Stovefitter's Manual

The manual is designed to be used alongside Document J of the Building Regulations for wood burning stoves, England & Wales (stoves without boilers) and Document G of the Building Regulations England & Wales (stoves with boilers), coupled with any advice provided by your local Building Control. Note that regulations for Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. Other regulations may be applicable (e.g. for electrics if adding controls to wet systems). In all cases you should not rely on this manual alone.

Purchasing stoves/materials

• Guide to terminology
• Wood burning or multifuel stove?
• What size wood burning stove for my room?
• Fireplace size and air gaps around a wood stove
• 5kW wood burning stoves - 10 questions to discover the best
• Chinese wood burners – should I buy one?
• Smoke Control Areas and wood burning stoves
• DEFRA approved stoves - do I need one?
• SIA Ecodesign stoves - what are they?
• Do I need an air vent?
• 10 reasons why you want a wood burning stove
• 12mm hearth?

Before you start

• Self-installing: Introduction
• What’s with all the terminology?
• Legally, can I fit a solid fuel stove?
• What’s it going to cost me?
• The SURVEY of your property

Fireplace opening

• Building regulations for the fireplace
• Opening up a fireplace
• Fireplace opening too small?
• Air gap above & behind stove
• Removing a back boiler
• Fitting a fireplace lintel
• Distance to combustibles
• Lining a fireplace
• Simple paint job of a fireplace
• Tiling a fireplace
• Rendering a fireplace
• Register plate or closure plate?

Hearth

• Introduction
• Hearth regulations
• Simple slate or limestone
• Granite and honed slate
• Tiling a hearth

Chimneys and liners

• Stove, chimney liner and fitting materials: create your own shopping list
• Regulations for the chimney
• What is chimney liner (flue liner)?
• Do I need to line my chimney?
• Cheap chimney flue liner?
• Regulations for lining a chimney
• Can I, should I, fit a 5″ chimney liner?
• What grade of chimney liner? 316 or 904?
• How much liner in metres should I order?
• Should I insulate my chimney liner?
• How to line a chimney with chimney liner
• Fitting a chimney liner to a pot or cowl
• Chimney stack ends in a loft (somebody took it down)
• Access and safety when fitting liners (and some quick-build platform ideas)
• A simple guide to ordering liner and fitting pack

Stove fit: to flexi liner in chimney

• Introduction
• Stove to flue to adaptor to liner
• Connected to liner, inside fireplace opening
• Connected to liner, outside fireplace opening
• Distance to combustibles
• Chimney stack ends in a loft (somebody took it down)

Stove fit: direct to chimney

• Do I need to line my chimney?
• Connecting a wood burning stove direct to a chimney
• Distance to combustibles
• Chimney stack ends in a loft (somebody took it down)

Stove fit: if you have no chimney

• Fitting A New Twin Wall flue
• Twin Wall Flue design service
• Distance to combustibles
• Regulations for the chimney
• Conservatories
• Small boats and caravans
• Chimney stack ends in loft (somebody took it down)
• Example twin wall job: off back of stove and outside building
• Example twin wall job: off top of stove and outside building
• Example twin wall job: off top of stove and internal within building
• Rosettes and cover plates for twin wall

Stove fit: inset and cassette stoves

• Inset and cassette stoves – general fitting guide
• Fitting an inset with integral front face (Pevex Bohemia X40)
• Fitting a cassette with removable front face (Scan DSA 11)

Stove fit: boiler stoves

• Boiler stoves: an introduction
• Boiler stoves: key concepts
• Heat sink radiator
• Injector T meets pumped radiators on a solid fuel system
• The classic diagram
• Boiler stoves key building regulations

Important checklist before lighting

• Before you light your wood burning or multifuel stove

Miscellaneous articles (may be outdated)

Aduro 16 review

Aga Little Wenlock review 

Clearview stoves any good?

Clock stoves and Woodwarm stoves why do installers like them?

Dura Twin Wall review by Nutec Group

DG Ivar review

Ekol Clarity 5 review

Ekol stoves review

Firebelly FB1 and FB2 review

Firebelly FB3 double-sided review

Hillandale Monterrey 5 review

Parkray Aspect range review

Salamander Hobbit and other small stoves review

Saltfire Peanut Stoves

Stovax Stockton 5 review

Valiant Stove fan review