How much hassle is a woodburning stove?

[TunipTheHollowVegemalLantern]

We have a damp problem in one end wall, centred around the chimney breast. There original fireplace has been replaced by a stove which was originally woodburning, then converted to gas, and for the last few years has been out of commission. Since having dcs we haven't wanted to use it because of safety.

The damp problem has got worse and worse, we've had damp experts look at it and advise various things which we have tried to no avail. We now have a big slug problem which I am sick to death of.

I reckon that if we used the stove, it would keep the damp problem in the chimney under control. I'm sure it's got worse as a result of not using the stove.

So we want to get it back into commission. The question is, assuming both are possible (someone is coming next week to look at it), do we go with gas or woodburning?
I grew up with a coal fire and would love to have 'proper' fire, but remember it being a fair bit of work to lay and clean out. Is a stove a similar amount of hassle, or more, or less?

Thanks.

we've got a magnet on an extendable stick that we use for fishing out the nails- very therapeutic

OK. So it might not solve the damp

But I have to do it anyway, right?
The thought of sitting here in a cold winter with the stove flickering away and woodsmoke pouring out of our chimney into the night sky is very appealing.

Get a woodburner - they're wonderful!

I too had a problem with damp in the chimney - it had been bricked up and a crappy freestanding electric fire was in place. The damp was so bad that when I viewed the house the woodchip was peeling off the chimney breast in the room above.

I unbricked the chimney and got a woodburner installed. My lounge is now wonderfully cosy and the damp has dried out.

I love my woodburner - it makes the room. They light with minimal fuss and don't make a mess. I honestly can't recommend them enough [smitten]

Oh Mavis, that's interesting about your damp problem.
My instinct with old houses is that problems tend to be caused by not using the house as it was built to be used. Thus a chimney without a fire in is likely to cause trouble.
We shall see....

Ah you see, because of this thread, I'm now worried the damp will come back! I only got the stove in 6 months ago, along with installing central heating. It's a 250 yr old house so it's never been as thoroughly heated as it is now.

I think the issue was an unused chimney void which was just collecting condensation. There is still a damp issue elsewhere in the house but I'll get there, sooner or later. (doesn't help that the second chimney appears to be capped by a slate sitting on top of a brick!)

I had always thought chimneys got damp if they weren't used and that real fires help take moisture out of the air.

I love our woodburning stove - not nearly so much cleaning needed as an open fire. You just have to empty the tray underneath before you light it each time.

We forage for our wood so it's free to run.

My sympathies with the damp problem - we're plagued with damp in our house too. Have you had the chimney pots checked/replaced? We had a damp chimney breast upstairs because the rain was getting in. I think it had the wrong type of chimney cover on it. Or something.

I loved my wood burner, less work than an open coal fire.

We have a hideous, 1970s coal effect gas burner thing and I'd love to replace this with either an open fire or a wood burner.

From what the previous house owners told us, there did used to be an open fire. Would this imply that it wouldn't be too much hassle to replace gas fire with an open hearth again? Do you need to get the entire chimney relined etc etc and is it a major expense?? Might the gas fire coal effect thing 'use' the chimney anyway????

If we CAN change from the gas fire, would people recommend a wood burner instead? We've always liked an open fire (had one in previous home) and never had a wood burner. So we don't know much about them. Are they really so much better than an open fire? The room has a radiator in it so the fireplace is more for enhancing the atmosphere than needing heat.

Personally, I would go with a woodburner every time now - I love ours.

We did have to have the chimney re-lined though before we got it put in. Chimney relining, labour + new woodburner cost £2,200. You may well be able to get it done cheaper than that though - we splashed out for ours :)

I've never regretted a penny of it.

I adore our wood burner. It is much much less hassle than the open fire.

This afternoon our central heating didn't come on (dunno why, its a bit concerning) and in the hall where the thermostat is is reading 16c. I hadn't noticed as I'm sat in the living room with the door closed and its a nice 22.5c in here.

Love the genius idea of fishing for nails out of the ash with a magnet!

Had lunch at a pub with a woodburning stove today.
The stove people are coming on Monday to see about the reconversion/chimney. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

oops - meant to say 'Had lunch at a pub with a woodburning stove and it was so lovely and cosy and magical to have proper flames!'

Just to say, do get plenty of quotes. We had a stove installed last year and found there was lots of variation in installation prices. We are planning to install a second stove soon. I've had one quote for £850 and one for £1500 yeah, rock on

Much better than an open coal fire - yes, but if we had gas it would be no contest.
If I hadn't had 20 years of stove cleaning and log carrying I might see it through rose tinted specs.....
There is no quick way to warm up if the stove is lit from scratch. You need mountains of wood. Unless you have land and a chainsaw and someone who dares to use it you have to buy the wood.The bigger the stove the more wood you need. I remember reading about a very large stove where you were advised to form a line with the whole family from stove to log pile to keep it fed.

It's very true Secret.I had years and years of no central heating and however lovely an open fire or woodburning stove is,it's not so romantic when you're lighting it first thing in the morning when it's freezing cold and you have a baby and the whole weekend has been spent splitting logs.....just for a couple of days......

But as an additional heat source it's a whole different world!

Mine was fitted on Tuesday. Sitting under plastic to protect it til house is finished....want to be in there now....not in a static caravan in the front drive in in front of a poxy gas fire...

But.....once they are lit they are so warm and it's a different sort of heat.

Hmmm... It's a faff compared to proper GFCH. Just getting it going seems to take AAAAaaaaaaggges. (And I do know what I'm doing, stove thermometer and all). Totally agree with the pet analogy. The cats are on close terms with the wood burner, actually.

Still nice to get heat for seemingly free (our wood is mostly scavenged).

Just to point out though,that while they are cleaner than an open fire,you will still need to clean them out,and it's still a dirty job when you always leave it as long as me.

Also for best effect you'll want to keep the glass cleanish,which of course you don't have with an open fire.

We use woodburners as our only heating. We buy seasoned wood - I can't be foraging for the amount we get through, plus I want decent wood to burn that gives off a proper amount of heat.

Loading the wood in is the most hassle really. We have a massive fireplace where we can stack it safely so can store three or four days worth.

It is easy to light and clean out. More hassle than central heating but much much nicer.

How much trouble is it to clean out and clean the glass? Does it take long - are we talking a 10 minute job or a 1 hour job?

The funny thing is that when we moved to this house, it already had a stove (which powered the central heating) and we ripped it out and replaced with central heating after one winter of freezing our arses off every morning before it was lit!

10 years later and we've paid really quite a lot of money having two put back in. I guess the difference is that we use the central heating to warm the house up quickly and then can light the fire at our leisure.

10 minute job.

I love ours - if you do have to get a new one try to go for multifuel, I think it gives you more options.

And I'm SO jealous of 'er up thread with a clearview! I had one once and I still dream about it < sniff >