Olly Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 aha! I started off with a lot of old pallets, but they're a pain to cut up. I then got given some building offcuts, and my neighbour (a builder) gives me quite a bit of that on a regular basis. Some of it is pine, and burns quickly, but some of it is oak/cedar if I'm lucky. It's amazing how well roofing-battens and old floorboards burn! I had a tree surgeon round to prune my apple tree last November, and he left me an entire silver-birch. And I have a friend who has access to some wood ... it's not seasoned though, so won't be much help. If you start asking around/scrounging, it's surprising what you can get! Afraid I can't recommend a specific source, but if you want the name of the tree surgeon (or indeed any other local bods like the washing-machine-fixing man, sewing-machine repair man etc) do PM me. You are just inside the London border aren't you, so you have to have the clean-burn - although only a few miles away, I don't have to as Epping doesn't have any smoke control. Did you get a local firm to fit yours? I take it that you're not having the chimney lined? I didn't have mine lined, but want to get it done this year. I love my woodburner though, bet you can't wait till next Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Yes - being in Redbridge means we have to have the clean burn, but found a nice one, not as nice as the non- clean burn one I wanted, but needs must. Our chimney is being lined - ten metres of flue liner in my garage are waiting to go in. as well as the eight bags of micafill for insulation around the liner. Our chimney wouldn't have managed without it. I've just moved a truck load of wood from the drive into the garage, which took FOREVER. Now it has to go out the garage door and into the shed. I don't think it's all going in. I don't think my back will cope either, it's a lot of wood. Must remember that for next time, 4 cubic metres of wood is a pain in the bum to move We're getting a chimney sweeping firm, who are also HETAS engineers, to fit and line our chimney. I had to source and buy all the materials myself, so it was a bit of a steep learning curve, even though they told me what to buy. We only pay them for labour costs (they bring their own building materials) so they're pretty cheap and it meant I could hunt around for bargains. i managed to save over a hundred pounds on the flue liner, and the hearth was a snip from a strange little fireplace shop in tottenham who make slate hearths to measure at about half the cost I found them anywhere else. Can't wait for Friday It's all go here as the back garage is being converted into Duncan's office next week as well, so I have to clear as much as possible out of the main garage so the builders can move. Not helped by the tons of furniture that didn't make it into the house for one reason or another. My beautiful edwardian wardrobe didn't make it up the stairs, so is having to go on ebay Rotten twisty stairs. Our stove will end up in the dining room end of our main room - the living room end has the TV in front of the chimney breast, and there just is nowhere else to put it. My MiL keeps pointing out that we're bound to end up sitting in front of the fire instead of the TV, but I can always move the furniture if need be Also, as we plan to extend the back of the house in a year or two, the stove will end up being in the middle of the large open plan area, so it makes more sense really. Anyway, we could always have another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Yes - being in Redbridge means we have to have the clean burn, but found a nice one, not as nice as the non- clean burn one I wanted, but needs must. Our chimney is being lined - ten metres of flue liner in my garage are waiting to go in. as well as the eight bags of micafill for insulation around the liner. Our chimney wouldn't have managed without it. I've just moved a truck load of wood from the drive into the garage, which took FOREVER. Now it has to go out the garage door and into the shed. I don't think it's all going in. I don't think my back will cope either, it's a lot of wood. Must remember that for next time, 4 cubic metres of wood is a pain in the bum to move We're getting a chimney sweeping firm, who are also HETAS engineers, to fit and line our chimney. I had to source and buy all the materials myself, so it was a bit of a steep learning curve, even though they told me what to buy. We only pay them for labour costs (they bring their own building materials) so they're pretty cheap and it meant I could hunt around for bargains. i managed to save over a hundred pounds on the flue liner, and the hearth was a snip from a strange little fireplace shop in tottenham who make slate hearths to measure at about half the cost I found them anywhere else. Can't wait for Friday It's all go here as the back garage is being converted into Duncan's office next week as well, so I have to clear as much as possible out of the main garage so the builders can move. Not helped by the tons of furniture that didn't make it into the house for one reason or another. My beautiful edwardian wardrobe didn't make it up the stairs, so is having to go on ebay Rotten twisty stairs. Our stove will end up in the dining room end of our main room - the living room end has the TV in front of the chimney breast, and there just is nowhere else to put it. My MiL keeps pointing out that we're bound to end up sitting in front of the fire instead of the TV, but I can always move the furniture if need be Also, as we plan to extend the back of the house in a year or two, the stove will end up being in the middle of the large open plan area, so it makes more sense really. Anyway, we could always have another We cant wait for the photos too - it sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Will take before and after pics of garage and fireplace. Managed to get all the wood shifted this morning with the help of OH, FiL and several Ikea bags and a system. FiL filled the bags, I carried them to the shed and OH filled the shed. Took less time than moving them two metres into the garage, but that might be because I had help this time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 A quick question regarding the airbrick bit please. I have a Victorian house so there are airbricks below the wooden floors, to the outside. Will these suffice for a woodburner? I think I won't have to bother though as I am looking at a 4kw stove not a big one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I think that above a certain size, you have to have an air vent actually in the room, I don't think ones under the floor would be enough. A 4kw stove isn't huge however, and that might fall outside the regulation. I guess there'll be advice on stove manufacturers' websites or maybe on the HETAS site? Afraid I'm no expert - with the stove I'd originally ordered, I was going to need a vent installing, but when they realised how tiny the fireplace opening was I had to downsize, and that didn't need one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 re air vent - I'm sure the requirement is above 5kw. I've just had a 5 kw stove fitted and we didn't need an air vent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 You need airvents for stoves over 5KW - we need one, but the room is huge and I didn't want to downsize the stove. It's only another forty pounds or so anyway. ONE MORE SLEEP UNTIL STOVE DAY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Thanks for the info folks, much appreciated! I am looking at a nice woodburner by Town and Country fires, in Pickering. I think they are steel though, not sure what the advantage is over cast iron, apart from weight and the fact they are welded together rather than bolted This is very complicated Aunty e, you must be so excited now!! Edited to add linky of the stove I'm pondering over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I found it amazingly complicated. I love that stove, I almost went for that one but then decided on a very different style that worked better with our style http://www.esse.com/stoves/multifuel_wood/525.html I was a bit nervous that what I went for would look too modern but I love it now it's in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Well, that was a bit of an ordeal! Still no stove, but everything is ready for it to go in on Monday. essentially our chimney was a pig. And the stove door was chipped - not badly, so I'm keeping it, but a bit annoying nonetheless. I'm going to email the stove company to see if they'll send out a repair kit for it. So much mess though, and it took ALL day for the prep and lining. Lovely big hole in our wall, and I'm enjoying looking at paint/wallpaper for the chimney breast. Does anyone know if paper would be ok, or would it peel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Oh dear Aunty e, sorry it isn't all finished yet, how annoying about the chip too I hope it is soon up and running BTW, I have wallpaper on the chimney breast with the open fire and it doesn't peel or anything, and mum had a Parkray for years and always had wallpaper on the walls, she had a back boiler inside the chimney breast too, so it was extra warm As an aside, I've found that AGA make a little multi fuel stove, called Little Wenlock, it's cast iron and very cheap and very cute, and is on the exempt appliances list so I can have it Just need to work out what else I need to buy now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 My nice man gave me a list of things (I also looked at the Little wenlock - it's so pretty!), essentially I needed to buy 10m of 6" flue liner, eight bags of backfill insulation, a terminal, a twin to single adapter, a register plate, a stove pipe and the stove, and the hearth. I got the flue liner with an installation kit from a nice man on ebay for 230 pounds, and bought the backfill from his real website. The place I got the stove from gave you a register plate and stove pipe for free when you bought a stove. They also gave me some other stuff like stove gloves and things. I found my slate hearth on ebay, but actually bought direct from them as the shop was only in Tottenham so didn't seem worth the courier costs and worry. Am quite excited as apparently we will be able to use the stove straight away and have just spotted it in the latest Ideal Home magazine - in grey oddly enough, I didn't think it came in grey. Or maybe it's the cream one and they just don't clean it Glad to hear about the wallpaper. The idiots who owned our house had all the walls replastered, but then painted them too soon so we have tons of cracks. It would be nice to cover at least one crazed wall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Thanks for the info folks, much appreciated! I am looking at a nice woodburner by Town and Country fires, in Pickering. I think they are steel though, not sure what the advantage is over cast iron, apart from weight and the fact they are welded together rather than bolted This is very complicated Aunty e, you must be so excited now!! Edited to add linky of the stove I'm pondering over. I think the only difference is that cast iron holds the heat like a storage heater and releases it slowly over a longer period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Aunty E, I'll pm you about your lining as I need mine doing ... About the wallpaper, 15 months after my stove was fitted, I still haven't finished decorating the chimney breast! It was covered with lining paper, that had been painted, and that hasn't been a problem so I'm guessing ordinary wallpaper should be ok. I can't decide whether to reline it and paint it the same as the rest of the kitchen, or to paper it - so it still isn't done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Lesley, thanks for the reply, I was hoping it was nothing major which hadn't occurred to me My nice man gave me a list of things (I also looked at the Little wenlock - it's so pretty!), essentially I needed to buy 10m of 6" flue liner, eight bags of backfill insulation, a terminal, a twin to single adapter, a register plate, a stove pipe and the stove, and the hearth. I got the flue liner with an installation kit from a nice man on ebay for 230 pounds, and bought the backfill from his real website. The place I got the stove from gave you a register plate and stove pipe for free when you bought a stove. They also gave me some other stuff like stove gloves and things. I found my slate hearth on ebay, but actually bought direct from them as the shop was only in Tottenham so didn't seem worth the courier costs and worry. Aunty e, thanks for the info, invaluable stuff! One of the websites gives the gloves, register plate and stove pipe free, plus free delivery I was hoping to use reclaimed (from my kitchen) Victorian quarry tiles as the hearth . I didn't want a fire surround, but the Little Wenlock is deeper than my fireplace by around 10cm, including the 5cm gap at the back Will it look odd, sticking out a couple of inches? Also, does anyone know if ther is a legal requierment on depth of hearth from front of fire as I believe there is on open fires? *rushes off to HETAS website* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 There is a legal requirement - I think HETAS will have it, 350 mm or 400 mm springs to mind? And no, it won't look odd if it sticks out a few inches (in my opinion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Re the depth of the hearth. We were told there was a legal requirement as to the depth of the hearth. Our hearth measures 84cm. The stove sits on 20cm of the hearth and the rest sticks out at the front. Our living room is very small and now we only have a small space between the sticking out hearth and the end of the sofa, this small space is the walking area to the door leading to the bedrooms. The times we have all stubbed our toes on the corner of the slate hearth first thing in the morning I love my stove but the hearth looks out of proportion to the rest of the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I've just had a look on three different websites, they all state the same measurements for hearths. Open fires and firebaskets should have 18" in front of the fire, if there is a fixed fender then there is no specified limit. I have just discovered what a fixed fender is and I have one around my open fire For stoves the measurement is 12" in front of the stove. I also found out that Victorian quarry tiles will make a suitable hearth I have a horrible feeling that I dug out my original Victorian hearth sub structure and replaced with floorboarding so may have to put that back first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 My hearth came as 15" standard depth, which was useful as I wasn't sure if the stove would stick out a bit. As it turns out, it shouldn't but it was nice to have the leeway! Our room is broad enough to take it anyhoo. Excited about tomorrow - brought a ton more wood in and popped it into one of our big wooden storage boxes so that we've got plenty to play with. Still a bit concerned that I don't know how to light a fire, but I'm going to watch the chimney man closely when he tests it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 When I had mine fitted, the fitter asked for some kindling so he could just test that it was drawing ok ... and then said 'have you got any firelighters?' Cue disdainful look and deeply-drawn breath from me, in best Lady Bracknell tones 'Firelighters? FIRELIGHTERS? I've never used a firelighter in my life. ' Scrunch up a sheet or two of newspaper loosely, pop in grate ... use kindling to build a little wigwam around it, smaller bits closest to the newspaper, larger bits on top. Set a match to it ... and then once the kindling has taken, add some more smallish bits of wood (I save bits of pine and lighter wood) till it's going. Once it's good and hot, you can add anything to it! Oh, and make sure the vents are open so it's drawing air through (there's only one control on my Charnwood Cove, easy peasy). I've been lighting fires this way since I was 8 or 9 (parents were less careful in those days!) - yes, there is the occasional time when it doesn't work and I do a lot of grumbling and have to haul bits of charred wood out, but it works for me. You probably know how to light a fire already, being a practical sort of gal and all that - but I wouldn't rely on the sweep/fitter, if my experience is anything to go by! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 Another little update from me... On Friday, without DH knowing a lovely chap came and surveyed our home regarding fitting a woodburner I should get the quote this week. EEEEEKKK I have now told DH who actually took it rather well. Though I am not put off by him saying 'well, its only a quote, so there is no real harm...' Pah, I am going to do it, regardless. It may end in divorce but, we have children and I am a SAHM so I get to stay in the house with a gorgeous woodburner Ok, so it wont really end in divorce but he might be a leeetle bit cross, he will get over it when he sees the bills coming down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Just go for it Ygerna Fires do have sulky days when they are difficult to light - usually if there is no breeze to draw the fire. We use scrunched newspaper but then make a platform of kindling rather than a wigwam with a couple of small, light, logs on top. I've been making fires since I was about 8/9 as well - and chopping the kindling with an axe......eldest of three girls so I just got on with it! My Mum was pregnant - and very poorly in hospital - when I was 9, I lit the fires quite often when my sister came home and my Dad had to go to work early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 Funnily enough I remember playing with the wood and the chopper, splitting off small kindling when I was a child, can't remember how old I was but I know I would freak out completely if I saw any of my three doing something similar Quote still not here.... (yes, I AM impatient ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Stove being finished as I type, but just had THE most embarassing moment. He was looking at fitting the vent in the floor, pulled back the curtain to check the size and one of the cats had done an enormous fat stinking poo. I nearly died. Thanks a lot cats. Stove looks scrummy thus far. Am dithering about a shelf to put over it. I was thinking about this one painted white... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-Thetford-Mantle-Overmantle-Chunky-Pine-Shelf_W0QQitemZ180460254311QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HG_FireplacesMantelpieces_RL?hash=item2a0444f467 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
