If your firebox has been bricked up or boarded over, or you are removing a fireplace and don't know what's behind it, then it will need to be excavated as the first part of your wood burner installation. This is the messiest part of the installation and we will cover the floor and furniture and run the vacuum cleaner whilst working in order to minimise the dust and mess. It might be a little noisy however.

The chimney opening which is sometimes known as the firebox, or builders opening, is the recessed area underneath the chimney flue. It is the inside of the chimney stack, where the fire basket usually lives. This is where your wood burner will be installed unless you are having a twin-walled system in a room without a chimney breast.

 In these photo's a gas fire was removed to reveal the original 1960's builders opening. Once excavated you might find rustic bricks or a burnt bricked area as shown in the second photo. Perfect for a wood burner!

If you need some of the fireplace terminology explaining - watch our helpful video

Sustainable option 

 * Re-purpose the rubble for your next building project or we can take this away for you to be recycled. If you removed an old fireplace, renovate the fireplace and sell on Ebay or to a reclamation yard.

Now you will need a hearth which is the part of the fireplace underneath the stove and directly in front of it. It's purpose is to catch any hot debris that may fall out of the wood burner, thus protecting any flooring or carpet and potentially stop a house fire.

In traditional fireplaces the hearth will be in two pieces. One to fit in the recess under the stove and a larger one that protrudes into the room. Your hearth will be made bespokely to order, and will be ready for your second visit ( if required ). T-shaped hearths are not recommended due to the stress on the material caused by the weight of the woodburner at high temperatures.

A hearth is required by law unless the surface that the stove is sitting on already meets building regulations hearth requirements. Suitable materials for hearths are granite, slate, stone, glass and precast concrete.

Book a quote for a new hearth to be fitted.

Sustainable option 

 * Re-purpose some garden slabs for a rustic look or use an old granite worktop from the kitchen and use a stonemason to cut to size. We recommend The Blue Pearl Granite Company in Newnham. If buying new, order slate with a low carbon footprint that was quarried in the UK or use 'green' concrete slabs, which are manufactured in a more sustainable way.

Before fitting the burner, you need to think about how you will finish off the firebox chamber. If the brick work looks good once uncovered then it can be left for a rustic look. It could also be rendered (ready for painting), heat-proof tiles fitted, boarded with fireproof board or a 'fake' brick or slate chamber or board could be fitted. Take a look at our other services page for examples of these.

The chamber will need to dry after being rendered before it is ready to be painted with a watered down paint to match the room. The walls at the sides can be finished in the same way, or covered by slips (see below) Drying or curing can take one day to a week, depending on the time of year and room temperature. The main options are bare bricks, render, brick boards, vermiculite boards, Vlaze heat shields and tiles.

Sustainable option 

* Use the original brickwork or ask for lime render to be used, this is classed as a Carbon-Neutral product as it absorbs Carbon Dioxide in the drying process. Use environmentally friendly paint to paint the woodburner chamber.

Next install the liner into the chimney from the roof It is held in place by a cowl. 316/316 liner is recommended for wood burners. 904/904 liner for stoves burning coal. We only use flexible liner made in the UK

Next unpack and check over the wood burner Using vitreous pipe and bends if needed, install the stove and CO alarm. Fit the thermometer and test the installation Carbon monoxide alarm (legal requirement)