Open fireplace or log burner - Victorian house dilemna

8 years ago

I am struggling with indecision. Please help!

Since we moved in to our house a year ago we have always wanted to open up the chimney and have an open fire. Everyone says why not a log burner, but to me there has always been something about the crackle and smell of a real fire and so I said no. Open it must be.

However now I am less sure.

My reason for having open fire is aesthetic more than anything. I just couldnt picture a log burner looking as nice. But having seen some recently I'm starting to think again.

What would you do? Log burner or Open fire (I know a log burner is more efficient)

This is my lounge before (so you can see the style of house).

And this is the fireplace now:

I haven't bought the fireplace yet so there is still time to change my mind!

Thanks all for any thoughts.

Open Fire or Log Burner?

Featured Answer

PRO

User

8 years ago

I had an open fire in my last house and still miss the smell of the coal and the logs. We have a log burner in our current house. We have an old cottage, and had to have a log burner because when the Chimney was inspected it wasn't in good enough condtion to have an open fire, so get the Chimney checked first. I prefer open fires in properties where they belong, like yours. Log Burners are ok for cottages like ours, but you cannot beat a real fire!

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Comments (47)

mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
By the way, if I were to stick to Plan A and get an open fire I'd be choosing one in this style (tiled Victorian) to go with the house age:
PRO
Revive Your Space
8 years ago
I love open fires. I have a log burner which I love. You can still smell and hear the wood burning and it's much cosier because of the heat it gives out. The only time I would consider an open fire would be open on both sides between 2 rooms in my ideal imaginary house! Have a look at some of the beautiful modern burners available. But if your heart isn't in it, get the open fire and enjoy:)
mv5869 thanked Revive Your Space
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clarni01
8 years ago
I have both, in fact, two log burners as well as fires in each room (none of which we use anymore, 1910 house). I have found that the burners are cleaner to operate than open fires, we replaced one open fire with burner about three years ago, mainly because it produces more heat than the fire and also it is cleaner. The fire produced a lot of dust and looking at your room it is very light. You may find yourselves cleaning your sofas more often. We have high ceilings and the fire did not really heat the room, most of it went up the chimney. Something else to consider if you go down that route. Good luck with your choice :)
mv5869 thanked clarni01
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
OK. Many thanks. Its great to hear views, especially from people who have both.

It's hard to find anyone advocating open fires any more, and I wonder if I will regret it if I do choose a woodburner. I'm a traditionalist (despite being in my 30s), and I just can't quite picture a woodburner looking right in the lounge.

On the other hand I already have a working open fire in the hallway (which we use with coal) and it's true that we don't use it very often and it does suck so much heat straight up the chimney. But at least if I go for a woodburner in the lounge I still get my open fire fix in the hallway.

Anyone else have a log burner and a solid fuel open fire, or replaces one with the other?
Juliet Docherty
8 years ago
Log burners are more efficient and cleaner. Your room looks quite modern even if the house is old.
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
Yes - the room looks modern in that photo, but we are restoring some of the original features now. TV will go. Alcove cupboards being fitted soon. Old mantlepiece I reclaimed from a scrapyard. Picture rail going back up.
PRO
Khan Art Studio
8 years ago
I use to have my studio in France with one meter log burner open fire place .it was deliciously comfortable warm but terrible hard work to clean every day and fire risk. Log burner are more comfortable,clean and safe and some model are very good looking.
mv5869 thanked Khan Art Studio
Jonathan
8 years ago
I think log burners suit intimate spaces. For your room I would have a statement fireplace and make it big.
mv5869 thanked Jonathan
PRO
Bio Fires
8 years ago
I would suggest a bio ethanol fireplace as most
people buying these are looking for aesthetics rather than heat.

You’ll get a real flame for relatively cheap as
there is no installation cost and they are reasonably cheap to run as you will only be using it occasionally. They’re
freestanding so you can easily put them in the empty fireplace. You can
find a range of traditional styles and some very authentic alternatives to real
log fire on our Houzz profile.

You might like the look of these:
Traditional style fireplaces in living spaces · More Info

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mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks - but definitely want either an open fire or wood burner. For both the aesthetics and the heat output. Not interested in ethanol or electric.

I love the crackling of burning wood and the smell of the smoke
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
This is it now:

What do you think of leaving the bricks exposed at the back and sides and replastering the front face? Square it off or leave an arch?

I'm also going to put a mantle around it as I have a nice wooden one i am restoring in my weekends.
Lauren
8 years ago
Similar to you I like the traditional features of an open fireplace but also wanted the efficiency of a stove. In my case I knew I didn't want a modern plastered box or a rustic wood lintel with a stove. We have parquet floors and something more formal to compliment that was required.

In the end I design a fireplace suite based on some inspiration images I liked that ticked the boxes for me. I went for a fairly traditional looking limestone surround, Stovax cast iron insert, left the original brick interior, honed slate hearth and Capital Sirius 405 classic cleanburn stove. I've attached my photoshop mock up to show how this looks along with some similar example images. You could always do something similar - a wooden surround rather than limestone for example? Alternatively get the surround and hearth you want installed and then decide on open fire or stove at a later date. So long as you get a hearth thats approved for use with solid fuel then you can even try a few open fires and if its too much hassle after a while then get a nice stove installed.
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
whirligig - That looks absolutely fantastic. I'm going to go with the white wood surround, exposed brick, and a slate or marble hearth.

For the woodburner I've been doing lots of reading up online and looking at pictures and I've decided on a shortlist of two.

- Morso Badger

or

- Jotul F100

Both look fantastic and they work with a 5" flue, which is apparently a lot easier to fit.

Only thing is I worry they won't kick out enough heat. I want to be able to leave the door to the lounge open and still feel warm. My lounge is 6m x 4m and single glazed, uninsulated.
phnip
8 years ago
Open fire advantages: you get to save the not inconsiderable price of the log burner. An open fire looks nice, smells nice and gives off heat. The crackle of burning wood sounds lovely.
Open fire disadvantages: 1. You can't leave it unattended unless you put a fire guard in front of it. This will block the heat. 2. Men have a thing about poking fires, they can't leave them alone! 3. All fires will go out if unattended but open fires go out faster because you can't really regulate them. 4. If you are not careful the wood can spit and burn your floor.
Stove advantages: They can look nice, they make the room smell good though not smokey and they can give off a lot or a little heat. The room feels really nice. Modern ones are very efficient and easy to regulate.
Stove disadvantages: they do cost a lot. They can give off too much heat if you are too enthusiastic with the wood. Then everyone falls asleep!
We love our Morso owl which we've had for a long time now but we need it where we live as it gets so cold. We are so much warmer than when we had the open fire.
Lauren
8 years ago
Morso do have a good reputation and originally I was keen on the squirrel along with the aga - little wenlock. However both actually had a lower efficiency rating than other 5kW stoves I compared them to and a shorter guarantee period. Capital stoves are not that much cheaper than morso or aga but they offer a lifetime guarantee and were among the most efficient of all the models I liked.

I'm not quite so keen on the other stove you listed. One of the joys of a wood burner, much like an open fire, is watching the glowing logs through the glass. Having the glass obscured by the more traditional style arched pattern would interrupt the view too much for me personally.

Also worth considering is that if you get a stove with a greater than 5kW output you need to put in an exterior air brick.

As for being worried about it not being hot enough - whatever stove you get will always give off more heat than an open fire. In my experience even small ones can pack a punch!

Hope that helps a little :).
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
Ok. So in the end we decided on a Jotul F100. I know it isnt to everyone's taste, but we both love the classic looks and the thick cast iron. It's 5kW so we avoid the hassle of having to have an air brick.
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
Next thing to decide is the hearth. Would love to have your opinion...

I'm going to build the hearth myself to save money.

I'd like to go for a slightly rustic look, so a slightly uneven natural stone look rather than polished marble.

Something a little like this perhaps, though in dark grey or black limestone.

I like these two flagstones. What do you think?

http://www.tilegiant.co.uk/grassingham-limestone-60x60.html

or

http://www.diy.com/departments/blue-black-natural-limestone-paving-slab-l600mm-w600mm/107851_BQ.prd
Victoria
8 years ago
Is it going on a wooden floor? If so, jotul say it just needs a thin hearth as it has a heat plate in the base. You could just get a thin slate one, most stove dealers will have them, in UK only needs to be 12mm thick.
mv5869 thanked Victoria
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
It's going on a construction hearth that goes deep down. The wooden floor was laid over that but I cut it away because (at the time) I had planned an open fire. So now I have a hearth shaped cutout, just below floor level, that I can lay a hearth on top of.

The thicker stone slabs would raise the edge of the hearth a little, which I think would look better than having the new hearth flush with the floor?
Victoria
8 years ago
I think it's a personal choice, mine is flush but it just depends on your preferred look. Solid slate looks nice though, still a bit rustic but no grout lines to become discoloured if you drop ash etc...
Doe Stewart
8 years ago
Wood burner every time - we have 2 multi fuel burners in our house and they are so warm and efficient. My son and daughter in law moved into a house last year with an open fire and unless you sat right on top of it you couldn't feel the heat, they have now had a multi fuel burner installed and the difference is amazing - it warms their sitting room, kitchen and conservatory.
Doe Stewart
8 years ago
Meant to add, we have slate hearths and they look amazing, easy to keep clean too.
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
Doestewart - That's good to know. I love the look of slate but I was told it scratches so easily and never looks that good after?
Doe Stewart
8 years ago
We have slate hearths in both sitting rooms, there are enamel buckets of smokeless fuel and big baskets of logs on both hearths and no scratches have appeared on the slate. The hearths are brushed daily if the stove has been lit and apart from that we wipe them down with a damp cloth. When the hearth starts to look a bit dull, you can rub them over with linseed oil on a dry cloth, slate looks like new - easy. Hope this puts your mind at rest.
Lauren
8 years ago
Adding to what doestewart said if you did get any small scratches you can work through grades of sandpaper to take them out again. The quarry we got our slate from said you can also use a light oil like WD40 to deepen the colour, help protect against dust and dirt and blend in any imperfections or light scratches.
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
OK great! I love slate so will look for a slab that is big enough for us. Thanks
Victoria
8 years ago
Slate is great, rhymes too ;-)
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
Found a couple of lovely slabs of slate at a stonemasons in Surrey. They're being cut to size this week. Can't wait to install them.

Does anyone know if slate needs to be sealed? Or do I just lay it on a bed of cement and then grout the join?
Doe Stewart
8 years ago
Our slate wasn't sealed when it was laid, the stove fitter just put a thin coat of linseed oil on afterwards to bring out the colour and give the slate some protection from dust etc....
Doe Stewart
8 years ago
Meant to attach a photo
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
Wow. Looks fantastic.
Dawn Rimmer
8 years ago
A cream enamel log burner. It will fit into the decor, be more efficient and you can leave the door open if you want to toast the odd marshmallow ......:)
tamp75
8 years ago
Our slate hearth was sealed before it was delivered. Think they used Matt stone sealer.
Karen Richard
8 years ago
was going to suggest http://www.manchesterfireplaces.co.uk/Category/High-Efficiency-Cast-Iron-Inserts/28 as a compromise but you have already decided! We have 2 torso panthers in Victorian House. Used Caithness slate and plain white painted plaster. Love the stove you have chosen.
Zhirayr Nersessian
8 years ago
Never had a log burner but I did use an open fireplace for the first time in new home. Must get the chimney inspected and be prepared to spend some time cleaning after use. For me part of the enjoyment with an open fire was building it and attending to it every now and then. Logs tend to burn very quickly so I tried a combination of wood and coal - nothing like the result of seeing it all gradually turn to ember!

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PRO
Khan Art Studio
8 years ago
Open fire @ log burner.

open fire idea is very romantic, it comes with hard work and lot of hassle.

you will be much happier with log burner which is safe,less hassle and you can have smell of woody aroma. Believe me living 11 years in French country experienced great deal of domestic cleaning due to open fire. Haven opened when converted to log burner.
mv5869
Original Author
8 years ago
I love my log burner now. I still don't think it is as nice as a real open fire, but the extra warmth makes up for it.

Next time I'd buy a bigger one. I find mine (Jotul 100 5KW) doesn't really get the room warm enough even on full blast. Perhaps my chimney is drawing too much air. There is a strong air noise sucking at the front of the burner as it is sucking in such enormous quantities of air.
richie_allison
8 years ago
Log burner. We also live in a Victorian house, we recently went from Open fire to log burner. We've lost none of the effect and comfort of a fire and gained a much higher degree of efficiency. We went for a Parkray Derwent as it has a wider window than most 5kw burners.
jessegee
8 years ago
We had same dilemma, same shape fireplace, and surprisingly chose Electric Dimplex Opti myst stove, Oakhurst I think.

omg not fake! I hear you say

But what swung it for us was that it's perfectly clean , easy peasy, and looks really cosy looking, remote control, and/or heat.

It was also cheaper than lining a three storey chimney stack and rebuilding the top stones etc.

Youtube be has some film of opti myst and how it works, We bought from a local fireplace store , incase it went wrong, so far a year old and it's good.

I love a real fire too, I enjoy other people's, lol!
jessegee
8 years ago
ingabrereton
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The thing to bear in mind is that you need a defra exempt stove if you are planning to burn wood in a smokeless zone, but there are loads available. I would let the installer deal with with the hearth along with the flue liner when it is installed. I have an open fire with a gas tray fitted and its great and also a stove which I love but as people say does throw out a lot of heat. These photos are my house, both of the fires were supplied and installed by Harrogate Feature Fireplaces. The sitting room fire is one of their huge selection of period cast iron fireplaces, and the stove is by Yeoman.
PRO
Newbridge Heating Centre
7 years ago
I would put in a stove as it will keep the room a lot warmer. Here are a couple of photos for ideas.
mrshste
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I'm surprised how many people have voted log burner over an open fire. I have an open fire in my Victorian end-terrace and I couldn't be without it now. Even though it was only lit a few times over the last mild winter, it looks beautiful all made up ready for the next time. I may be only 26 hears old, but nothing beats a night in front of an open fire.

My parents have a log burner ,and the heat it gives off is almost too much! It can get so hot, but then they do have a well-insulated 1950s house.

For me though, a Victorian house is not complete without an open fire.
PRO
Nostalgia Fine Antique Fireplaces Ltd
7 years ago
I second mrshste opinion!

Original open fires are so much more characterful, romantic, and fun, you can get so many different effects, flame pictures and smells by burning different fuels. They are certainly not hard work, especially now with fuels such as Heat Logs which light really easily and burn for a good length of time. With the addition of an ash pan below the grate they are just as easy to clean out as a stove. A stove with the door shut is like watching a fire on the TV with the radiators turn right up!
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Jaime Collins
6 years ago
Here is my open fireplace. I love it but it doesn’t give off a lot of heat and it uses a lot of wood. For these reasons I will be converting it to a wood insert soon.

Here is the one I’m thinking about
https://www.regency-fire.com/en/Products/Wood/Wood-Inserts/CI2600
Danny Thurwood
3 years ago
I live in a Victorian house and despite the advantages of a log burner, I think its really detrimental ripping out the original fabric of the house to put in a 21st century log burner. I've yet to see one done tastefully in a period property