Latest News | Wakefords Surrey

September 23, 2019 By wakefordfire

Surrey in Autumn – Top Things to Do!

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!

September 15, 2019 By wakefordfire

How To Choose An Electric Fire

When many of us think of electric fires, we think about the 3-bar type from the post-war era which our grandparents huddled around – but they’ve actually been undergoing a resurgence in recent times with some gorgeous modern designs to complement contemporary homes. With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide on how to choose an electric fire – and why you might want to choose one over a wood burning stove.

Why choose an electric fire?

The main advantage is cost. Electric fires are generally cheaper to buy than other types of fire and far easier to install – in many cases you just need to plug it in and you’re good to go.

Electric fires can be a great option if your house doesn’t have a chimney (you’d be surprised how many houses don’t!). If you have a chimney and an electric fire, you won’t’ lose any heat up it – making them a more efficient way of heating your room than a gas or solid fuel stove.

Because there is no actual fire, an electric fire is a great option if you live in an urban smoke control area. They also don’t produce gasses such as carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, or carbon monoxide, a dangerous gas to have in your home.

Electric fires also come in a huge range of designs, more so than stoves, giving you more choice for your home.

Types of Electric Fire

When choosing your electric fire, you will have the option of the following:

1. Inset Electric Fires

This type of electric fire is also known as a recessed fire as it sits in a chimney breast or fireplace, like a traditional fire. Inset electric fires are the biggest selling type of fire, mainly because people want to replace a gas or coal fire with an electric one and want the traditional look of a fireplace. There are also some great modern designs to choose from.

2. Wall Mounted Electric Fires

This type of electric fire hangs directly on your wall and is a great choice if you are on a small budget, don’t have much space or don’t have a cavity to put a fire into. This type of fire can be thin – with a minimum size of just a few inches.

3. Freestanding Electric Fires

This type of appliance is designed to look like a traditional fire with a surround but without needing a cavity to sit in, unlike the inset variety. This means that they sit flat against your wall but look just like a normal fire. These are a good choice if you want a fire in a room that doesn’t have a chimney.

4. Electric Stoves

These stoves are the perfect option if you like the look of a wood burning stove but don’t have a chimney, live in a smoke control area or don’t have the budget for a wood burner. Electric stoves look like wood burning stoves but you can turn them on with the flick of a switch – and they’re a lot cheaper to buy and install. Plus, you don’t have to buy wood to make them work! Electric stoves can really make a room feel cosy.

Other things to consider

Flame effect

As there no real flames, each electric fire appliance will have its own flame effect. These are pretty good these days and you may struggle to tell the difference from real flames in some models. More contemporary fires offer different colours of LED flame in all the colours of the rainbow. Deciding if you want a traditional or modern look will help you decide which flame effect you want.

Heating requirements

Some electric appliances only have one heat setting whereas others have several. Others allow you to use the flame effect without producing heat – giving your room a cosy glow. Some appliances are also fan assisted, meaning they heat your home more efficiently. These are all things to consider when choosing your make and model of fire.

If you’re thinking about purchasing a fire or stove, why not give us a call and get some expert advice?

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September 9, 2019 By wakefordfire

Lighting Your Fire for the First Time This Autumn

For some, the autumn means and end to warm evenings, and an end to holiday fun and so much more…but these people clearly don’t have a lovely real fire or log burner because for those of us that do there is always a frisson of excitement when it gets cold enough to bring up the question “shall we light the fire?”. If you have a fire or stove you will be well aware of this wonderful consolation for the summer going. Already people are chatting about it at the school gates or in the pub “have you had yours on yet?”.

However, before lighting the fire for the first time this autumn here are a few important tips that might make things run a little smoother. A room full of smoke is not uncommon for people lighting their fire for the first time in the autumn so follow these tips and avoid the pitfalls!

Do I Need My Chimney Swept Every Year?

The basic answer here is yes. It is always best practice to have it swept once a year before you start using it. It is not ideal to have it swept in the spring and not checked again because birds can nest in chimneys over the summer, debris can find its way in there among other things. Speak to your local chimney sweep about your fire and how you use it, and they will advise you on the best course of action. Remember, book early, chimney sweeps get very busy in the autumn and you may find you can’t get an appointment until well into the winter.

Lighting the Fire for the First Time

Now you know your chimney is clear it is time to light your fire or stove. As always, make sure you have some high quality well seasoned or kiln dried wood to burn as well as some good kindling and newspaper.

Warming the flue

This is really important and will help get the fire working well the first time. There are a few ways to do this but the main aim here is to get the flue warm so the warm air can travel up properly creating a draw at the bottom and feeding the fire properly. A cold flue will not work as well and can cause smoke to come back into the room. You can use a fire lighter just left to burn out or a small pile of kindling. ideally, let something small burn for a good 10-30 mins to really get that flue warm.

Setting the Fire

Normally you may set a fire in a certain way but because you have been warming the flue you must be careful when setting the full fire. Newspaper is always good as are firelighters. Place them where the initially small fire was and light, you may not need to do this as there may be enough heat to get it going. Ideally, the newspaper balled up or twisted into tight lengths can sit in the grate without catching straight away. Place some kindling in a cone or pyramid shape over them and light with a long match. Make sure there is plenty of room for air to come through to get to the fuel.

Stepping it up a gear

As is always the case, add more wood or coal carefully and slowly. There is no reason why the fire should burn any slower than usual but as it is the first time since the Winter it is important to take it easy. Consider the weather conditions too, if there is little or no wind it may make things a bit harder and you might be a bit out of practice too! If the fire doesn’t take you can leave it to cool then start again or try adding some more kindling that will burn easier. Sometimes people use left over wood from the previous season and it may have got wet so check before using.

Keeping the Fire Healthy in the Autumn and Beyond

After the first successful and no doubt very satisfying fire it is well worth clearing out the ash and giving the fire a good check over. It is important to keep the ask pans clear but it is even more so at this stage as you will be able to see any issues or areas they may need attention.

Remember – don’t burn rubbish on your fire, don’t burn green/unseasoned wood and treat your fire with respect! The summer may have seen a few new ornaments being placed near the fire, make sure you check the surrounding area and remove anything that should not be close to the heat.

If you find any issues with the fire burning or smoke coming back into the room call your chimney sweep. If there are any issues with the fire or stove itself then give us a call, and we can help.

…and remember, don’t be sad about the end of summer, look forward to all those cosy nights by the fire other people miss out on.

July 11, 2019 By wakefordfire

Why Visiting a Showroom is so Important

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.

Fireplace Showroom Surrey

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.

June 17, 2019 By wakefordfire

The Warming Efficiency of a Modern Stove

One of our engineers testing a newly installed stove

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.

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.
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.
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/)