New year resolution – treat your home in 2018

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Wood-burners have risen in popularity for the last ten years as more homes discover the benefits and beauty they have to offer.

One benefit that always goes unnoticed is how the value of your home will increase after you have installed the burner. Ask any estate agent and they will tell you a home with a wood stove that has been professionally installed is far more desirable than one without. The value of your home could increase by as much as £10000.

Wood-burners not only look fabulous, they have plenty of practical benefits too. They provide a great deal of heat for relatively little cost and are highly efficient in comparison to open fires. With energy costs rising daily it is little wonder these super forms of heating continue to rise in popularity.

If you are reviewing alternative forms of heating in your home you should most definitely give wood burning stoves due consideration.   Read more

Make sure you are getting value from your stove

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Wood burning stove maintenance and cleaning mostly consist of regular removal of the ashes which also boosts the stove’s efficiency. You should occasionally clean the internal surfaces with a wire brush or scraper and at the same time keep a close eye on potential problems such as holes in the ash pan, cracks, spots of rust on the finish and other unusual signs that may indicate damage.

It is also advisable to clean the glass on a regular basis because the longer you postpone the cleaning the harder it gets to remove the tar deposits. Always leave your stove to cool completely before you carry out any maintenance or cleaning chores and make sure that the ash is completely cold before you dispose of it.

In addition to keeping your stove clean inside and outside, be sure to have it inspected by a licensed professional (HETAS) at least once a year to make sure that everything is working perfectly.

If there are any signs of damage such as cracks, leaks or warping, or if you have any problems with the stove do have them repaired immediately.

You are also highly recommended to have your chimney cleaned and checked by a chimney sweep at least once a year or more often if you use your wood burning stove on a regular basis. Poorly maintained or blocked chimneys pose a serious safety risk because they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and chimney fires.

Can we help?

If you require any assistance with your wood burner, please make contact and one of our qualified fitters will be happy to assist.

It’s getting colder

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If you have as log burning stove you will no doubt see the full benefit this form of heating has to offer.

Wood burning stoves are becoming more popular by the day as sales increase on an unprecedented scale. More households around the country are trying to reduce their heating bills and installing a stove can certainly help towards this aim.

One very big mistake a lot owners make is not using correctly matured timber to burn, damp logs can be dangerous and cause chimney fires.

Nothing will cause your stove to function less efficiently than to fill it with green wood, so to avoid the problem you should begin the seasoning process in the early spring if you want your wood to be ready by the next winter. If you plan to use any wood that is larger than normal, you will need to set it out to dry even earlier than that. Essentially, you should be harvesting your wood about a year and a half in advance of when you actually plan to burn it.

Seasoning.

Wood being dried should be stacked in open areas under cover where it will be exposed to the sun and the wind. If you put it in a shed, garage, or outdoors in the shade, you will inhibit the seasoning process significantly. Having said this if you are buying pre-seasoned wood from a supplier then any form of dry storage will normally be fine.

Can we help?

If you are thinking of installing a new wood stove please do get expert advice as fitting the incorrect stove could prove costly. Should you require assistance please do make contact and one of our fully qualified fitters will be happy to assist.

 

 

 

 

Wood stoves the heating solution?

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Wood-burning stoves have been riding the crest of the wave in the past few years and have proved extremely popular in the UK and Europe alike. Both efficient and practical, stoves have become a really viable heating solution. Their owners are also able to make real energy savings.

It’s also a fact that a property with a professionally fitted wood stove can be worth up to 5% more than one without just ask any estate agent. 

Sales of wooding burning stoves are going to reach record levels this year and the future looks very bright and very warm indeed. If you read all the reports energy prices are increasing and continue to do so as the Brexit talks linger on. The pound remains weak and all the experts say this could continue for months to come as the UK faces an uncertain future.

A professionally fitted wood burning stove can save you hundreds on annual fuel bills but do make sure your new burner is suitable for your home. Many people tend to install without seeking professional advice, this is fine, but if you want to get total efficiency do seek advice from a qualified fitter. One thing is for sure, if you have a stove fitted and you are selling the buyer is likely to want to see a certified certificate for the installation of the stove.   Read more

Heating bills hurting your budget?

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Heating your home is a very costly exercise and the likelihood of it reducing in the near future is almost nil. Here’s a story that may inspire you.

“Last winter’s gas bills meant it was time to act. An engineer from Kent Stoves confirmed the idea was going to work well for us. We got the old gas fire and pipework removed, measured up our fireplace and started looking for a stove that would fit our relatively small fireplace”.

“We did our homework and got Kent Stoves advice as to the correct wood burner we would need to heat our living area”.

“Three months on, we have slashed our gas and electricity consumption. Although it is a bit early to say with certainty, I estimate we will have cut our bills by £300-£350 this year. We should recoup the cost of the stove and its installation in under three years. Crucially, we have found a local joinery from which we source our wood, so we are now burning waste wood that would otherwise be destined for landfill”. Read more

Wood stove popularity still growing

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Not since the Aga has there been a more must-have status symbol for aspirational families. More than 1.3 million homes now have a wood burning stove, with 175,000 new ones being installed every year.

The rise of the trendy domestic stove used to heat a room or an entire house has coincided with a revolutionary shift in the way electricity is being generated in Britain, from coal to wood — and has led to us burning the most wood since the Industrial Revolution.

Wood-burning stoves and boilers have joined Apple Mac computers, Smeg fridges, Nespresso coffee machines and Dyson vacuum cleaners as a badge of honour among the successful and the environmentally conscious. There are even government subsidies designed to tempt householders away from ‘dirty’ carbon fuels to heat their homes and on to ‘clean’ logs and wood pellets. Read more

How to choose the right stove for you

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What wood burner should I go for?

There are many things to consider when you choose a stove. Quality issues are of course very important and this is one of the reasons you should seek professional advice.

What do you want your appliance to do?

Perhaps you want some cosy secondary heating. Here the look of the stove will be very important, with as large a view of the flames as possible.

More than likely rising fuel prices are making you think of heating your house with wood using a stove to reduce those awful bills. One of the main considerations here will then be what sort of output the stove has.

If you live in a smoke control area (most UK cities) and would like to heat with wood you will need to choose a stove approved for burning wood in smokeless zones. Read more

Making sure you keep warm this winter

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With winter and of course colder weather reportedly on its way, how do you stay warm? More likely than not it’s by turning up the central heating? However, a growing number of people are opting for renewable heating sources instead such as a wood burning stove.

They are not only good for the environment but also a way to cut the cost of your energy bills plus add value to your property. Estate agents will tell you that a house with a professionally installed wood burning stove will usually add value to the property. Heating fuel costs are constantly rising, with a wood stove installed you could reduce yours!

Can you make some real savings?

The demand for wood burning stoves is very strong especially now winter is on its way. With energy bills increasing at a rapid rate homeowners are turning to wood burning stoves as an alternative form of space heating. In the past stoves were mainly sold in rural areas but now we are seeing a rise in sales in towns and cities. Read more

Log burners are the way forward with Kent Stoves

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Centre of attraction

Wood burning stoves are a terrific way of bringing the comfort of a real fire into your home, even if you don’t have a vast amount of space. Log burners make great focal points for interiors, they are cleaner and more efficient than open fireplaces, and will likely save you money on your heating bills. If you’re dreaming of installing one as the winter chill sets in, you’re in good company – over 200,000 are installed each year in the UK.

Expert advice

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.   Read more

Market of Wood stoves still gaining popularity

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The market for wood burning stoves is increasing month on month and over the last ten years we have seen huge strides towards solving environmental issues. Usually at this time of year interest increases due to the on-coming colder weather but this year has been non-stop.

Due to rising fuel bills homeowners are seeking alternative cost-effective heating options.

Wood burning stoves are a real alternative and these days they really do offer an impressive range of options to meet your home’s needs. Long gone are the days when wood burners were seen as an ugly and dirty heating source.  Read more