Guide to Buying and Installing a Wood Burning Stove
Introduction 03 Buying and Choosing the Stove 04 Pellet Versus Log 05 Cast Iron Versus Welded Steel 06 How Many Rooms Will it Heat 07 How Will it Fit in Your Home 08 Installation 09
A wood burning stove is a beautiful thing. Buying and installing a wood burning stove is a daunting prospect all the same. Where do you start? How do you install it securely? How do you keep your wood burning stove in good condition? 03
Buying and choosing the Stove Before buying a stove, you should consider the following: Size and layout of your home Options available Your preferences 04
Pellet versus Log This will be one of your first decisions when shopping for a wood burning stove. Pellet stoves: More convenient Typically offer automatic ignition Less messy when storing fuel indoors Log stoves: Offer more of a real fire feel Cheaper These are subjective concerns, but it s good to know your preferences before buying. 05
Cast Iron versus Welded Steel When choosing the material you d like in your stove, the two main options are cast iron or welded steel. Your main concerns here are aesthetic and price. Cast iron stoves: More traditional Usually more ornate Heavier More expensive Welded stoves: Simpler Less decorative More modern in design Cheaper Stoves in a period drama or a western, for instance, are usually cast iron. Cast iron stoves used to require more maintenance, and welded stoves had a reputation for being inflexible, as they had fewer replaceable parts. However, as both designs have improved in recent years, these differences no longer apply. 06
How will it fit in your home? Before buying your new stove, look at the room you have in mind for it, particularly its: Dimensions Style Décor 07
Will it heat one room or more? An open-plan room is probably best suited to a stove. CONSIDER: Age of your property State of its insulation Remember, bigger isn t necessarily better. It s important to pick the right size stove for the space available, and to take existing sources of heat into account. Will you be using it along with radiators? How big is the room you want it to heat? 08
Installing a Stove Part of the appeal of a stove is its: Weight Sturdiness Strength This means you should have a thorough plan for installing it. They are unwieldy, and the clearer your plan, the smoother it will go. Here are some things to consider before installation: Even if the stove is installed by the seller or by a third party, you will be responsible for: Location Operation Maintenance 09
Choose the location carefully Consider clearance rating Some people like the stove to be the central focus of a living room, while others prefer to have it in the kitchen. In an open-plan home, a communal living space is often the preferred location for the stove. Another key consideration is the chimney. While it s not essential to install the stove directly in line with the chimney, make sure that the stove s pipe is central in the home s foundation, ideally directly under a main support beam. A wood burning stove will generate immense heat more so than other heating appliances such as radiators. Owners of wood burning stoves should consider this before installing one. There should be ample room for the stove to generate such heat without getting so close to walls, floors or roofs to damage them. It should also be a safe distance from combustible materials, such as rugs, curtains, or picture frames. The stove s manufacturer will provide a clearance rating guide. Prepare the floor Prepare the wall The surrounding floor requires appropriate floor pads to absorb heat and possible stray sparks and embers. A non-combustible floor pad is essential for your stove s base. Ideally, your stove should be standing on brick, marble, ceramic tile or another non-combustible substance. Heat shields on the walls are also important, further reducing the risk of damage or fire. These heat shields should be considered when you re examining the space and clearance requirements for your stove.
Check planning permission and insurance Before installing, make sure that you re allowed to do so. Check your building s planning permission and your home insurance. Move it carefully Stoves are heavy and cumbersome so if moving one yourself, follow health and safety regulations. Use levering tools if necessary to roll the stove into position. Consider professional assistance Connect it to a chimney Whether it s an existing chimney or a new one specially installed for your stove, make sure it s clean and well-maintained to ensure your home is safe. A stove is not a sophisticated machine, but it still demands meticulous attention to detail to ensure safe, clean and enjoyable use. If you re in any doubt, enlist a qualified professional to install or advise on the maintenance of your stove. A wood burning stove is an ingeniously simple invention, which goes some way to explaining why it remains a popular staple of homes after so many centuries. With just a little research and preparation, it will prove a huge addition to your home, providing years of warmth, cosiness and happy memories.
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