There is nothing better on a cold winter’s night than breaking out the logs and cranking up the wood burner.
Stoves come in all shapes and sizes these days and there is sure to be one to match your wishes. Energy prices are on the rise so installing a wood burning stove could be an answer to keeping them under control.
Here are a few things you should know before you get one. Read more
It is being muted that fuel bills are set to rise significantly in the near future. The Brexit talks are complete, and the pound remains at a low ebb, this means imported fuels cost more and you can guess who has to foot the bill!!
The price rises are expected to be in the region of between 6% and 10%, at least for electricity, which means your energy bills could take a definite hit. The impact on a typical household bill could be an extra £100 plus a year.
Research shows that an average family are spending over £150 per month just heating a 3-bedroomed house, just imagine this increasing by 10% and how that will affect your family budget. Read more
The first question you might ask is “Why would I want to install and use a stove in the first place?”
There are plenty of benefits of using a wood stove for your residential heat. The most obvious is the cleanliness of burning wood, which gives off less particulate matter and is a renewable resource, unlike gas-powered alternatives. Another chief benefit is the cost efficiency as wood can cost a great deal less than electricity and gas. Not to mention a professionally installed stove can add value to your property.
There are some more peripheral benefits about heating your home with a wood-fuelled stove. Wood burning stoves can be used as additional cooking surfaces in your home, perfect for warm cocoa on cold winter days. They also have the added bonus of saving you money on other utilities, like electricity. Read more
Once the fire has got going and the door has been closed, the air vents on the wood stove should be used to control the airflow to the fire.
If the air vents on the stove are closed or not open enough, the fire can be starved of oxygen and can be a reason why the fire keeps going out.
The air vents should never be closed unless you intend to put the fire out.
Wide-open vents will provide maximum airflow to the fire and cause the wood to burn faster. The primary/bottom vents can usually be closed after the fire has got going well enough without putting the fire out. Read more
As we all know energy prices keep on going up and this is without doubt is causing problems for many households. The problem is this situation could well continue for the foreseeable future as the pound remains weak. So, ask your self is it time to explore the alternatives?
If the answer is yes have a serious look into a wood burner.
Wood burning stoves are getting rave reviews and are now a serious alternative to any other form of secondary heating. Households up and down the country are looking for cheaper alternatives due to the frantically rising traditional energy supplies. Wood burners come in all shapes and colours these days and will enhance any household.
It is vitally important to have the appliance installed professionally and once done will increase the value of your property. Read more
Wood-burners have become a sought-after design statement during the past decade.
They can provide a sense of charm and ambience to a property. Modern wood-burning stoves give your home that warm heart as you sit around with friends and family on winter evenings.
A professionally installed burner can increase the value of your home, estate agents will tell you that a home with a professionally fitted log burner is very sought after.
Good for the environment Read more
October and November saw the highest ever recorded sales figures. Sales of log burning stoves have been strong over the last two years but the run up to Christmas surpassed all expectations. It is little surprise that this is happening as heating bills continue to rise in real terms month on month. Economists are also predicting a sharp rise in heating fuel costs due to the weaker pound which is not helped with all the current political turmoil.
Benefits Read more
For the serious wood stove enthusiast, you may want to invest in hardwoods like oak, ash, hickory, walnut and fruit trees such as apple or cherry.
Hardwoods are denser woods that burn hotter and longer than softwoods, but you’ll need to let them season for up to 2 years. (Ash is an exception and can be burnt a bit earlier although the wood burns best when seasoned.)
There is absolutely no point in burning unseasoned wood as you will be boiling water, and this is just inefficient and bad for the environment.
You’ll find that hardwood is more expensive to purchase than softwood like pine and fir. But the hardwood burns longer so you’ll need less wood Read more
Sales of stoves continue to increase month on month as the UK public look for ways to reduce their heating bills.
Whether you are the proud owner of a shiny new stove, or your thinking to install one, there are a few things that you need to know to really get the most out of that heating machine in the fireplace.
Do not burn green damp wood
This is the most fundamental thing to get right when you’re burning wood. It might be surprising, but green wood is around 45% water. That means that for every kg of green wood you add to the fire, you’re effectively adding around 500ml (a pint) of water. This means that you will need to make sure that your fuel has been dried properly. There are a few ways of doing this, but the simplest are as follows. Read more
Wood-burners have risen in popularity for the last five years as more homes discover the benefits they have to offer.
One benefit that generally goes un-noticed is how the value of your home will increase after you have installed the wood burner. Estate agents up and down the country are always pleased to sell a property with a HETAS certified fitted wood burner installed.
One local Surrey estate agent commented “We can always sell a good property with a certified fitted log burner easier; it is a major feature and will add to the price in a sale”. “This coupled with an energy efficient home will definitely see a high price achieved”. Read more
