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Wood Burning Stoves

Green Refurb have a team of professional installers of wood burning stoves currently working across much of the North of England so feel free to get in touch for a quote.

Burning wood is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of heating individual rooms, or indeed your whole house, because timber is a carbon neutral fuel. It absorbs as much carbon whilst growing as it releases when burnt. Leaving wood to rot naturally releases as much carbon dioxide as it does when used for burning.

Heating with wood is not only environmentally friendly, but can also make good economic sense. Timber for fuel is typically up to 30% cheaper than oil or gas and with recent price rises in both, the savings are only likely to increase. An additional environmental benefit is that timber is usually sourced locally, so transport miles and associated emissions will also be kept to a minimum.

Apart from the suns rays, open fires are probably the oldest form of heating known to man and are a real pleasure on cold winter evenings. They can make a very attractive focal point to a room, but are the least energy efficient form of wood-based heating. They are not always that practical and need care to ensure they do not present a fire risk. Wood-burners can be a great alternative being 3 or 4 times as efficient. They come in a wide range of different shapes, sizes and heat outputs (usually rated in terms of kW).

Wood burners are typically made from either cast iron or steel; cast iron allows more ornate or intricate designs and finishes, but is less tolerant of overheating (or over-firing). By contrast, steel is much more tolerant of the extremes of heat that wood burners can generate which is likely to translate to a longer lifespan, and modern technology can make it an even more efficient heat conductor. Wood burners operate at around 75% efficiency meaning that 75% of the heat generated by burning the wood is radiated out into the room and only 25% is lost up the chimney. By comparison an open fire is likely to operate at around 15-20% efficiency - so to get the same heating effect an open fire will need 4 logs for every one put into a wood burner! A further advantage of wood burning stoves is the less frequent need to have your chimney swept.

Whether you use open fires or wood burners your logs will need to be well seasoned (ideally a minimum of 2 years in a dry store after cutting) and should be free of paint, preservatives or galvanised nails as these can all emit harmful gases when burnt. Heat Logs are an alternative made from sawdust bound together into log shapes, with a flammable substance added for easier lighting.

Wood-fired central heating: It is also possible to fuel your central heating by wood, either by installing a back-boiler to certain higher output wood-burners or by considering one of the new technology wood pellet or chip burning boilers. Log-fired wood burners with back-boilers are capable of supporting domestic central heating systems in all but the largest of homes and can be very cost effective, but please bear in mind that they will need regular attention and you will need a fairly substantial and consistent supply of wood to keep them fed!

Please note, adequate permanent ventilation is required for all open fires, wood burners and wood-burning boiler systems. Chimneys and flues should be designed and installed in compliance with building regulations.