Logburner installation + exposed brick makeover...

[pault123]

Evening Guys, First post

I'm going to be posting a few questions up so thought i'd introduce myself and show you how my first log burner install panned out.

I live in the Northwest UK, plan to use it in the winter months and once i've got a second log store built start stock piling some wood to chop and dry out.

This gas fire came with the house when I bought it 5 years ago, never been keen on it and the missus detested it lol

Opened up to a nice size...

Bricks don't look too good, very loose around the metal lintel...

Bricks reseated and pointed in Lime Mortar..

Great colours

Brick hearth laid down with 1930's common house bricks...

Closure plate

Dried out a lot now, room decorated, but still need to find something to seal the bricks with? (like the wet look for the colours popping out)

 

[Chuck the Canuck]

I think that looks absolutely beautiful! What a great job....

 

[MaintenanceMan]

Your hard work paid off. It's beautiful!

 

[GENECOP]

Great job......

 

[begreen]

Aw, don't you miss that floral wallpaper?

That is quite a nice change. Well done.

 

[LeoJr]

Very well executed! Brick work, overall layout and design, and a perfectly sized stove. Well done!

 

[brad wilton]

nice job,is that a dovre i have one to good heater in well insulated house have fun

 

[begreen]

Stovax Stockton 5

 

[brad wilton]

looks very much like a more up to date dovre there nice looking stoves

 

[Pellet_Pete]

I guess we can add "closure plate" to the ever-growing list of English language disparities on either side of the pond! I suppose "block-off plate" does sound rather blunt and gritty, rather American.

Excellent work though - that brickwork looks better than original construction!

 

[mellow]

Nice job, are you the only one burning wood in your neighborhood?

 

[JRitz187]

Very Nice!

 

[FionaD]

Hi Paul and welcome from a fellow Brit. Love what you've done it looks fantastic. Especially the 'closure plate'! your whole room must feel transformed. Beautiful wee stove. What's the kw output?

Did you put some insulation in the chimney? I think they're pretty keen on people doing tthat these days. I have some vermiculite balls poured in, between the liner and the bricks. Looks like loads of Maltezers.

If your brick work acts anything like my stone wall behind my stove, you'll find you've got a great big new storage heater in your living room as well as a stove!

 

[pault123]

I guess we can add "closure plate" to the ever-growing list of English language disparities on either side of the pond! I suppose "block-off plate" does sound rather blunt and gritty, rather American.

Excellent work though - that brickwork looks better than original construction!

The fitter said if it was a wood burner fitted without a fluepipe, just using the natural chimney it would be a registry plate, which completely seals the chimney and room from gasses/smoke etc. When a flue is present to take the gasses/smoke away its a closure plate, simply to close the open chimney off from the room.

 

[pault123]

Nice job, are you the only one burning wood in your neighborhood?

Neighbours have had one for around 5 years, and quite a few chimneys in the neighbourhood have anti-down draft anti-bird chimney cowls i've noticed recently. I'd say around 5 houses nearby. The air can smell quite medieval on a cold night outside LOL

 

[pault123]

Thanks for the comments all too!

Hi Paul and welcome from a fellow Brit. Love what you've done it looks fantastic. Especially the 'closure plate'! your whole room must feel transformed. Beautiful wee stove. What's the kw output?

Did you put some insulation in the chimney? I think they're pretty keen on people doing tthat these days. I have some vermiculite balls poured in, between the liner and the bricks. Looks like loads of Maltezers.

If your brick work acts anything like my stone wall behind my stove, you'll find you've got a great big new storage heater in your living room as well as a stove!

Spent a lot of time in the room since its been fitted

Didn't need any insulation down the chimney as neighbours chimney adjoining so no insulation problems, and a very high stack too with good draw. I do use that stuff in the garden though for drainage.

The bricks get lovely and warm on the breast and can feel the heat radiating off.

This is the stove, mix of cast iron and steel apparently, 4.9kw 85% efficient. Not sure how that compares to the rest of the market.

 

[FionaD]

85% sounds pretty impressive.

I love getitng up in the morning and feeling the real difference in the living room thanks to the warm stone, even when the stove has long gone out.

I've been noticing lots of tell-tale chimney caps in my area too, suggesting lots of new woodstoves going in. I know just what you mean about the medieval air.. Good job I love that smell!

I'm guessing you'll be in a similar situation to me; I wish I could cut, split, stack and season 100% of my own wood, but just don't have the space.. So I forage for what I can and buy the rest. Are you able to source good firewood quite easily? What sort of price do you have to pay down your way for around a cubic metre builder bag?

 

[begreen]

Up to 85%. That number seems to be marketing. Unfortunately they don't say what testing standard that is for. Nor do they indicate which fuel or if this is heating or combustion efficiency.

 

[pault123]

Evening Fiona, at the moment only got one log store and its full so waiting to get another and then I can get free wood from a local tree surgeon to chop up.

Paid £50 for a ton bag of mixed soft and hardwoods. So far seems to be lasting pretty well. (just put a video up https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/fiskars-x27-super-splitting-axe-mini-review-video.142241/ )

 

[pault123]

Hi begreen I agree it does sound a very high figure! What sort of efficiency would you expect to get on an average stove nowadays with wood, in real world usage?

 

[begreen]

I was wondering if that was the combustion efficiency with coal? It's hard to pin down efficiency because there are different tests and efficiencies as noted earlier. It also depends on the fuel. Most good wood stoves are around 75% efficient with some cat stoves and hybrids coming in around 80%.

 

[pault123]

Found the breakdown in the manual, so 80% on wood, 85% on solid fuel...