Talk to me about woodburning stoves please

[freshmint]

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

nice big windows - but ours won't be sitting in a fireplace, it will be in the corner of a modern room and I think they look too short and traditional... thanks though

Freshmint, have you seen the Fondis fires? www.fondis.com/en. They are available in the UK and are contemporary looking.

Freshmint, have you looked at here They are contemporary and extremely efficienct. You can even heat more than one room....

or try these

www.hotpod.co.uk

I kinda know these guys, friends of friends etc, and they are very cool stoves, well hot if you see what i mean, but you know.....

they have another website too

www.hotcreations.co.uk too

woodburners are ace, i love mine x

I'm sure you've checked but if you're in a town then you are probably in a smoke free zone... We are. The only woodburning stoves that our council will permit are ClearView.

we've got this one and it's brilliant - heats the whole house, has big glass door so you can see your fire and we have used it for cooking on top!

All woodburning stoves are classed as smokeless, the multi fuel type are not as they can be used with coal. A council cannot stop you installing any make of woodburner you like but the models that heat water must be fitted with a thermostat to prevent water boiling and overheating of the radiators/storage cylinder.