We're buying a place that is thatched. Rethatched soon as well but
we've had conflicting advice - surveyor says put in a wood burning
stove, less sparks & less fire risk. Builder says refurbish the fire,
chimney runs cooler the way it was designed. What do the group think?

Andy

"Vir Campestris" wrote in message
...
We're buying a place that is thatched. Rethatched soon as well but
we've had conflicting advice - surveyor says put in a wood burning stove,
less sparks & less fire risk. Builder says refurbish the fire, chimney
runs cooler the way it was designed. What do the group think?

Andy

Not an either or situation.
If you are using the existing chimney it will want looking at.
Especially if you are fitting a woodburning stove, it will want a liner at
least.

The problem with wood burning stoves is that the chimney can tar up and
catch fire.
You get lots of sparks and burning fragments comes out of the chimney,
neither here nor there on a tiled roof but really dangerous with thatch
especially in dry weather

ISTR you can get thatch materials treated with fire retardant.
Yep, here it is.
http://www.thatchco.com/thatchpg/fireprf.htm

Surveyor is a bit of an idiot but they often are.

Gas or heat pump is the safest option.

On 03/09/13 08:48, harryagain wrote:
"Vir Campestris" wrote in message
...
We're buying a place that is thatched. Rethatched soon as well but
we've had conflicting advice - surveyor says put in a wood burning stove,
less sparks & less fire risk. Builder says refurbish the fire, chimney
runs cooler the way it was designed. What do the group think?

Andy
Not an either or situation.
If you are using the existing chimney it will want looking at.
Especially if you are fitting a woodburning stove, it will want a liner at
least.
it will be pretty much uninsurable without.

thatched houses are a bugger to insure.

NFU mutual is the best bet.


I live in a highly thatched area and the head fireman is a sort of mate.


99% of the fires he sees are down to blown render between bricks in old
chimneys. Few are down to sparks - cos that's a sign of a chimney fire
and most people sweep.

So id say got for an insulated liner and a stove. The liner will soot
less anyway, and the chances of a flre with a sealed chimney that
cannot get uncontrolled are lower.

If you keep the open fire, absolutely do smoke checks and in possible
look up in the loft and check nothing combustible is touching it, and
there is no smoke in there.

It is wise if you can to cover it in the loft area with a fireproof
board like multiboard, all round - and trim back rafters that may be
touching it before hand too.

Ideally you would strip back thatch around the stack and check pointing
before rethatching. If you get it rethatched or re ridged do that as a
matter of course.

You will probably be required to have smoke alarms in the house and in
th loft for insurance purpose sand keep a large water fire extingsher
regularly serviced near any open fires. DO this.


The problem with wood burning stoves is that the chimney can tar up and
catch fire.

they send small children up them these days harry

You get lots of sparks and burning fragments comes out of the chimney,
neither here nor there on a tiled roof but really dangerous with thatch
especially in dry weather
of course you dont unless the chimney is actually on fire.

Much rarer with a a stove unless the doors are wide open.

ISTR you can get thatch materials treated with fire retardant.
Yep, here it is.
http://www.thatchco.com/thatchpg/fireprf.htm

Surveyor is a bit of an idiot but they often are.

Gas or heat pump is the safest option.




--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

On 03/09/2013 09:01, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
I live in a highly thatched area and the head fireman is a sort of mate.


99% of the fires he sees are down to blown render between bricks in old
chimneys. Few are down to sparks - cos that's a sign of a chimney fire
and most people sweep.

snip rest of useful stuff

Thanks, that's the kind of data I need. Unfortunately the previous
owners took the smoke hood off the fireplace to make room for their TV -
and left it outside, where it's rusting nicely. So doing nothing is not
an option.

Andy

On 03/09/2013 08:48, harryagain wrote:
Gas or heat pump is the safest option.

No gas. Main boiler is oil, fire is for pretty

Ground-source pump, possibly helped out by solar panels on the garage I
intend to build one day, is the long term plan - but there are more
urgent things.

Andy

On 3 Sep 2013 21:26:25 GMT
Huge wrote:

On 2013-09-02, Vir Campestris wrote:
We're buying a place that is thatched. Rethatched soon as
well but we've had conflicting advice - surveyor says put in a
wood burning stove, less sparks & less fire risk. Builder says
refurbish the fire, chimney runs cooler the way it was designed.
What do the group think?

Don't buy it in the first place.



There are clear rules about this. It can be done, but it may be
expensive. Ask somebody local who knows the rules.
Been there, done that, decided it was not worth the cost.

--
Davey.