 09:41

All sorts of modern masonry stoves here

TapselteerieO · 23/02/2011 09:53

You get much less dust from a wood burning stove than an open fire, which is worth considering. It stays lit for longer, so if you have it turned down at night you can wake up in the morning and don't have to faff about lighting the fire, they light much more easily/quickly than an open fire too.

Original poster
freshmint · 23/02/2011 20:57

hi takver
no we already have an aga that we inherited with the house so we are keeping that in the kitchen

i'll have a look at the finn, thanks

good points, tapsel. I'm hoping it is easier all round than an open fire!

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PavlovtheCat · 23/02/2011 21:00

do you mind if I just sit and wistfully listen to all your woodburning stove ramblings? Envy

We are getting a little baby one. Eventually. but not for a looooong time due to cost/no real need. But I pine for one.

1973magpie · 23/02/2011 21:21

I have just one word - Clearview.

They are brilliant, very efficient, excellent flame patterns and visibility, and I love ours...Smile

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