# Fitting A Woodburner



## sparrow (Feb 7, 2009)

Another DIY related query for the forum - I want to get a woodburner for the house, and I fancied fitting it myself. I've currently got an open fire with a (disconnected) back boiler, along with a clear, unlined chimney.

Has anyone ever fitted one themselves? Is it fairly straightforward, or a headache?

Thanks in advance B)


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

sparrow said:


> Another DIY related query for the forum - I want to get a woodburner for the house, and I fancied fitting it myself. I've currently got an open fire with a (disconnected) back boiler, along with a clear, unlined chimney.
> 
> Has anyone ever fitted one themselves? Is it fairly straightforward, or a headache?
> 
> Thanks in advance B)


There are a couple of threads on here from a few years back now.

Paul (Silverhawk) fitted his own and included details of helpful companies, I think.

I got mine fitted by a local installer, because of the agro of fitting the liner down our existing flue. They also took care of the paperwork.

Do a forum search on woodburners and they should come up. Am at work but I'll have a look later and post the links if you can't find them.

You can fit a woodburner to an existing chimney, but the new high-efficiency ones don't work so well with the wider open fire flues, even if they're in good condition. You'd be better off getting it lined (and some installers may insist).


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## Docta13 (Nov 18, 2012)

Is it to stand alone. Or fit connected to the original central heating?


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## marley (Dec 22, 2012)

My brother in law fitted one last year. Im crap at D.I.Y.myself, so for ME! it looked difficult........he assured me though it isn't difficult if you are handy with your hands!


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

I've fitted two in my house:

1) One with a twin-walled stainless steel chimney (below)

2) One using existing brick chimney but with corrugated stainless steel liner.


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## sparrow (Feb 7, 2009)

Docta13 said:


> Is it to stand alone. Or fit connected to the original central heating?


It's standalone - the back boiler was still connected to the original 1930s immersion tank until very recently when I had central heating fitted. The work would be:


Strip out existing fire and back boiler

widen fireplace to create an alcove

Plaster alcove

liner into the chimney

tile

fit burner.


Overall, the work doesnt worry me, the only part I think that worries me is dropping the liner into the chimney....

Paul, how difficult was it to drop the liner into the existing chimney?


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

sparrow said:


> ..
> 
> Paul, how difficult was it to drop the liner into the existing chimney?


Easy as long as you do not mind:

1) Heights. My 2-ladder set would not reach to the top of our chimney...and I'm not great up a 3-ladder set, so I used a builder I know to go up the ladder and drop the liner down.

2) Getting dirty. Our chimney had quite a bend in it (by design) not far from the bottom and it was a little difficult pulling the liner around it. The liner was dropped down to this point and then it was pulled the rest of the way (and around the bend) by means of a rope tied to the end of the liner. So it took two of us to get it in place.

Obviously, sweep your chimney well before dropping the liner.


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## Docta13 (Nov 18, 2012)

It will be fine. Stand alone are a lot easier to fit. I've done a few alongside heating systems and they are grief lol. But are good when installed right.


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

sparrow said:


> widen fireplace to create an alcove


That could cause you problems, if you're widening the built opening (i.e. making it wider than it was when it was originally built). Aside from the weight of the chimney above, many are load-bearing. I considered widening ours, but it supports an RSJ supporting the upper floor.

Get the advice of a building surveyor and make sure you know where the lintel or supporting arch is and how far it extends on either side of the proposed new opening. You may have to hack plaster off to find the true lintel or arch as many fire places just have a metal bar holding the bricks above the aperture up. The true supporting lintel/arch may be much higher up the chimney breast.

This is what ours looked like when I started to look for the lintel. I chased the plaster off almost to the celing and there was nothing that I could find, other than 1/4 inch metal bar, supporting the bricks over the opening...










The existing opening was narrow enough for the bricks to corbel (interlock and self-support), but I threw a concrete lintel in quick. If I'd wanted to open the aperture any wider, I'd have needed to support the breast above and get a surveyor in.

Are you opening it because there isn't enough space for the burner that you want? If so, you could consider a hearth projecting further in to the room and having the burner fully or partially sitting in front of the apperture, rather than wholly within it.


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## chris.ph (Dec 29, 2011)

Trust me I'm a builder, chuck the flue down from the top and connect it to a cast extension piece on the top of the wood burner and crack on.

all jokes aside its not difficult to do but hire a roof ladder to get to your chimney stack and try to anchor yourself onto to it as well. Sometimes when you take all the rubbish out of the fireplace if you wire brush the stone and brickwork it looks good enough to leave as is, if you are going to tile inside dup it put and just fine it down then tile, you don't have to pink it and pink doesn't like the heat a woodburner pushes out and tends to craze. If you do have any questions just pm me and I will answer as quickly as I can...


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## sparrow (Feb 7, 2009)

Well, after a sooty poke around, I think I've had a stroke of luck - it appears that the original harth is still in tact, and at some point, a new smaller fire has been retrofitted into the harth, so in terms of removal, I'll just have to pull out the small fire, bit of fire cement, and I'll be back to a lovely alcove.

Equally, everything looks handled structurally above this, so removal should be quite straightforward.

Now to google flues and stoves...


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## chris.ph (Dec 29, 2011)

machine mart


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## bry1975 (Feb 6, 2004)

WOOD burners are GREAT! :thumbup:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

chris.ph said:


> machine mart


Really? You have got to be joking.....

Get yourself a nice Westfire or some other Danish make....money well spent!


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## luckywatch (Feb 2, 2013)

I have had a Hunter for over 5 years. Brilliant stove. Have a nosey at the site.

http://www.hunterstoves.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107&Itemid=820


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Some good info, the flat I've moved to has a nice old fireplace and it crossed my mind to have one fitted.

So another question, a guy at work told me he just blanked off the opening inside the fireplace with a plate then just a short piece of pipe and used the original chimney, didn't sound right but to be fair so far his house hasn't burnt down.

Can this be done or do you need the proper flue. I'm on the ground floor of a big old three story terrace that has been split into three flats.


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## chris.ph (Dec 29, 2011)

it can be done as long as there is still a strong draw, get a smoke canister and check b4 lighting the fire though


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## sparrow (Feb 7, 2009)

Bond, from what I've read, you can do that, so long as the bricks within the chimney are not loose or crumbling.

Personally, I'm going to go for a flue, I don't like the idea of sap building up in the chimney itself where a sweep couldn't clear it all - quickest way to a chimney fire. A flue at least is an even tube that a brush will touch a edges.


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## sparky750 (May 15, 2010)

Fitting a wood burner is our house is the best thing we've ever done (we have 2 now) heats the whole house had them a few years now and the savings have meant they paid for themselves in no time (or gave me more money for watches  )


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## tall_tim (Jul 29, 2009)

I fitted a wood burner in my old house, was best thing I did DIY wise, saved a fortune on heating (even more by buying trees direct from forestry commission). Our chimney was sound, so didn't bother with a flue, but I'd say get a flue if you've any doubts or concerns.

I miss sitting in front of it at night. I'm in a newer house now, not even a fake fireplace!


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