If the fireplace is bricked up or you have an open fire and you notice a damp patch on the wall of the chimney breast, rain may be coming down the chimney. A rain cowl will help stop this happening. If you notice this problem and have a woodburning stove, it may indicate that there is something wrong with the cowl or the liner in the flue.
More about cowls, bird guards and caps
The rear brick is made from a natural mineral called Vermiculite which is an awesome insulator and will eventually break when exposed to the kinds of temperatures that you find in stoves. It expands as it gets hot and so will inevitably crack and wear away during normal usage of your wood burning stove. A crack will reduce the efficiency of the stove a tiny bit, but is safe to use and not at all unusual. Keep your eye on it when you empty or clean out the stove (when it is cool) and when it is wearing thin give me a call to arrange replacing it.
It’s really up to you, steel heats up faster than cast-iron but it does not hold or radiate heat for as long. So it really depends whether you want to heat up the room quickly or want the room to stay warm for longer after it has gone out. Some manufacturers are now producing a mixture of the two to provide customers with the best of both worlds such as Hunter Stoves.
Take a look at our gallery of woodburners that we have installed.
Stove thermometers are very useful as they help you spot wood that is too wet to burn and displays when you are over burning your stove and thus maybe causing damage to it and the chimney. They are magnetic and sit on the vitreous pipe coming out of the stove and so are very easy to fit.
Ask in your free site survey with a HETAS registered installer for a stove thermometer to be added.
Modern chimneys tend to have liners built into them and so could save you the cost of having a liner fitted. Older properties however do not and in both cases the integrity of the brickwork will need checking by carrying out a smoke test, before deciding either way. This can take up to two hours depending on the size of your property and is chargable. A liner is required by building regulations to create a physical connection from your stove to the top of the chimney.
This is most likely to be tar and is really hard to clean off without damaging the surface of your stove. Avoid using wood that has not dried out properly. It takes around two years before freshly cut wood can be burnt safely.
Check out drying times here
If you would like us to purchase your woodburning stove for you, then we will ask for a deposit in advance that covers the cost of the stove. This protects us in case you should change your mind before the install date, and saves you from waiting in for delivery of the stove at your home address.
Take a look at stoves that we have installed
Yes, when your liner was installed it should have had a cowl that stops rain getting into your liner and a mesh guard to stop birds from entering the liner and causing a blockage. If you do not have a cowl we can install one for you. Call us for pricing and to book in on 01462 671555.
For more information on cowls visit our chimney sweeping website