DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi,

I'm planning to fit a small wood burning stove to get me through the winter, but it will subsequently be removed, as the house is due to be demolished next summer.

Bearing in mind the intended lifespan of the installation and the associated cost, is it really necessary to get the chimney lined or can I get away with not doing it?

The property is a mid-1930s bungalow, so a short chimney and it's scheduled to be cleaned next week.

The existing open fireplace barely raises the room temperature! :(

Any thoughts?

The problem with an open fire, or indeed an enclosed wood burning stove, is that it draws the air it burns from the room its in and that air comes through a great variety of holes round the doors, window and up through the floor.

I would guess that the bungalow is full of holes and that it has a suspended wood floor, with large ventilators under?
Carefully designed to be well ventilated (freezing) to avoid condensation and wood rot.
I would also guess that when the fire is alight you are roasted on one side and frozen on the other, with the expensive warm air being burnt and sent up the chimney?
Rather than going to the expense of fitting a wood burner, that will not improve the ambience of the room, arrange things so that the holes are blocked, fitting hardboard and newspaper on the floor, to block the holes will help.
Fit a four inch pipe under the floor, starting at the outside and terminating near the fireplace, so that the fire burns fresh cold air from the outside.
This will eliminate the drafts and create a pleasant comfort zone.

Thanks for the reply, but the open fire takes hours to produce any noticeable increase in temperature - as you say, all the heat goes up the chimney.
The house is not particularly drafty though.

I'm going ahead with the stove and installing it tomorrow - less than £300 including the register plate, and I think it will make a dramatic difference.
It's going to act like a big radiator.

I'm not bothered about the ambience, more about keeping warm!
I didn't mention that there is no heating in the house...

Anyway, we used to have a stove in the house I grew up in and I think they add to a room.

Can you post an update to tell me whether you proceeded and how it's working out?

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