"John Carlyle-Clarke" wrote in message
...
Stewart Devereux wrote:

We have had numerous wood burners over the years, some with similar
problems to yours. First you must be aware they can generate ALOT of
heat,
so metal might not be the best idea. I would go along with first reply.
1-2 inches loft insulation pinned to brick, then cut a piece of fireboard
to size and cover. Can easily be painted matt black. The burners work
best
by allowing air to circulate around them-I don't think once you have it
up
and burning you will be worried about reflecting heat back in !


Thanks for the reply, and to Andy too.

This one is a tiddler, and only 4kW. Nonetheless, I agree it should put
out
a lot of heat.

One installer told me they could not put it in without enlarging the
aperture, because all the heat would get absorbed by the brickwork and
none
would come out into the room.



I think you may be missing here one the greatest benefits of woodburners.
Whilst the stove is burning the room is heated by radiant energy whilst the
mass of the brickwork around the stove warms up and stores the heat. That
heat is then released slowly over time even when the stove is out. Of course
if the wall behind is an exterior wall then it's going to be a lot less
efficient.

Our front room , which besides having a woodburner has an inadequate
radiator, is a much nicer place to be for at least a couple of days after
having had the woodburner running.

Some woodburners are designed to use the thermal mass of the brickwork
around the stove to store energy and increase efficiency. Google for
"russian stove" to see examples.

H