So much to consider, so little time.
That’s often how it feels when it comes to deciding how to heat your living room. Do you go with or stay with gas? Is electric the way to go? What other options do I have?
What about a log burner? Yes, they look amazing – but how economical are they? How much heat do they really chuck out? What kind of wood should I burn and what should I avoid? Wouldn’t life be so much easier if someone could provide me with the answers to all of these questions?
Well, you’re in luck! So many people have asked us about the benefits of wood burning stoves that we decided we’d put together the answers to some of the most important questions and hopefully help you to see things a little more clearly. So let’s start with…
- Why would I choose a woodburner in the first place?
Well, there are a number of great reasons and we’ll explore them in more detail as we go along, but it’s safe to say that wood burning stoves are fabulous to look at and offer the most traditional heating aesthetic available. After all, what could look more homely and cosy than a real fire?
On top of that, it’s fairly easy to get hold of responsibly-sourced timber to fuel your woodburner while wood itself is carbon neutral and energy efficient. You can save money on your energy bills too. So how’s that for starters?
- How good do they look?
There’s something truly mesmerising about a real wood fire burning away in your home. Staring into the flames on a winter’s evening is a timeless pleasure and does wonders for your soul – not to mention your comfort levels! A woodburning stove can be the perfect centrepiece to your living room, and stove designers have created some wonderful pieces with large front panes to make sure you see as much as you can – take the Broseley Evolution Wood Burning Stove for example.
- Will a woodburning stove save me money?
One major consideration when choosing a new fire or stove is how much it will save you on your heating and energy bills. As with most fires and stoves, there’s a substantial initial outlay for purchase and installation, but don’t let that put you off. According to figures from the Stove Industry Alliance, a wood burning stove is an impressive 77{5dfef5ee4bdb9e4ccd342f82740f8c4bc135a5cd1b195e83ba9a769acb7c5569} cheaper to run per kilowatt hour than an electric fire and 29{5dfef5ee4bdb9e4ccd342f82740f8c4bc135a5cd1b195e83ba9a769acb7c5569} cheaper to run than a gas fire.
- How much heat will I get?
It all depends on the size of the room you wish to heat, so you should consider this carefully before making any decisions. To obtain a good level of heat output you’ll need to top up your stove regularly, but you will need to make sure that you don’t overdo things if your room is small, otherwise you stand the risk of turning your living room into a sauna! It’s worth chatting through the options with an informed and qualified heating engineer to work out the best woodburning stove for your living space, and how much heating power you need.
- What kind of wood should I burn?
You need wood that’s going to burn longer and cleaner. Hardwood is a great fuel to burn – it’s denser and heavier than softwood but burns for much longer and means you can buy it in volume and use up less storage space. You should also aim to get hold of wood that has been seasoned properly to avoid mucking up your chimney or stove lining with tar deposits. Store your wood in a dry place – somewhere well ventilated and where they can be stacked off the ground. If using logs, split them to ensure they dry properly well before use. You can buy ready-split and pre-dried wood that has already been seasoned for clean burning should you want to.
At Embers Heating Studio in Derby we have fully qualified and manufacturer trained woodburner experts and installers who can answer all your questions and help you to choose the woodburner that is perfect for you and your home. You’ll be given the right information to ensure that you get the most energy efficient woodburner possible for you so that you can enjoy warmer winter evenings in front of a gorgeous fire while saving money on your heating bills too.
Give us a call on 01332 242299, email [email protected] or pop in to our studio to see what we have on offer. Our woodburner specialists will be only too happy to advise you on the right stove for you, your home and your budget.
