My Log Burner...

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Going by that nonsense, most peoples burners are illegal if they have a wooden mantel...

Here 150mm is the legal minimum. My burners get safety checked/swept every year as part of my insurance requirements, they all pass.

Yep, lots of people's probably are illegal in the UK.

Some firms have started making concrete mantels that look like wood to make sure they comply. I haven't seen one in person to know if they're indistinguishable from wood.
 
Soldato
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The installer I spoke to said pretty much the same, basically he can't sign off the installation if I fit a mantel however if I was to fit one after he'd signed it off then that's my business.

450mm above the top of the stove

Our fitted a wooden fire surround to ours.

Common sense needs to prevail. Someone go and get a thermometer and measure the surface temp above the fire. I cant as I can even see my fire at the moment.
 
Soldato
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Just got a load of logs delivered for next winter, they've only been seasoned for about 8 or 9 months and seem to be at about ~25% moisture content so will need a while longer 'till they're OK to burn. Managed to get a large pickup load for £80 though so happy with that, they even stacked what would fit into my smaller log store for me.

The cat seems to be enjoying log burning season
34x3ZEGcz5QV69xRKpNtN5g-e5wd7TvGHgikwIHGJEoxv76gW6HdcSldetOn6evLn9yZP4DY3RQMNLu4W0IfXT2NgbfbQpvIoKix0NQvTdkLNPxvxbUDnoEsw6NqfYgqilf6RcrWnhX7gg2N7E9NXKu6ydE6E9VF7hN_YCBexfzEp5SWSwk3LHXv_hn2pHtbtOJN4U-UhBgZEftDEIJS3gh-w4UMEQ3d5P9Nwxzpl9-NkLLeH0G3t-ehdtMHQ6WMv2Xk-_Wg0aSDklYDJvBxzH5SwngEX0MmVjOLvq40IuXMNeZMhzrtaRIj5Bd4rdmV--jL1bgKF1d94MThzc_pnE7Ay1KWBHdZ2RwZqHYRWq0yoc6lPl6bTiDzuqB_3lGUpEKUIAsm92uV2FJu1FRgGQ8la3CIzFf4vJJu9k8Kc5FoAjEdghRXIzuiq5R1wsbR-UdSvGSoU0S6CkVL_e95Lv67LRHj93FmT9ZbWrb_j8ElTbiEyAjVerw2X3UhJ-hbed5BhbMawtLzn-CBMCmwoQgjB7IIC15CWhHkzUkDNi1XiCYqN83b_tfAhUbnfZhmfyCsWiYlZephwG19IsDzSUEXSr5_0GSGrbe8iVsvAHJxJYuPb1k2pJyv79XgZxt8axHnIbXBQPcdrIQeT6FsagHqiEeO810HNDA=w712-h950-no
 
Soldato
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Yep, lots of people's probably are illegal in the UK.

Some firms have started making concrete mantels that look like wood to make sure they comply. I haven't seen one in person to know if they're indistinguishable from wood.

We got told the same - ours is concrete. Personally, I think it looks pretty good - others may have a different opinion.
 
Soldato
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last year we had a conservatory/greenhouse type thing on the back of our house(newly bought house) We had two trees chopped down and our logs were seasoned within a couple of weeks. In the summer the Conservatory/Greenhouse got to well over 50Deg.

2 days after putting them in there they had cracked. moisture content was between 12-18

We also looked at a house that had a metal shed with a wood burner that acted like a kiln. Though the thought of burning already seasoned logs in order to season more seemed to have diminishing returns
 
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Does anyone buy uncut logs which they season themselves? Watching some locally on eBay to see what they go for - decent sized pile of 4ft lengths of sycamore (3 to 8" thick). Would need to hire a trailer or get a man+van to get them home, plus get a proper log splitter so some cost on top of the timber.
 
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Soldato
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last year we had a conservatory/greenhouse type thing on the back of our house(newly bought house) We had two trees chopped down and our logs were seasoned within a couple of weeks. In the summer the Conservatory/Greenhouse got to well over 50Deg.

2 days after putting them in there they had cracked. moisture content was between 12-18

We also looked at a house that had a metal shed with a wood burner that acted like a kiln. Though the thought of burning already seasoned logs in order to season more seemed to have diminishing returns

Did you split one of the logs in half and test the moisture content in the middle? That seems very quick to seasons without being done in a kiln but i guess a hot conservatory it should make them dry very quickly.

My logs are stacked in the sheltered side at the back of the house so they take a while to season there as they don't get direct wind.

Does anyone buy uncut logs which they season themselves? Watching some locally on eBay to see what they go for - decent sized pile of 4ft lengths of sycamore (3 to 8" thick). Would need to hire a trailer or get a man+van to get them home, plus get a proper log splitter so some cost on top of the timber.

How much cheaper is it to buy them like this? It does seem a lot of work to cut and split logs speaking to someone at work who does it himself.
 
Soldato
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Did you split one of the logs in half and test the moisture content in the middle? That seems very quick to seasons without being done in a kiln but i guess a hot conservatory it should make them dry very quickly.

My logs are stacked in the sheltered side at the back of the house so they take a while to season there as they don't get direct wind.



How much cheaper is it to buy them like this? It does seem a lot of work to cut and split logs speaking to someone at work who does it himself.

Yeah we split and chopped the bigger ones. Some were only 7%
 
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How much cheaper is it to buy them like this? It does seem a lot of work to cut and split logs speaking to someone at work who does it himself.

95d8de4f95b13b3e4ec8cd9109a8359f.png


Currently at £29 for that pile above but 6 days to go. Hire a transit tipper maybe £100? Don't mind slowly working through chopping and splitting by hand, though it's a good excuse to get a log splitter :D

Last logs I bought in March 2016 was £190 for 2m3
 
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I'm about to pull the pin on what is turning out to be a fiddly/expensive pursuit.

Looking at a Clearview Vision 500 (they just seem so well built to me). My calcs say I need 6kw+ as our cottage is very old/cold w poor insulation and a lot of glazing, stairs right off where the stove will go etc. About 64cm3 and most likely will extend to 88cm3 in a couple of years. Someone has quoted me £540 for flue liner/material only (9m Schiedel 316) with additional Poujoulat gear.

Does this seem overkill to anyone?

Great info here btw, thanks in advance.
 
Soldato
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95d8de4f95b13b3e4ec8cd9109a8359f.png

Currently at £29 for that pile above but 6 days to go. Hire a transit tipper maybe £100? Don't mind slowly working through chopping and splitting by hand, though it's a good excuse to get a log splitter :D

Last logs I bought in March 2016 was £190 for 2m3

That pile went for £127 in the end - will look out for more
 
Soldato
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I'm about to pull the pin on what is turning out to be a fiddly/expensive pursuit.

Looking at a Clearview Vision 500 (they just seem so well built to me). My calcs say I need 6kw+ as our cottage is very old/cold w poor insulation and a lot of glazing, stairs right off where the stove will go etc. About 64cm3 and most likely will extend to 88cm3 in a couple of years. Someone has quoted me £540 for flue liner/material only (9m Schiedel 316) with additional Poujoulat gear.

Does this seem overkill to anyone?

Great info here btw, thanks in advance.

Go for the Clearview - you will not regret it.
 
Soldato
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I don't think you can really install it badly.

As an update on mine. The log burner is working wonderfully. However when the chimney was being rebuilt something has gone wrong as smoke is somehow getting into the cavity wall at the back of our house when using the front room open fire. Walked into the back room and it was coming out of an air vent! No idea how it's getting in!
 
Soldato
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Thanks for the replies. Being my first, are stoves only as good as the install or is it pretty hard to 'install it badly' so to speak?

A friend of mine has had their install condemned, and its was a "Pro" install too. Flue is not sealed correctly. No register plate and the burner is not fixed down.
 
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