A Wood-Burning Stove

A wood-burning stove is simply one of the oldest and most efficient ways to heat your office or home and bring a certain amount of style to your interior design. Wood, as a fuel, fell into decline in the 40's and 50's due to the rise in popularity of inexpensive electricity, gas and oil to heat our homes. But due to a burgeoning awareness of climate change and its effect on the environment, and the rising costs of other types of heating fuels which were becoming a serious financial consideration in many households, many people were returning to wood logs as a means of heating their homes. Today’s wood burning stoves are much more efficient than the models of yesteryear and much better looking. Nearly all have a place in any interior design layout of your home or office.

The main advantage of the wood burner, over other types of heating, is that the fuel costs are relatively stable and are quite inexpensive, wood fuel is a lot less expensive than electricity, gas and oil, and is a lot more aesthetically pleasing. For the same heat output, you will pay considerably less than you would pay for electricity and about a third of the price of gas and oil, but that will vary constantly with the international fuel markets and political instability around the world.

Another reason why wood, as a fuel choice, is attracting more and more attention in the recent years is the increasing awareness of the public to the damage to the environment being created by fossil fuels and wood fuel is a renewable source of energy which has a net zero carbon footprint. Since the carbon dioxide released during wood burning is absorbed by replacement trees, the total carbon dioxide emissions equal zero.

The advantages of burning logs, should not be taken for granted. There are many types of stoves out there and not all are as environmentally friendly and efficient as the highest quality modern stove. Older types of stove are typically less expensive to buy but are more expensive overall because you will often have to spend more money on logs. Savings and output also depend greatly on the way you use your stove. In order to keep your home pleasantly warm, it is important to choose the right size stove for your needs and source the right kind of timber for your logs. There is a huge difference in heat output if the logs come from a softwood or hardwood tree species. Hardwood species (oak, ash, sycamore or birch) have up to 50% more caloric value than the softwood species (pines, firs, spruces or larches). It is very important to burn fully seasoned logs that have at most 20% water content. Unseasoned or green logs will have a tendency to tar up the inside of your stove and reduce efficiency.

Choosing the right stove is not an easy job and we will endeavour to make your decision easier. We will help you in the selection process, the installation that will ensure you run your stove smoothly, selecting a reputable engineer to work with you to make sure everything just right for you and help you get the best from your decision to install a wood burning stove.