Winter is on its way I’m afraid and our wood burning stoves will soon be working again heating our homes to the maximum. The trouble is with our busy lifestyles we tend not to check what is important to us until it goes wrong or it’s too late.

Here are some extremely easy ways to ensure your stove is working too maximum efficiency.

Most important – door Seal

The stove door should fit tightly to keep the heat of the fire concentrated inside and not leaking. To check it you can lay a thin piece of paper across the door gasket lengthwise and then close the door with the paper still in it. If you can pull the paper out with a quick tug, your door is too loose, you will need to tighten the latch described in your manufacturer’s instruction manual.

If your gasket shows signs of wear or damage, you will need to replace it immediately. This one simple fix can save you a great deal of money over the winter months by reducing to amount of timber you will burn. 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 log burner is very sought after.

Could this be a money saver?

At first glance, it would appear that installing a wood-burner is a costly exercise, with owners spending upwards of £625 to get one installed. However, the long-term financial benefits are far more appealing as they can result in reducing the cost of other fuel sources.

Excellent quality dry wood can be found in most areas and prices differ from supplier to supplier. Obviously if you can source your own then the savings are generous indeed. Read more

We all know the British weather can be very damp and cold, this is when you need a wood burner the most.

A professionally fitted wood stove will also reduce your home’s carbon footprint by at least 19% as burning wood is environmentally neutral and renewable energy. Just make sure you only burn the correct wood as recommended by your supplier

Wood burners have three main operating features. Read more

A wood burning stove can be a great way to heat your home cheaply, especially if you can get logs for free. Log burners are generally used to heat just one room, rather than as a way to heat an entire home. The majority of homes in the UK have a central heating system but more and more are now backed up by a wood burning stove.

Wood burner costs and savings

How much a stove could cut your energy bill depends on various factors, including how you use your stove and how often you use it, also how well your home is insulated. Also, think about how much a stove might cost to install – it could be anything between £750 and £2,000. Read more

For the serious fire lover, you may want to invest in hardwoods like oak, ash, hickory, walnut, and fruit trees such as apple or cherry.

Seasoning your wood

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. Plus your hard-earned money will be wasted.

You will 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 and in turn save money. Read more