gas fireplace to wood burning stove help/advice please

[mklanch]

hi,

we are buying a property that currently has a gas fire. i would like to change this to a wood burning stove.
i have no idea where to start or who to call to do the work.
i have attached a picture of the current fireplace and then a picture of what i want to do.
any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

this is our current fireplace

this is the sort of fireplace we would like to create
www.etsy.com/uk/listing/529556567/rustic-oak-beam-aged-14cm-x-9cm-55x35?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_a-home_and_living-furniture-living_room_furniture-other&utm_custom1=k_CjwKCAjwhOyJBhA4EiwAEcJdcQ-DoTXSFheyaFVF_Q3J8ecUTlaGa0FIweDlcaImEIxjHdBP52rp6RoCwLsQAvD_BwE_k&utm_content=go_6479345238_84553841464_380838067089_aud-1184048148179:pla-307001398688_c__529556567engb_142161835&utm_custom2=6479345238&gclid=CjwKCAjwhOyJBhA4EiwAEcJdcQ-DoTXSFheyaFVF_Q3J8ecUTlaGa0FIweDlcaImEIxjHdBP52rp6RoCwLsQAvD_BwE

Have you got a stove showroom near you? Some have their own fitters, others will have contractors, but it would be a place to start looking. Speak to neighbours too, see if there are any recommendations (or otherwise - there are some terrible cowboys out there).
As for your fireplace, I would think all that brickwork will have to go, the chimney will need lining and everything made good. It will be a messy job, and having the gas pipes sorted will be an extra expense.
Good stove fitters are generally always busy so you might have to wait some time to get your stove installed.

You need to google places around you that sell woodburning stoves. A visit would be your starting point - they will do a survey and give you estimates for the work you require. In my experience they're usually able to project manage the whole thing - if they don't have people to actually build the fireplace, they will have contacts available who will!!!

We've had several multi fuel stoves in our previous house and they're lovely, but labour intensive and messy. Also you have the issue of sourcing and storing appropriate fuel or wood. We are in a newer house now which has a decent sized sitting room with a gas fire which is not particularly attractive. (We do have a chimney). We've spent ages deliberating about another stove but in the end went for a Gazco Loft fire which has the vibe of a woodburner but all the convenience of gas.

We had our gas fire replaced by a gas stove , it’s identical to the wood burning one made by the same company so looks absolutely authentic . I’m very anti real wood burning stoves as I have lung disease and they adversely affect my ability to breathe .

thank you for all your replies. i have never had a fireplace so really have no idea what the steps are.

i need to re do all the flooring in the new property. could i do the fireplace after the flooring?

I’d do the fireplace first so that you know the exact footprint .

Have you lived in a house with a woodburner before? Whilst they look very cosy I must admit I am not a fan. You also need to check if you are in an area with clean air restrictions as it will affect what burners you can have. They chuck out a tonne of particles which are not good for your lungs.

I wouldn't do the fireplace after the flooring, it will be much easier the fireplace first, then the flooring.

@Beamur

Have you lived in a house with a woodburner before? Whilst they look very cosy I must admit I am not a fan. You also need to check if you are in an area with clean air restrictions as it will affect what burners you can have. They chuck out a tonne of particles which are not good for your lungs.

i haven't lived in a house with a log burner but i have with a gas fire and really liked it. but from a safety side of things i would prefer a wood burner. im looking at the defra approved ones

@Stickytreacle

I wouldn't do the fireplace after the flooring, it will be much easier the fireplace first, then the flooring.

that's what i was thinking too.

Do the fireplace first.

Use a reputable local company, they will have the contacts to get the gas capped and that side of things. They will do a survey, check it all out, fit everything and take all the rubbish away hopefully!

We had ours done - it was gas many years ago and had already been capped so we just replaced an electric fire but it was basically the same job.

You might already have the fireplace behind the gas one / surround but it may need knocking out a bit.

In terms of price, depending where you are and the level of work and the stove / finish you want it will likely be around 3k upwards.

I’m in the north and it was 3.5k and took 1.5 days.

Looks so good and we love it in the colder months

How is a wood burner safer than a gas fire ( genuine question as I’ve no idea ) .

100% Fireplace first so you know the size of the hearth, plus prevents damage to floor and access to disconnect and cap off gas pipework
Look for local stove stockists and ask for installation recommendations.
We had very similar before/ after. Took about a week. Including brick slips on the back of the space, new slate hearth, oak beam. Chimney flue needed liking and new caps on chimney. Not cheap but we love our log burner.
Do think carefully about it. Installation is expensive. The stoves are expensive. Maintenance is expensive - annual chimney sweep and check over of seals and flues. Log burners are dusty, decent high grade wood is expensive, it can be a faff to get going (until you get the knack and it takes a few minutes). But I love ours.

I like the ambience that a wood fire provides but I don't like the mess - so we compromised and had a gas fire installed which looks like a wood camp type fire. I watch the flames on the more then the TV sometimes. Installation was straightforward, a new chimney liner was installed so chimney cleaning wasn't and isn't an issue. It throws out so much heat and was one of the best thing we bought. (Faber Serene if it's still made)

A wood burner isn't safer than a gas stove - sparks and lit bits of wood leap out fairly regularly when I'm putting logs on! Plus of course chimney fires can be a hazard as well - if you do go for one, be sure to have it swept regularly.

Whilst I was pregnant, the midwife did one of those tests where you blow into something, essentially to see if you're fibbing about not smoking. When I said I'm not a smoker she asked if we had a log burner - apparently they're seeing more people having low readings because of them, where previously it would just have been smokers.

They are lovely, but I don't think we'd have another.

Is there a chimey behind the gas fire or is it just fitted into the wall? I ask because there's no obvious sign of a chimney breast on your picture.

@Pootles34

A wood burner isn't safer than a gas stove - sparks and lit bits of wood leap out fairly regularly when I'm putting logs on! Plus of course chimney fires can be a hazard as well - if you do go for one, be sure to have it swept regularly.

Whilst I was pregnant, the midwife did one of those tests where you blow into something, essentially to see if you're fibbing about not smoking. When I said I'm not a smoker she asked if we had a log burner - apparently they're seeing more people having low readings because of them, where previously it would just have been smokers.

They are lovely, but I don't think we'd have another.

thats pretty shocking :O i never knew this. i love the country vibe of a log burner and i thought if i were to get a defra approved one it was a more eco and safe option.

@NotDavidTennant

Is there a chimey behind the gas fire or is it just fitted into the wall? I ask because there's no obvious sign of a chimney breast on your picture.

i think there is a chimney.

I wouldn't say that they are a safer or more eco option.
You will need to get the chimney tested, this would be done before any installation work could be done. They will test that there's sufficient draw and that there are no leaks - usually with a smoke bomb. I ended up having to get a chimney relined after it failed this test.

The law is changing regarding stoves, after the 1st January 2022 it will become illegal to manufacture or sell a stove that isn't Ecodesign Ready, which has lower emissions than even the DEFRA stoves

this is the stove i was looking at

www.stoveworlduk.co.uk/eco-design-stoves/ecosy-5kw-signature-wide-slimline-defra-approved-ecodesign-wood-burning-multi-fuel-stove

im a bit worried now, ive always wanted one but i didnt realise they were bad for your health :(

If you’ve got smoke in your room when your running a wood burner , then you either have a really old leaky one or your running it incorrectly.

We never get any smoke in the house.

Maybe a gas stove would be better
www.stralen.co.uk/be-modern-hereford-5-gas-stove.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwhOyJBhA4EiwAEcJdcWRZoIceK87Nnb-erALyB8-iXyVu4UVZYIBWZ41c9THAyRXUQ48BzxoC9aYQAvD_BwE

The new DEFRA approved ones are fine as long as you burn kiln dried wood. The issues are with old ones or burning inappropriate fuel.

We got a gas engineer out to cap off the gas - he charged us £80.

Then it was about 2K not including the cost of the stove - to open up the fireplace to put the stove in, put a hearth round and make good.

We didn't need the chimney lined. We did in a previous house and that was about £700 just for the lining.

I love my stove - it's a real cosy lovely heat. Easy to use, and not hard to clean out.