How we're keeping toasty warm this winter

We have fire!!! Happy happy happy!!!

It did look like this for a while... We did the monkey work ourselves to save money,
left the installation to the pro though! 
The wall is going to be the light purple colour (inside heart) once the plasters all dried


Great draw and not one bit of smoke out into the room :)


It was so lovely to finally be burning from our wood pile that we've been adding to for months! There was a slight 'new oven' smell to it so we've had the windows open to flush out any bad fumes but I think they'll be gone in a day or so. Even with the window open a few inches it's as warm as the radiators heat! It did cost a fair bit to have it installed but with our cheap wood it'll only take about 2-3 months to pay for itself then we'll be saving loads. To be honest even if the cost were the same I think we'd have one, I definitely feel warmer looking at a real fire.

I love this last photo - Cara meeting her new best friend :)


20 comments:

  1. Gotta love that last photo. Congrats on your new fireplace!

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    1. Thanks Tanner - we love it! Cara burned her paw last night, just a tiny bit but now she respects the fire lol

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  2. You are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE the fire.Yes, it's work to clean it out and keep the wood supply going ,but the heat it gives off is wonderful. Cara will never move!
    Jane x

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    1. Your right we LOVE LOVE LOVE it :) since we're only burning wood atm we haven't needed to clean it out, its so efficient there's hardly any ash as for bringing in the wood supply I may just have to do more smaller trips as I get bigger, cant be carrying too heavy a baskets!

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  3. Great way to heat. We have a wood pellet stove. We have not used the propane heater since we moved here 3 years ago.

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    1. Wow thats impressive, do you have to buy the pellets or can you make them? I am seriously loving having a fire again :)

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    2. We buy the pellets. The only down side is that it has a blower on it, so if the electricity goes off we are up the proverbial creek without a paddle. We have a generator, so it could be used and there are solar kits that can be purchased.

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  4. Hi Astra, your fire looks so nice. It's such a great way to heat a home & you are right, there's nothing like a real fire. I bet Cara will be permanently in front of the fire just like our Evie! Sx

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    1. Cara's actually chosen a spot to the right of the fire, up on out side table, not as close as i thought but maybe she'll get closer as she gets more used to it! x

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  5. Oh yay! Congrats on your new fireplace! We have been looking for a new insert for our fireplace but they're all so incredibly expensive! I do hope to have one soon, though! Enjoy that beautiful fire! It's looks as though Cara will, too :-)

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    1. Thanks bee girl - we love it! We bought ours 2 years ago when a local factory were having a sale it was reduced from £680 $1090 to £200 $320 such a bargain :) xx

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  6. Excellent - so happy for you. Never mind Cara - new Baby is going to love the warmth too.

    Could you keep a kettle warm on the top? :)

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    1. Thanks Dani, its gona be great to not have to worry about the cost of keeping the house at a nice temp once baby is here :)

      Yes you can keep a kettle warm, not boiling on ours so you still have to pour it into the kettle but then its boiled in about 2 seconds! Perfect for hot water bottles tho :)

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  7. We've been talking around and around the subject of getting one of these fires. Can I ask how warm you find it upstairs? Does the heat from the fire spread around enough not to need any heating in the bedrooms? This is vital ammunition in our discussions : )

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    1. We find that its warm enough because we dont like our bedroom that warm but I'd say most people would want the radiators on for maybe half an hour as the evening sets in, obviously not in the room with the fire! but definitely in the bathroom if you want a shower upstairs, that might be too cold... It also depends on the style of your house, ours isn't very open plan so that inhibits heat flow... and depends on the size of the stove and what you burn, wood seems to burn cooler than coal... We have a big stove but just burn wood and its perfect for our living space... So may factors and mainly I'd factor in where you'll get your fuel from if you have to buy small bags from the petrol stations etc id not bother they are such a rip off. Also it cost us £200 to have it installed, without having to line the chimney or anything. I'd recommend getting a second hand one too or refurbished.

      Ok I think thats all my advice lol sorry for not replying sooner I must have missed these comments :(

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    2. Thanks! The firm we asked (just one so far to get an idea of costs but we'd ask more firms so we had a comparison of quotes) wants about £1500 for fitting everything plus the cost of the fire. Our house is a large terrace type (long and narrow) so heat does not circulate well.

      I have been cross-questioning somebody else I know who has a woodburner. All info helps in the decision. This friend keeps a kettle on top of hers and fills a couple of flasks with the hot water during the course of the evening so she always has a little supply hot water for washing of whatever sort without using other power to heat it. The flasks sound like a good idea to me : )


      We have a deadline (for various reasons), for finding somewhere to move to, of this summer. If we can't find anywhere to move to, then I think we are just about sold on a woodburner. I'm building up a collection of bits of wood under a shelter at the far end of the garden - just in case. My husband thinks I'm potty but it will save a few ££ if we do get one and if we do find somewhere to move to, I can give it to the other person with a woodburner so it won't be wasted.

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  8. We get that smell each time we light our wood burner for the first time each year. Usually turn it down, open one window and lock it into place, then go for a walk.

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    1. oh right, i thought it was just coz it was new, good to know. The smells gone now, did last about a week. It was more noticeable when the fire was really hot but like i said all away now which is good :)

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