Wood burner vs open fire: how to fill your fireplace
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Log burner surrounds ideas - Image: Fifi McGee
Curled up with a cuppa by flickering flames, toasty warm in the soft glow from the amber embers. Nothing quite beats the warmth, atmosphere and purely dreamy sight of flames in a fireplace in any home. Not only are fires practical for warmth but they add so much to a space, particularly in the dark winter months. We are, after all, nothing if not sticklers for stunning decor. But it’s not always a simple as throwing some logs in an old fireplace and adding some flames.
Will you go for a wood burner or open fire?
If you choose an open fire, will it be gas, electric or wood?
If it’s a wood burner, what will you burn in it?
Do you live in a smoke control area?
How big is the space you have to work with?
What kind of fireplace surround will you go for?
How environmentally friendly is your fireplace?
With all these questions and more, it can all be a bit overwhelming. So we’re here to help you out. Welcome to our guide on how to choose the right fireplace for you. We’ll give you a rundown of pros, cons, cost and eco factors of each of your options as well as a breakdown of smoke control areas and impending laws that might affect your choice as well as fireplace surround inspiration.
Click on the links below to jump to the relevant section or just read it all the way through.
Wood burner (stove)
Wood
Multi-fuel
Open fire
Wood
Gas
Electric
Bioethanol
Surrounds
Important factors to consider
Smoke control areas
New wood burner legislation
Gas supply
Visual impact
Size of area to be heated
Installation costs
Stoves
Definition: a heater or stove that is fuelled by burning wood or other fuel sources in a contained unit
Wood
WooD burning stove in traditional fireplace surround - Image: glowing embers
Pros
Can burn either logs, pellets or chips
More efficient at heating a room than most other options
Safer for children and pets, no open flame
Great atmosphere and visual effect
Some gas, electric and bioethanol alternatives are also now available
Cons
Tend to be more expensive than an open fire
Will be affected by new laws in the near future (see below)
Requires a chimney and maintenance
Eco
Whilst wood is a fairly clean fuel in terms of carbon footprint, the actual burning of it does produce fine particulate matter
Cost £400-£4000
Multi-fuel
Multi-fuel burner stove in simple surround - Image: direct stoves
Pros
Highly effective heating efficiency
Can burn wood, smokeless fuels and coal
Roughly the same price as stoves that only burn wood
Uses a variety of sources of fuel so eco options are possible
Safer for children and pets, no open flame
Creates a great atmosphere
Cons
Requires a chimney and maintenance
Could be effected by new laws in the near future (see below)
Eco
A good clean burning option
Cleaner fuel options that a purely wood burning counterpart
Cost £400-£4000
NOTE: Learn from our experience by taking a look at our wood burning stove before and after journey
If you’re after some key tips and tricks for how to light these, check out our handy guidance.
Open Fireplaces
Definition: burning wood or other fuel in the recess underneath a chimney
Wood
WooD burning open fireplace in marble surround - Image: Direct stoves
Pros
Great atmosphere
Some models feature a back boiler to fuel hot water and central heating systems
Cons
Generates smoke
Require wood (or eco-log) storage
Requires a chimney and maintenance
Eco
Wood can be almost carbon neutral when grown locally but burning is not clean
You can choose to burn heat logs or other eco products
Costs £300-£1000
Gas
gas open fireplace in simple white surround - Image: Focal Point Fires
Pros
No smoke generated
No chimney needed
No need for fuel storage
Cons
Your property will need to be on gas mains
Doesn’t have the same impact as a traditional fire
Doesn’t generate as much heat as other options
Eco
Gas is better other fuels in terms of being clean burning but is a not renewable source of energy
Cost - £200-£1500
Electric
Electric open fire in wood surround - image: B&Q
Pros
Instant heat generation
Cheaper and easier to both buy and install
No gas connection necessary
No smoke or pollution generated
Cons
Doesn’t have the same impact as traditional fires
Electricity is expensive compared to other fuels
Lower heat output than other options
Eco
Whilst burning does generate pollution
Electricity isn’t an ecological choice
Cost £150-£2,000
Bioethanol
Bioethanol open fire in opulent living room - Image: Imagin Fires
Pros
Great choice for the environment
Relatively cheap in comparison
No need for a chimney or storage
Burns cleanly
All heat generated is kept in the room
Cons
Doesn’t have the same impact as a traditional fire
Eco
Super eco credentials
Cost £150 - £1,000
Surrounds
Log burner surrounds ideas - Image: Fifi Mcgee
How you choose to style your chimney breast and fireplace surround is almost as important as the actual fire you opt for, in terms of visual impact. Whether you’ve got a modern, floating fireplace in mind or a traditional stone design, we’ve compiled a superb post packed with chimney breast ideas and inspiration for you. Check it out!
Factors to consider
Smoke control areas
You might not know this but your home could be in one of the many ‘smoke control areas’ of the UK where you can’t emit smoke from your chimney unless it’s from an ‘authorised fuel’. For more info on how to find out about your area and the specific restrictions, visit the gov.uk website
New legislation
As of 2022, you won’t be able to buy house coal or wet wood, to help cut air pollution. This is because wood burning stoves and coal fires are the largest source of fine particulate matter.
From 1st January 2022, wood burners (or stoves) will need be more efficient to meet government requirements for what’s called ‘seasonal efficiency’, under the name ‘Eco Design’. That means only compliant models can be manufactured and sold from that date onwards. So new burners will need to meet Defra guidelines if you want a model that burns wood. Multi-fuel burners should be fine though so may be a safer bet for your investment. Many stove retailers currently offer approved models so we would suggest contacting some in your area to see what they can offer.
Gas supply
This one might be fairly obvious, but having a gas supply (or not) for your home can either rule out or open up new options for your fireplace. Whilst gas burns more cleanly than other fuels, it’s not renewable.
Visual impact
At the end of the day, many of us choose to install a fire because of the visual impact it has. The flickering flames, the gorgeous surround, the smell, the atmosphere. Choosing a gas or electric fire may not have the same impact as an open fire or stove, regardless of what you’re burning in it.
Size of area to be heated
Again, this might be an obvious factor but many homeowners fail to calculate the area to be heated when choosing an open fire or log stove. Choose a model that’s too small and you’ll still need central heating. Choose a model that’s too powerful for your room size and you’ll be opening the windows shortly after you light it. The retailer you choose to go with should be able to give you a helping hand with this.
Installation costs
We’ve given approximate costs for purchase of each of the types of fires in this post. However, don’t forget that installation costs can vary between types and especially depending on your pre-existing space. Perhaps you need a chimney unblocking or a chimney breast made fit for installation, or maybe it’s as simple as popping an electric fire on a bracket. Not all fireplaces are the same so make sure you discuss installation before going ahead with the purchase so there are no nasty surprise costs later on in the process. As well as this, you may need to pay extra for installation kits or other necessary parts. Finally, we’ve given these prices as a rough guide but there are of course exceptions to these. Make sure you shop around and get at least three quotes for the fire, installation and necessary parts.
Ultimately, the choice is yours. But we hope we’ve helped you weight up the positives and negatives and factor in costs and environmental impacts in your final choice.
We’d love to see what you’ve done with your fireplace so send us some snaps or tag us on instagram @fifimcgee
