Keeping warmer

With the weather turning and the days growing shorter, attention is shifting to the darker months ahead and keeping our homes warmer. One way of making a home cosier this winter and saving money along the way – is installing a wood-burning stove.

After installation costs are taken into consideration they can reduce your fuel bills. Also adding a wood burning stove to your home is very fashionable, installed professionally it will increase your properties value.

With the cost of gas and electricity rising at an alarming rate a wood stove could be the answer to reducing your heating costs.

Why have sales risen in the past decade?

Wood-burning stoves were traditionally found only in countryside homes, which had a shed of wood close by and draughty rooms to keep warm. A decade ago, wood-burners were just not found in towns and city homes, but they’ve since gained ground in urban areas as well which has increased sales considerably. Read more

Like a warmer home this winter?

A wood burning stove can be installed virtually anywhere in your home, providing there is a way to run a vent pipe to the outside of the house. This means you can zone-heat any room or space, making heating a home with a wood burner very economic and practical.

Economical heating

Wood is an inexpensive fuel source. It costs less per BTU than oil, gas or electricity. Homeowners who practice strategic zone heating in their homes can save hundreds of ££’s in utility bills each year. With the promise that gas and electric prices are going to rise significantly in the coming months wood burning is looking as sound alternative. Read more

To get the best heating results from your stove hardwoods are generally better for burning than softwoods. As a rule of thumb hardwoods are produced by slow-growing deciduous trees and therefore the logs have a greater density than the faster growing softwoods from evergreen trees.

Since hardwood logs are heavier than the same sized softwood logs they will provide you with much more heat output – up to 50%.

For the stove owner, using hardwood logs means having to fill the stove up less often than they would with softwood logs.

Most important: Only ever use dried, fully seasoned chopped wood logs with a moisture content of less than 20%. Always check with your supplier when the wood was cut and how long has it been drying: This should be a minimum of 2 years. Read more

To install a log burner safely and responsibly, it’s important to do your research.

Think first about the size of area that needs to be heated. Next contact a qualified fitter to ensure the model you are looking at will “do the job efficiently”. It’s also a very good idea to research the size and cost of logs you’ll need and whether you can buy them locally.

Wood burning stoves always make great focal points for interiors, they are cleaner and more efficient than open fireplaces, and can save you money on your heating bills. Install one and get ready for your friend’s positive comments, as they will be plentiful!

If you’re thinking of installing one you should start your planning now as sales are booming and fitters do have much longer waiting lists than ever before.

Wood burners are a great way of bringing the comfort of a real fire into your home, even if you don’t have a vast amount of space. If you live in an urban area that is smoke-controlled, you’ll need to check the stove you are buying is approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) or go for one that has the option of burning smokeless fuels as an alternative.

Expert advice and fitting

For your protection and safety, you should always have a fully qualified professional install your wood/pellet burning appliance. At Kent Stoves, we will evaluate everything for you to ensure your safety and maximise efficiency.

If you require assistance, please do make contact and one of our fully qualified fitters will be happy to help.

 

Summer is here and we all forget about our lovely cozy stoves which keep us warm in the winter. Summer is the right time to do all the maintenance jobs to keep them functioning properly.

If you choose the right stove, it should be easy to maintain. But there are a few steps you should take to keep it efficient and safe.

To keep your stove in good working order, the Industry recommends that you have your chimney swept at the beginning and the end of the winter to avoid a build-up of tar and soot, which could damage the chimney and stove when not in use. From a safety point of view, blocked chimneys can also cause deadly carbon monoxide and fires. One sweep should only cost £30-£70.

Use matured logs only

Wet or unseasoned logs will leave more sooty deposits and could increase the number of sweeps you need, so it’s best to use seasoned or kiln-dried wood to cut down on maintenance (minimum 2 years old). Read more