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Make a house a home
Whether you are self-building, renovating or converting, you’ll be looking at ways to make your house a home. A wood-burning stove brings that homely fireside ambience so many of us are looking for. With a vast variety of styles available, from sleek inset fires to country-inspired freestanding stoves, there is a stove to suit any interior styling, giving you plenty of options to suit your personal taste.
Some stoves are double-sided, expanding your options even further. If your plans are to knock through a wall to expand a room, or if you are looking for a way to connect two living spaces, a double-sided stove or fire works well to create a sense of flow – plus, you are heating two living spaces with one woodburner.
If you don’t have a centrally located chimney, you may be able to have a pre-fabricated system fitted which works in the same way an ordinary chimney would and could allow you more flexibility regarding placement of the stove.
Choose renewable energy
Wood as a fuel is widely appreciated to be a more eco-friendly option when it comes to your carbon footprint and renewable energy. If part of your build or renovation is to incorporate ways that you can lower your carbon footprint, it may help you to know that when sourced from a sustainably managed plantation, wood combustion releases approximately the same amount of carbon dioxide as was absorbed by the tree during its growth, making it a virtually carbon-neutral fuel.
Along with this, a woodburner becomes an even more appealing choice when considering an Ecodesign-ready stove. When using good quality wood, these stoves lower emissions from wood-burning to a minimum, yet maintain superb high-efficiency levels. From 2022, all appliances within the solid fuel industry will need to adhere to Ecodesign limits – but the good news is, some stoves and fires comply with these strict requirements now.
This means you can choose one of the most environmentally-friendly woodburners today.
It is important to burn good-quality wood for the best combustion, as a large percentage of the heat energy created by a fire is wasted burning off excess water in green or wet wood. Firewood should be left to dry for a minimum of 12 to 18 months before being used, with a moisture content of around 20%. You can be confident in the knowledge that you have chosen good wood if you look for the Woodsure ‘Ready to Burn’ label, which ascertains the wood you are buying is of good quality.
Reliable source of heating
If your home is located in the countryside, having a reliable source of heating is essential. Severe bouts of snow and ice often result in power failures and the immediate casualty is home heating. Gas- and oil-fired central heating systems all depend on electricity for their pumps, so having an alternative form of heating in the event of a prolonged power outage in rural areas is vital. A woodburner would provide the heat required for particularly cold spells, and some even allow you to heat food and water on top – an invaluable asset to a country home.
