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Original poster

Should we get a logburner instead of gas fire?

26 replies

EatYourFive · 22/02/2022 10:12

Hello, after some opinions.

1930s house, good central heating but poorly insulated (no wall insulation, brick walls). We want to get rid of the horrid redundant 1960s fire surround, open the space up and were planning to buy a gas stove with a log effect fire. Something like this www.flames.co.uk/high-efficiency-gas-fires/yeoman-cl5-gas-stove.html
Really like the convenience of it, was going to go with a remote controlled stove, the house can get cold in winter so would be nice to have one warm room without having to heat up the whole house every time.

But having second thoughts now because of the increasing fuel prices. Should we consider a log burner instead? Wasn't keen on one originally because of the mess/cleaning, we live in a suburban area so worried about particulates and pollution (indoor and outdoor), have nowhere to store logs, it would mean more work needed with our chimney etc.

What would you do?

OP posts:

QuinkWashable · 22/02/2022 10:22

In your situation I'd go with the gas I think - the convenience will out-weigh the rustic-ness of a log burner.

I live in the country, I have an open fire (and oil-fired central heating). The wood fire is nice, but I also have the space for the stacks of wood it takes, and I can dispose of the ash easily.

If you're buying logs week to week from Lidl or whatever then honestly it'll be no cheaper than gas, for a darn sight more hassle.

DogsAndGin · 22/02/2022 10:24

Can’t beat a log burner though - lovely smell and it’s so much cosier!

iamruth · 22/02/2022 10:28

Just about to take a log burner out of our house - we have a remote controlled gas fire in the front room and whilst the log burner is a nice effect it’s not going to fit with our extensions/renovations. We acquired it with the house and in the twelve months we’ve lived it we can’t justify keeping it at the expense of fitting in a home office for how many times we’ve actually used it. Gas fire - pop it on for ten minutes room is warm turn it off no hassle. Much more economical overall for us and no direct emissions

user1471530109 · 22/02/2022 10:33

OP, have you looked at the biofuel stoves? It's always been on my list, to get a Woodburner fitted since I moved in 4 years ago. We live rurally and I like the idea if having another heat source if we have a power cut. I currently have an old electric stove. But I've been put off by the pollution aspect and in particular the indoor particulates. When it's cold in the village, the smoke sits in the air like a choking blanket!

Biofuel looks interesting. I don't think it's something that would be used regularly (same with a Woodburner) but having that option seems a good in-between idea?

AnnaMagnani · 22/02/2022 10:34

Log burner - more expensive than you think unless you have your own wood and then you need somewhere to store it and season it.

Issues about pollution inside and outside the house - is anyone asthmatic in the family? Asthma and logburners don't mix. The lovely smell is it damaging your lungs.

We use ours a lot less than we would a gas fire as nobody wants the job of sorting out the ash, lighting it, poking it each time it tries to go out, getting logs in from outside, cleaning the window even though it's supposed to be self cleaning etc etc.

And it takes a lot longer than 10 minutes to heat up.

On the other hand it does look pretty.

If we were on mains gas, I wouldn't have it.

FurierTransform · 22/02/2022 10:58

sounds like a log burner will be a PITA for you so i'd get the gas fire.

Zazdar · 22/02/2022 11:06

But having second thoughts now because of the increasing fuel prices. Should we consider a log burner instead?

Firewood isn’t particularly cheap

Libertybear80 · 22/02/2022 11:14

Unless you live next to a wood that's taken a toll in the winds. Then it's cheaper. Glad we have our wood burner tbh.

Rosebuud · 22/02/2022 11:18

In your situation go for gas. Logs are very expensive and you’ve no storage, and the latter makes it not feasible for you. So gas is the only option.

CherryAndAlmond · 22/02/2022 11:18

I like having the security of a wood burner. If the gas or electricity goes out I can rely on my own resources. It's pretty, it's not hard work, it's cheap...

Rosebuud · 22/02/2022 11:23

@CherryAndAlmond

I like having the security of a wood burner. If the gas or electricity goes out I can rely on my own resources. It's pretty, it's not hard work, it's cheap...

It’s not cheap for anyone who has to buy wood daily in small bags as they’ve no storage,, and I say that as someone who is self sufficient. It’s very very expensive,

I agree though it’s not hard work at all.

Original poster

EatYourFive · 22/02/2022 11:41

Thank you for your input everyone. I think for us gas fire makes more sense, don't particularly fancy constant trips to our local Tesco's to buy bags of firewood as we have nowhere to store it! Wood burner is of course more rustic and cosy but I really can't see it being the best choice when you live in a city, in fact I have been quite surprised to learn how many people have wood burners here, surely the pollution is bad enough as it is.

We had a couple of wood fires in our house when I was growing up and they were lovely but I do also remember feeling headachey on cold days when the fire(s) had been on all day.

OP posts:

ouchyoubiteybugger · 22/02/2022 11:45

Love my wood burner, 2 full loads of wood a year, £390 and my gas is approx £23 a month for family of 4

DaphneduM · 22/02/2022 12:09

Last year we had exactly your dilemma. We needed to replace a gas fire in our lounge and couldn't decide between a woodburner and a gas fire that looks like a woodburner. In the end we went for a gas fire - Gazco Loft. We deliberated long and hard - we have storage for logs, but we are aware of the downsides as we had one in previous house, they're messy, a pain to store large amounts of wood, and not as instant as a gas fire. That's before the consideration of the polluting elements with them. We're also getting older so thought the convenience of a remote control Gazco fire would be good. We had it fitted with a slate hearth and it looks lovely. It's also so responsive and instant. We're delighted with it. I think a gas fire would be your best bet too.

Rosebuud · 22/02/2022 12:24

@ouchyoubiteybugger

Love my wood burner, 2 full loads of wood a year, £390 and my gas is approx £23 a month for family of 4

I’m not sure how this helps the op. She’s no where to store a ton of logs. Buying in small bags that will do her one night is going to cost a small fortune. Plus be a load of hassle.

I love ours, but I’m fully aware of the limitations and that it should be appropriate to the situation. In this case it would not be. It would be impractical and expensive.

Log burners are great when you are in a rural or semi rural location, have storage space, and can buy logs by the ton, or are self sufficient. They are not great at all in urban spaces with no storage, it would be a terrible decision for her.

Plus they are very expensive, ours is large and cost four grand to install, small ones you can have done for a couple of grand or so, but it’s by no means the cheap option.

CherryAndAlmond · 22/02/2022 13:40

Yes, maybe a woodburner makes less sense financially if you can't store the wood. And a hassle to have to pick up bags at supermarkets. Though an indoor alcove can work for storage, if you don't have garden space. Even a bookcase. I think they look great stacked up.

CherryAndAlmond · 22/02/2022 13:43

Like this... (Not mine!)

Should we get a logburner instead of gas fire?

Ariela · 22/02/2022 14:18

We have permanent free wood - live rurally and there's always someone wants a tree cut up, we have it stored under cover so it's lovely and dry when we get to burn it, and we've a massive log burning stove came with the house that we use lots, and it's really lovely.
Even so, in your situation I'd go for gas. You've nowhere to store the wood, dispose of ash, and you've the convenience of gas on tap as opposed to owning a chainsaw and wood to cut.

Original poster

EatYourFive · 22/02/2022 14:33

Thanks again everyone. Not keen on the idea of turning our living room into a wood storage so think gas is the way to go.

Even so it won't be cheap, we're probably having to spend something like ~4k in total (`~2k on the stove itself) but I can't face another winter wearing woolly socks and walking around with a hot water bottle.

@DaphneduM I googled the fire you chose and it's beautiful but unfortunately too large for the space we have. We will choose a smaller remote controlled Gazco stove.

OP posts:

LoveLabradors · 22/02/2022 14:34

I love my wood burners and tend to use them a lot and have central heating off especially in the evening (I don’t like a warm bedroom for sleeping). But I live in a rural area, easy log supply and plenty of space to store them. I love the cosiness of a real fire, however I think if I was in your situation I would start to find it a faff buying logs so regularly plus probably quite expensive too.

bellac11 · 22/02/2022 14:42

We wouldnt be without ours (is this a different thread to one the other day about burners?)

In terms of storage of logs, we have a very small back garden, no room for a proper shed, so our logs are piled up on the open porch we have at the front and slightly to the side in the front drive, we built a log store and popped it in the corner, bit rickity but does the job. We get wood delivered.

DaphneduM · 22/02/2022 15:23

@EatYourFive So glad you've been helped to make a decision. We agonised for a long time over it!!!! I can thoroughly recommend the Gazco brand - as you say the whole thing is not cheap - ours was also about £4k with the stove and the installation (it needed a liner up the chimney) but so worth it. We're now down to pretty much heating one room, so it's great to have something functional and nice to look at!!!!!!! You'd never know it wasn't a real fire. The cats love it!!!!!!

AgathaX · 22/02/2022 15:27

Cherry realistically you need somewhere outside to store wood to season. The wood pictured on that bookcase wouldn't last very long at all, 2 or 3 days if it's cold. You need a decent sized woodstore for ready wood and ideally a covered area for wood to be stored for the next year or year after to season.

Chestofdraws · 22/02/2022 16:28

@CherryAndAlmond

Like this... (Not mine!)

That would do us two days, three if we used only in the evening. Plus it never looks thay pretty, wood is generally not that clean and tidy. Someone spent a long time making that look pretty. Bottom of our log basket is full of shit regularly. 😂

pilates · 22/02/2022 19:21

You can get eco wood burners now.

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