Costs to convert an open fireplace

[djbobbins]

Quick query - my other half, bless her, is in the mood for spending some more of my hard-earned. I'm trying to weigh up the merits of doing the kitchen (her first choice) and the fireplace (mine).

 

The fireplace as is is limestone, extends about 8 foot along the wall and around a corner, and has the best part of a couple of foot of hearth. It's an 18" grate, with (allegedly) fully lined dedicated chimney. (The house was built in 1976 so according to the building regs then, it should as a minimum have been built with interlocking pipes).

 

So really my question is - anyone got an idea of what it would be likely to set me back for getting rid of the existing fireplace / hearth, building something new and fitting a decent quality stove (the room is pretty well insulated so it doesn't need to be huge, I'd guess 5-7kW)?

 

I was guessing about £600-700 for the stove, a similar amount (ie a couple of days work plus materials) to change the hearth?? If the flue needs to be lined, what would that set me back though? The ceilings are not very high, so I would guess the height from stove to chimney pot is about 22-24 feet.

 

Any info / thoughts appreciated!

[mattpete]

try natural heating for ya stove and flue liner there cheap

[mixedangased]

just done one for a mate it took me 2/3 days to sort the fireplace and hearth,(make bigger lintels etc and a good day for the plasterer.but tnat was going from a foot square to 5f x 4f opening and didnt help having a second wall infront of the breast.

[kev7937]

I've been given a rough guide of £100 per meter for the lining, this was from a shop so I'm guessing this is the top end of the market

you can buy the liner on-line at about £17, or £30 per meter for a heavy duty one , the stuff you backfill with is about £20 for 100 litres, not sure how much all the other bits and bobs are .

 

I'm still waiting for a quote to install my stove and he'd better hurry up its getting nippy !!

[niftysteve]

try natural heating for ya stove and flue liner there cheap

 

my stove came from them would recommend them too

[djbobbins]

Had three quotes which have made my eyes water a bit.

 

Basically, including the installation and sign-off, it is going to be about two grand plus the cost of the stove.

 

That includes lining with 904 grade liner... which brings me onto another question.

 

I don't live in a smoke control area and would like the option to burn housecoal (rather than smokeless) as well as logs.

 

I like the look and reviews of the DRU 44MF, the manufacturer claims it can burn coal, lignite, wood, peak or coke - which sounds pretty comprehensive.

 

I just wondered what experience anyone had of burning traditional coal in a stove with airwash and using a lined chimney? I'm curious on how the airwash copes and what the lifespan impact will be on the liner.

[Paul Smith]

You will now now the £30 for the liner certainly isn't 904 and is probably for a gas flue. 25 year guarantee has a RRP over £200 per m.

[niftysteve]

You will now now the £30 for the liner certainly isn't 904 and is probably for a gas flue. 25 year guarantee has a RRP over £200 per m.

i got 8 m of 904 liner for 335+vat on my account with SPECFLUE

[Alycidon]

i got 8 m of 904 liner for 335+vat on my account with SPECFLUE

 

Specflue are ( or were!!) a trade only supplier. Liner from them is high quality, either 316 ( 10yr warr) or 904( 25 yr warr), their warranty deal is unequalled anywhere.

 

Housecoal is NOT a fuel to be used in a stove, that why it says on the bags for use on an open appliance only or not for use in a stove. The reasons for this are twofold, A, it burns very dirtily and will clag up your glass, and B, if burning on a low oxygen setting such as overnight slumbering ( which is not recommended by any stove or flue manufacturer due to the amount of excess soot ( and tar with wood) deposited in the chimney and particulates sent into the atmosphere) then if you get up at say 2am and decide to put a bit more fuel in when you open the door you allow a massive amount of oxygen to enter the stove, an explosion could occur, called backdraft. Firemen here will be familiar with backdraft.

 

In most multifuel stoves you can burn wood, smokeless man made fuel and Anthracite ( natural smokeless coal). Air control settings are different fopr wood and smokeless, your dealer should advise.

 

Whoever is signing the job off as safe to use can be held legally liable if the liner fails and causes damage, death etc. For that reason most good quality installers will not work with customer supplied liner, I have seen web bought liner come unwound when being installed into a chimney before use. Like most things you get what you pay for I am afraid. If you go that route you would probably have to install it yourself ( to building regs) and get it signed off by a local building inspector.

 

If you use 316 grade liner and regularly burn smokeless fuel almost all of this fuel is imported, it has a very high Sulpher content, when it burns it will deposit acidic residues in the flue especially at low temperatures, these will kill 316 liner pretty fast. For any fuel burnt regularly other than wood use 904 liner. 316 will handle wood and occasional use with smokeless only.

 

A

[fen01]

You can get decent wood burners that fit straight into tge hearth. I put a Esse into our front room, connected the flys liner to and bottom, took less than a day. Although you have to remove the bur.

 

It good although you do loose more heat up the chimney than witha normal wood burner. If that makes sense.