Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Log burner - would it put you off buying a house?

208 replies

HelpMeHiveMind · 19/01/2022 20:27

Sorry another thread from me tonight!

I hadn't realised log burners were quite so controversial in terms of health risks and housefire risk...and of course the environment. The cost doesn't put me off hugely, but the other factors do worry me.

Is a log burner in a property a deal breaker or not a problem? (It does have perfectly good central heating too but would be a shame to have a log burner and not use it when it's the main focal point of living room)

OP posts:
ZuleikaDobson · 21/01/2022 12:26

I find wood fires immensely calming and good for my mental health.

SirVixofVixHall · 21/01/2022 18:53

@HelpMeHiveMind

What about living in close proximity next door to one...I read they make it really unpleasant for the neighbours with smoke
I live in a rural village and close to me so many people light them daily, and also coal fires or coal stoves, that they give me chest problems, I react swiftly to smoke now. I have one that was here when we moved in, and do I love it lit in Winter but probably only light it a couple of times a year now and very carefully, eg only when it is blowy outside and the wood is very dry etc. I worry too much about the health issues from them ( to us and neighbours) to use it all Winter.
User387598621 · 21/01/2022 19:07

They are alright in rural homes without close neighbours but not on housing estates

Shunter350 · 21/01/2022 19:16

Log burners are fantastic. However make sure chimney is in good condition and regularly swept.
Most importantly find a reliable source of seasoned wood. That's wood that's completely dry. Not the rubbish one gets out the petrol station.
However Plan B is replace with a full size electric stove. The higher end ones are expensive but seriously good.
Frankly that's what I would do tbh.

coogee · 21/01/2022 19:23

I love the smell of wood smoke so I’d happily buy a house with a wood burner or near neighbours with them fitted.

Mia85 · 21/01/2022 19:29

However Plan B is replace with a full size electric stove. The higher end ones are expensive but seriously good. Frankly that's what I would do tbh.

Do you have any recommendations? We're looking for something to replace the naff 90s gas fire in the house we've just bought. The electric stoves we've seen also look very fake. Would love some good recommendations.

DH is keen to get a woodburner or multifuel stove and I've been resisiting on the health/environmental grounds here. Though the person selling woodburners in the fire shop was pretty convincing that the new standards mean that people should be able to buy woodburners without those worries...

tenredthings · 21/01/2022 19:41

With the increasing cost of electric I'm very glad to have my wood stove. I go out and collect wood on my walks and I keep my kettle on top.

coogee · 21/01/2022 19:45

Do you have any recommendations? We're looking for something to replace the naff 90s gas fire in the house we've just bought. The electric stoves we've seen also look very fake. Would love some good recommendations.

Have you considered a gas wood burner lookalike? One of my relatives has one and it is very realistic and puts out a lot of heat.

Bluebellsunderthetrees · 21/01/2022 20:00

I love a woodburner but it would have to have been installed by a pro. I would want to see the paperwork as I know of two fires caused by DIY installs

Mia85 · 21/01/2022 20:02

Well I quite liked the gas lookalike as they looked more realistic than the electric ones we saw. But DH is concered that gas is going to become an increasingly outdated and expensive way of heating homes so thinks a woodburner would be better!

etulosba · 21/01/2022 22:53

But DH is concered that gas is going to become an increasingly outdated and expensive way of heating homes so thinks a woodburner would be better!

Firewood isn’t cheap.

Esspee · 21/01/2022 23:16

I thought they were going to ban them because of pollution levels.
I can’t see why anyone would want to breath the fumes in TBH. It would be in the skip as soon as I moved in as I am very sensitive to pollution. I can manage 15 mins maximum in a friend’s house if her log burner is on.

Trilley · 21/01/2022 23:17

My lottery fantasy involves a house with open fires and its own miniature forest.

Intheopinionofourexpert · 21/01/2022 23:29

@lakeswimmer

No it would be a positive. We're looking at moving to a house without one and we will put one in. We've had them installed in our last two houses.

Only on MN have I ever heard anyone say they're smelly/unsafe etc. Mind you, I live rurally in an area without mains gas where they're very common.

I'm surprised you've not seen anything elsewhere tbh. If you Google 'woodburner pollution', there's plenty to be found.
Anonyrodent · 21/01/2022 23:33

We put one in last year. We went for a top eco rating and the fitter was very pedantic about every detail. So much so I’m a little disappointed as you don’t get that fire smell from it which I was after!

We get local seasoned logs from a managed forestry commission woodland and its lovely, really warms the house and visually looks much nicer than the small opening with a weird fake fire that was there when we brought it. We opened up the whole fireplace and found beautiful brick behind it.

I do wish it smelt more, we don’t get a hint of smoke.

calliecapers · 22/01/2022 09:07

We have two. Hardly ever use it. Looks nice though

Wouldnt put me off buying a house

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 22/01/2022 09:22

@Bluebellsunderthetrees

I love a woodburner but it would have to have been installed by a pro. I would want to see the paperwork as I know of two fires caused by DIY installs
Shock

Do many people install their own? This is something it would never cross my mind to DIY!

SD1978 · 22/01/2022 09:30

It would be a positive for me, installing one this year.

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 22/01/2022 13:12

@lagerandcigars

There are plenty of things that are bad for our health. I don't drive, but have to live with traffic fumes that are bad for my health. Plenty of of foods are bad for our health but we will still eat them. Agree - living till your 90's in over-rated.
I do not wish to live until my 90s. I’ve known a few nonagenarians- each has been miserable and waiting to die.

I. Any event, having a log burner is unlikely to make any difference.

Though when your power goes out for a week, you might find it saves you from freezing to death.

etulosba · 22/01/2022 13:35

I would want to see the paperwork as I know of two fires caused by DIY installs

I don’t know who installed ours. It has been here years. Long before they became fashionable. There certainly isn’t any paperwork although it does seem to meet the requirements of the building regulations.

Do many people install their own? This is something it would never cross my mind to DIY!

Some people DIY entire houses.

Narwhalsh · 22/01/2022 20:01

If there’s smoke then someone’s burning damp wood or not allowing the fire and flue to heat up before dropping the air intake…

We would have been screwed without our fire when the power went off for days!

YeOldeTrout · 22/01/2022 20:45

In the 1990s I travelled (stayed) in rural Ireland where burners were the norm... the households truly did chuck every item of rubbish in. Scraps of plastic included. No hesitation.

Some of youze lot would be so horrified.

etulosba · 22/01/2022 20:55

Some of youze lot would be so horrified.

Not me. A friend of mine used to collect tons of plastic waste off the beach next to his house and use that as fuel to run his central heating.

JustJam4Tea · 23/01/2022 06:44

We had to supply the install certificate when we sold our house with a woodburner. Same for the house we bought. We also had a woodburner installed in the dining room…not used v often that one but lovely when it is. The living room one gets used every night in winter.

Also have one in back garden blush

Allaboutyou222 · 23/01/2022 06:55

I got an electric one to avoid the pollution of wood burning. It’s seldom on as we have CH but we use the lights and it’s a good focal point.