It’s definitely the time of year to enjoy the wonderful warming atmosphere of a fire. It’s so satisfying and comforting. But have you ever found that sometimes your wood burning stove seems to burn better or worse than others? If so, it could be down to the wood you use. Here are some top tips on what sort of wood to use and how to store it to get the best and most efficient results from your fire.

Use seasoned wood

This is one of the most important considerations. Seasoned means wood that has been left to dry.  It should have a moisture content of no more than 20% for the best results. Using full-seasoned wood will ensure it burns better, for longer, providing greater heat and less smoke. It will also have a lower carbon footprint. You can either store and season it at home, or find a local provider who has seasoned it for you. It takes 1-2 years for wood to be properly seasoned. Drier wood is lighter and any bark on it will peel away more easily.

Hard vs Soft

There are plenty of opinions on the best types of wood to burn and you can read for hours on the merits of different sources. In general, hardwoods are reputed to be better for wood burning stoves. They are slow growing and therefore denser, which leads to a longer burn and better heat provision. Ash is often cited as the best, but oak, birch and beech are also good. Softwoods will burn quicker, so you will need more. Any resinous woods are likely to need longer to season properly.

Storing your wood

Whether your wood was pre-seasoned or whether you are doing it yourself, you will want to keep the wood as dry as possible when storing it at home. The best way to achieve this is to avoid stacking directly on the ground – simple pallets or the like can provide elevation. Also try to keep the wood covered to avoid the worst of the weather, but in a manner that still allows the wood to breathe. Be aware that your wood stack will be a haven for insects, so you might need to shake them off before taking into the house!

Then sit back and enjoy the wonders of a roaring fire….and if you don’t have a fire or a burner and you would like one, please do get in touch!

It is not hard to work out why we love autumn; it means we get to light our lovely fires and enjoy all the comforts and hygiene type feelings they bring, but we also love our county, so we thought it might be fun to have a look at some of the “cool” things going on in Surrey this autumn that we will be heading too and enjoying before getting back to a warm fire!

Autumn with the National Trust

Leaves…and lots of them! Nothing says autumn like a walk around some stunning gardens when all the leaves are turning. The colours are stunning, and we have some amazing National Trust properties to visit in Surrey. So head to the Winkworth Arboretum in Godalming, Claremont Landscape Gardens in Esher or Hatchlands Park in Guildford to really get into the changing season. A good walk, maybe something nice to eat and then….yes you guessed it, back home in front of a warm fire!

Guildford Book Festival

Keeping the cosy fireside theme going what better way to get ready for the coming winter than stock up on books! The Guildford Book Festival is the largest literary festival in Surrey and happens in October. Events are spread across a number of locations from The Electric Theatre and the Yvonne Arnaud to the Guildhall and the Guildford Harbour Hotel. 7 days of talks and more should be more than enough inspiration to get a good stack of new authors to binge during those darks nights…in front of the fire.

October Half Term in Surrey

It may feel like they have only just gone back to school but October half term will be here fast! There is always so much to do in Surrey and this year is no exception. There are Wizards and Witches Week at Brocketts Farm, Awesome Autumn at RHS Wisley and Wiglet’s Great Spook-er-ree at Godstone Farm. There is also the Pumpkin Carving Fest on Saturday the 19th and it goes on until the 23rd so plenty of time to get down to Morden Hall Park and get carving!

Bonfires and Fireworks

Literally nothing says Autumn like bonfire night. Events start in late October and run until early November right across Surrey. There will be loads of community evenings with all sorts of fun but the main Bonfire night is Saturday, November the 2nd for 2019.  Why not head to Newdigate on the 25th of October to kick things off, then Ripley for the 26th for their evening of ohhs and ahhhs! Our local event in Woking is on the 2nd of November this year along with a whole host of other events at Wisley, Guildford, Morden, Horley, Brockham and Epsom to name just a few! It might be a chilly night so you might want to lay your fire before you leave so you can light it easily when you get in with cold children after the fun.

We know the summer is amazing, but we can’t stop the seasons, so we might as well embrace them, we hope you will join us in getting out in our lovely county this Autumn and having lots of fun!

 

 

A stove or fireplace is an important purchase. It’s a home feature that often takes a prominent place in your living space and is not changed for many years. You want to make sure it works perfectly for your environment. Obviously you can weigh up all your options online, or by looking in brochures, but the advantages of visiting a physical showroom are plentiful.

Sizing up the options

It’s an opportunity to see the full variety of product options, brands and styles available. Seeing different models in their physical form may help you choose between gas and electric fires or wood and multi-fuel burners if you haven’t already decided. You might have a particular choice in mind, but then be surprised about how nice other products look in the flesh. It helps to see options alongside each other to appreciate the differences and the details. We have set up the showroom with many stoves in their own ‘home’ setting with fireplaces with accessories in-situ to give you a sense of context and so you can get a feel for how it might look in your living space. You can have a virtual look around on our showroom page.

Advice

It’s also a great opportunity to have a chat with an expert team. They can explain the benefits and features in relation to your home and your specific requirements such as your budget and the size and flow of your space. You can find out all the things you may need to consider whether it is your first fireplace or stove, or if you are converting or updating an older system.

You can get advice on all aspects of chimneys such as lining, maintenance or even your options if you don’t have one (surprising more than you might think!). A good showroom should be able to advise you on everything right down to the best types of fuel to use in certain stoves and reputable local fuel suppliers.

Take time to put the information together

At Wakefords, we understand that people come to a showroom to gain information and put everything together. As such we aim to help you get the answers you want and help you look at the different solutions from all angles so you can make a decision you are happy with for years to come. We know that can take time. There’s no pressure to buy on the spot, just help and advice.

A visit to the showroom can be useful whether you are simply looking for fireplace accessories, or a full design, project management and installation, or just some advice for an installation you plan to do yourselves. Pop in and have a look around.

We’ve been installing fireplace and stoves for around 35 years, and with our own fully trained Gas-Safe and HETAS fitters, we’ve help diverse customers with a full range of solutions.

There is something mesmerising about the flames of a fire, making them comforting as well as warming. A stove is an incredibly efficient way to have the benefits of a fire in your own home. In fact, the average stove is over 70% efficient compared with 30% for an open fire*. This clean, cosy heat source has become increasingly popular and many UK homeowners who have installed them report savings on their central heating bills.

Ways to get the most from your stove

However, there has been some confusing press recently, reporting that stoves are bad for the environment and face a potential ban. To clear up the confusion, DEFRA have clearly stated that stoves will not be banned. As a sustainable energy source, a modern stove offers high heat efficiency and low carbon output. There are a number of things you can consider to ensure you are getting the most from your stove, whilst minimising the environmental impact.

1. Ensure you have the right size stove for your space. If it is too small, it will struggle to create the necessary levels of heat. It’s also a common problem that people overestimate the heat they need and buy a stove that is too big and overpowers a room.
2. Consider your fuel source carefully. Use smokeless coal on a dual fuel stove, and always go for ‘ready-to-burn’ a government backed scheme), seasoned logs. These should have a maximum of 20% moisture. Wet or new wood will not give off the same heat when burnt, despite burning through the wood faster. It can also blacken your stove and chimney. Hardwoods such as oak or ash will give you a slower burn and longer heat output. Having the right fuel will not only give you greater heat for less cost but will make your carbon footprint smaller.
3. Have your chimney swept annually or twice a year to be sure it is clean and in good working order.

You can even install a new chimney fairly simply in many houses that do not already have one. Where a chimney already exists it can easily be refined and adapted to allow the correct flue for a stove. So with all the factors considered, you can sit back and enjoy the glow of a fantastic stove and all the ambience it brings.

We have a full range of dual fuel and wood burning stoves in our Surrey Showroom with a style to fit any type of home. Check out our stove page or pop into our showroom to really get a feel for them.

* (Source: http://www.stoveindustryalliance.com/energyefficiency/)

One question we get asked a lot is “what type of fire can I have when my house doesn’t have a chimney?”. The answer is often surprising and very positive, there are actually a few options for homes that do not have a chimney and there is no reason why you cannot enjoy the benefits of a stunning fireplace just like any other home.

Electric Fires

The first and fairly obvious choice of fire for chimney-less homes is an electric fire. These fires do not need any kind of flue as they do not produce any kind of smoke or gas. The range of very realistic electric fires these days is huge and for a lot of people, this is a very viable option. 

Twin Walled Flue Fires

If you do not have a chimney you can have a flue installed that goes up an external wall or up through the roof and out. The twin walled aspect is simply the construction of the flue itself. If you want a real wood burning stove then this kind of option allows you to have that. The flue can even be built into a fake chimney stack outside the house if the idea of exposed metal work isn’t suitable. This type of system does depend on having access to an external wall.

Flueless Gas Fires

Yes, you can have a gas fire without a flue. These rather clever fires can either use an in built catalytic converter to filter any gases. Flueless gas fires are a very interesting option for people with no access to an external wall. Of course, this type of fire needs a gas supply in the room in question. 

Balanced Flue Gas Fires

These very clever fires simply use two small pipes to exchange the gases and pull in air from outside. Once again, access to an outside wall is needed as is a gas supply. However, given those two things, these can be a very good option for having a real gas fire in a home with no chimney. 

If you are looking at your options in regards to, getting a fire installed in your Surrey home and you do not have a chimney please get in touch and our friendly team can help work through the choices with you.