wood burners

[contadino]

Oh surprise surprise! Hence the reason you say DIYing is 'stupid'. You want to promote your business.

Fortunately building regulations are public domain, so you can offer nothing over a properly researched & executed DIY installation other than a higher price.

[Martin]

- the vast majority of readers of this forum are WAY outside our "catchment area" - some are even in foreign parts - but what I can do is offer some basic advice to keep people safe, gleaned from a teensie bit of expertise gleaned from "being in the business"
Had you actually read what I'd said, you'd have noticed that I've nothing whatsoever against a competent diyer, we do all we can to encourage them - but when it comes to basic safety, I'd far sooner tread on a few over-sensitive tootsies, and hope I've encouraged people at least to take competent advice before embarking on a project that can end up with fatalities.........
I at least have the humility to know where my knowledge runs out, and will happily employ suitably qualified people where necessary- you obviously are far cleverer than the lot of us put together.........

[red]

I too know several amateurs who are capable of doing a safe job, BUT
"just shoving a bit of pipe partway up the flue" (as mentioned in the original post, but now edited out!)

not true Martin.. was not edited out.

[red]

Oh surprise surprise! Hence the reason you say DIYing is 'stupid'. You want to promote your business.

Fortunately building regulations are public domain, so you can offer nothing over a properly researched & executed DIY installation other than a higher price.

I agree totally. just a tad biased there Martin...

it is entirely feasible for someone to do the job themselves. and to add a little clarity to whether to line the chimney or not.. in my last house it was not lined. and the woodburner was fitted by a proper installer. my chimney was inspected and declared in excellent condition and a liner was not needed. I was willing to go with whichever they said, so they could have easily sold me a liner that was unneeded.. The decision to no line was taken by the professional installer.

[contadino]

I at least have the humility to know where my knowledge runs out, and will happily employ suitably qualified people where necessary- you obviously are far cleverer than the lot of us put together.........

Installing a stove is not rocket science. It's hardly a job for a skilled craftsman, despite what people 'in your business' will have us believe. Maybe you could branch out into gardening and post up scare stories about how we could all impale ourselves on a rake without your pricey expertise.

[Martin]

I think you'll find that there WAS a reference in the original post to "a bit of enamelled pipe" which is no longer there (to my knowledge, the board software doesn't keep records of "self edits").............
You will find that the rules and regs have tightened up a lot lately - you had the sense to get the advice of a presumably competent installer - precisely my point!

[contadino]

but what I can do is offer some basic advice to keep people safe, gleaned from a teensie bit of expertise gleaned from "being in the business" Wink

Like this from page 1?

I really can't be stuffed!

[Martin]

I will reiterate, to fit a woodburner without specialist help/knowledge is foolhardy in the extreme, - despite certain people's opinions, it is a job for skilled craftsmen, or very competent amateurs only!

[red]

I think you'll find that there WAS a reference in the original post to "a bit of enamelled pipe" which is no longer there (to my knowledge, the board software doesn't keep records of "self edits").............

no but if it was edited, it would show as edited. it does that if someone alters a post after other people have replied.

the comment you refer to is in the eighth post . so as I said, you were wrong, no one edited it out.

[Martin]

just to cross the "t"s, and dot the "i"s - I went back and reread the whole thread, just to check I wasn't getting forgetful - sure enough, slap bang in the middle was " If I understand it right I only have to stick a couple of metres of enamelled pipe up the chimney".............(I thought it was at the beginning - it wasn't - it was a post or three later - for which I duly apologise!) - that same post confirmed that it is a Victorian 3 storey house...........
Victorian building standards were to be frank "dodgy" at the best of times - and after 100 years of wear and tear - a 3 storey house is VERY likely to have very leaky chimneys - in over 100 years, they've often been "bodged" by generations of crummy builders
And I feel it pertinent to mention that I have 2 woodburners that I will be putting in shortly - one in my shed, and before next winter, one in the sitting room..........will I be doing it myself? - I may well participate in the work, but will rely on our craftsman HETAS qualified "woodburner bloke" to make sure I don't burn the place down, or gas my nearest and dearest (and that it's "up to date" with all the regs!)

[baldowrie]

Victorian building standards were to be frank "dodgy

That will be why they are still standing and still passing surveys with flying colours then!

What rubbish!

[Martin]

What is it with everybody today? - I spent a lot of my teens crawling around buildings of various ages, under the aegis of a chartered surveyor - I am merely going by what I was taught, and have seen with my own eyes!
Most Victorian builds had no effective damp course, really poor (and often nearly completely non-existent ) foundations, and the quality of "hidden" brickwork was appalling!
We are living in the age of the "drive by" survey - if it's still standing, and it's in a certain area, it's worth "x"............

[baldowrie]

it depends on where you are living as to the quality of the build of Victorian houses. Some where thrown up to house the masses whilst not costing a great deal and were 'slum' housing and poorly built.
As for damp courses they were often slate damp courses that lasted 100 years or more before failing.

The building may not be up to todays standards, but I doubt very much that a new build today would still be standing in a 100 years, not even 50 years.

The Victorian age is generally know as the age of great buildings.

My brother trained as a surveyor, and one of the things he said if it's Victorian it will either be a great house or a poor one and if it's still standing without major problems then it''s a great one.

[Martin]

You may be right on it being "area dependant", but I can assure you there are loads of incredibly dodgy ones down here in the south - often exacerbated by bomb damage during the war - it used to be my job to go through the "bomb hit maps" to check if there'd been any nearby, and then draw the plans that went with the survey!
I remember my Grannys victorian house on four floors where chimneys leaked like sieves (and she was well away from any bombs) - would I risk just bunging a bit of pipe up one of those? - not on your nelly!

[baldowrie]

well that would be logical as a lot of the slums were there, and Northern England.

Mind you I would like to see a modern house stand up to minor bomb damage and still be habitable

As for the leaking chimneys, that's what the smoke test is for.