Cost to put a log burner in a non working fireplace?

[matt100]

We've recently moved and we're facing a bit of a heating challenge.

In short, house from 1910, suspended floor (you can see the outside through the floor in the front room lol...) wall radiator in a dumb place we want to move under a bay window.

Had a plumber round who said we wouldn't get enough heat from the size of radiator we want so a thought was to convert a shabby period style fireplace into a log burner.

Challenge is the chimney has been removed above the living room so it's purely aesthetic.

My thought was to have a flue tunneled through the exterior wall and up the side of the house.

I know it's possible but I want to figure out if it's prohibitively expensive?

Obviously we're going to have a crack at sealing the floor and insulating it but either way we've got 2 external walls and a big bay window to deal with BTU wise so the small-ish radiator we wanted under the bay is going to struggle either way.

 

[sideways14a]

Should be doable a mate of mine has similar.
I love my multifule burner - it puts out stupid amounts of heat when it needs to. Like vastly more than the old gas fire i used to have in its place and i mean VASTLY.

 

[Dis86]

wall radiator in a dumb place we want to move under a bay window.

That's a dumb place to put a radiator.

 

[darael]

If you can access under the floor, install foam insulation, handy if you want to keep the look of your floorboards. But bear in mind the house needs to breath, so perhaps don't install the insulation in places where you're not likely to feel draughts - I have a feeling it'd be a smart idea to let near the log burner breath too.

 

[bobuk]

I thought log burners are being fazed out ,( the new green deal )

 

[Dis86]

I thought log burners are being fazed out ,( the new green deal )

Don't think so, there's tighter controls being put on the fuel used though. Problem is who the hell is going to monitor it?

 

[montymint]

have you considered an electric stove? Or is your heart set on the log fuel?

 

[matt100]

I wouldn't do electric, I'm not mad about the idea of a log burner but of it wasn't crazy money it might be a decent addition to the radiator.

Any speculation on cost?

 

[fobose]

I had a wood burner installed in to my old house back in 2012. There was already a chimney in place but the opening needed knocking about to make it bigger for the small log burner I bought (stovax brunel 1a). It was very expensive to install, £1900.

It made a big difference to my cold and damp end terrace property. Used it most days between late Nov to April some years! It was in addition to the central heating.

 

[matt100]

Right so it's a twin wall flue system right?

I'm thinking about £2-3k?

 

[Zefan]

That's a dumb place to put a radiator.

Why do you think that?

 

[Dis86]

Why do you think that?

Where do you get the biggest heat losses in typical room?

 

[matt100]

The full sentence would be the existing radiator is in a dumb place relative to the layout of the room ref TV/seating options and available walls.

Obviously putting the thing in front of the bay is sub optimal in both size and heat but life is compromises.

 

[DXP55]

I have just been looking at getting a bag of logs to fill my log stores to the brim - Wood is not cheap anymore - Fully seasoned 0.9 ton bag is on offer (its summer) for £80 instead of normal £105. - I used to get wood for nothing or peanuts but running a wood burner in this day and age is very expensive - My yearly outlay has gone from around £100 which included my diesel to go get it to around £400.

So on top of your fitting costs add a load more for running it.
If you can get wood for free fit a log burner.

ps - just rang the log man- £60 for bag of mixed hard and soft wood. - This will fill my stores to the brim.

 

[LabR@t]

2k to fit my liner

 

[fobose]

I only had my burner installed as someone I knew let me have free fire wood for the time I had the thing (about 6 years). I say free, I had to cut, split and bag logs for them for about 6-8 hours. They would drop off 2 builders bags FOC the next day.

 

[sideways14a]

It was circa 2k for my install as well, original chimney in an 1870s house.

I use smokeless fuel mostly, yes its not as cheep as gas ect but its not bad - and when you want an f-in lot of heat you can get it quickly, this thing can nearly heat my whole house if i leave all the doors open and it chock full and running max.

Just dont use crap in them and they are fine.

 

[mattyg]

Why do you think that?

Where do you get the biggest heat losses in typical room?

Its a popular myth that radiators should be placed under windows. But the real reason they used to be placed there is because nobody put furniture under windows..

Radiators work by convection. So they heat they pump out rises to the ceiling then travels to the coldest part (the windows) falls back down and returns along the floor to the radiator.. If you fit it under the window most of the heat may be sucked out before it can heat the rest of the room..

However!! If a radiator is placed under a window the theory is the warm air coming out of the radiator will create an Air curtain. Similar to what you find in shop doorways.

With modern houses I'd just put it where its not in the way

 

[UTT]

£2.5k we paid installed. Including woodburner.

New build property, wood burner in living room. 1.5 m of single skin chimney then twin wall up though floor and hidden in built in wardrobes in bedroom. Couple of 45's and exits through roof.

 

[Peerzy]

I got various quotes in January and the proper shops all wanted around £3000-£4500. I was then recommended a one man band who told us the burner to buy and did everything else for £1200 - very happy with the results. Ours was replacing an old fireplace with a working chimney though so expect a bit more for that.