Have I watched Grand Designs one too many times?

[Feltwell]

[Thinking on it I can't see how the blinds within double glazing can possibly work with a sealed, gas filled unit? I've only ever seen them on internal office partitions.

You can get them, but I suspect that the bank manager would not approve.

http://www.uniblind.co.uk/

I've not seen them, like you I've only seen them in non-sealed office partitions - and I know that when we wanted a small one of those panels made up for an office a while ago (about 3'6" square) it was nearly £500! Funnily enough an ordinary bit of glass and a vertical blind was ordered.......

 

[AMc]

oooh they look lovely/pricey

 

[Feltwell]

Door update (because I know you've all been waiting anxiously :wink: ). Old doors were investigated thoroughly at the weekend with the aid of a bradawl - a detailed report was made back to Mrs F - "they're completely knackered". The rot had gone much higher than I thought, repairing them would be more trouble than it is worth. Strangely, and luckily, the frame is much better - rot confined to one corner only and not going up too high. The state of the doors means they had to move up the "list of things to do", if you gave the bottom of one of them a good kick you'd put your foot right through the wood - strangely the surface is OK but the middle has completely rotted. I suspect the bottoms of the doors were never decorated, they're softwood and they've been wicking water up through their bases.

Ebay to the rescue - a good secondhand set of doors in hardwood for £60 should be a much better bet, plus about £20 in petrol to go and get them with the trailer. Good enough to last a few years until we can do what we really want to do with a bi-fold door system.

 

[Penners]

Door update (because I know you've all been waiting anxiously ).

Oh, thank goodness! I've barely been able to sleep, for wondering how your door situation would be resolved.

Second-hand replacements sound like a good plan. I really don't use Ebay enough - must try to rectify that.

 

[Feltwell]

Glad to put your mind at rest Penners. Sleep easy out there everyone :wink: :lol:

 

[Feltwell]

Old thread time - whilst pondering house stuff tonight, as you do, the thought of a stove for this room occured to me.

Sticking out of the back of the house as it does, it's a cold room, despite my stuffing lots of insulation in the roof. In the corner of the room is a sealed off flue - which, rather oddly, doesn't go all the way to the floor :shock: but it's not as dramatic as it sounds, I can't see that it ever did (or how else would it have been used?) and it is supported well enough by the surrounding masonry. Originally I'm guessing it would have been to serve a fire under a wash copper, this being the old scullery.

Normally stoves tend to go in old fireplaces, but I can't see any great reason why a small stove could not be placed diagonally in the corner of this room, ventilating up the old flue. However, unlike many of you lot I know precious little about stoves so if anyone can see any obvious flaws in my bright idea then do let me know. I'm presuming that some kind of heat resistant wall covering would be needed behind & to the sides of the stove (would ordinary ceramic tiles do?) and a hearth of some kind underneath.

Here's a picture of the area in question - please ignore the cr@p (it's the kids' toy room at the moment) and the dodgy decor!

I need to put a vent in that flue anyway at some point. All a job for the future, apart from anything a red hot stove in the corner of the kids' play room wouldn't be the greatest idea whilst they are very young!

 

[Penners]

I know you will have considered this, but are you sure that you want to put a hot stove in a child's playroom?

However, if you perhaps plan to change the use of the room, and if it only needs a small stove, how about something quirky like a Hot Pod? http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/wood_burning_stoves/Hotpod-stoves.html

 

[Feltwell]

It's thinking ahead for when the kids are older Penners. If we did the bifold door thing then that room would become a second sitting room, a bit like a conservatory.

I loved the look of that Hotpod - a "quirky" stove is definitely a good idea - right until I got to the bit that said £2297! :shock: Crikey, that's so high I'm surprised Joce hasn't already said she wants one :wink: :lol:

(Only teasing Joce!!)

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I loved the look of that Hotpod - a "quirky" stove is definitely a good idea - right until I got to the bit that said £2297! :shock: Crikey, that's so high I'm surprised Joce hasn't already said she wants one :wink: :lol:

She's got two already I hear - one in each chicken shed. 8)

 

[Penners]

the bit that said £2297!

Ah - I didn't check the price! Suddenly I find the Hot Pod silly and ugly!

 

[worms]

Ah - I didn't check the price! Suddenly I find the Hot Pod silly and ugly!

But since it is just an old gas container, with some VW spares welded on, then you could look on it as inspiration for your own DIY version...

...or you could look at using the same components to make a DIY rocket mass stove!

 

[Feltwell]

The same thought occured to me, as did speaking to a very good blacksmith I know!

I think this is more in my range - would be a bit of a shame not to be able to see the flames though.

http://www.windysmithy.co.uk/html/woodburners.htm

 

[worms]

The same thought occured to me, as did speaking to a very good blacksmith I know!

I think this is more in my range - would be a bit of a shame not to be able to see the flames though.

http://www.windysmithy.co.uk/html/woodburners.htm

Certainly better priced!

My fear on the DIY option would be the risk of seeing too many flames!

 

[Penners]

I think this is more in my range - would be a bit of a shame not to be able to see the flames though.

http://www.windysmithy.co.uk/html/woodburners.htm

I looked at that for a while, trying to work out what it vaguely reminded me of. Then it came to me:

 

[Feltwell]

Took you right back to your first job by any chance? :wink:

 

[Penners]

First?!

I'll have you know that it took me years to work my way up to Pikeman.

 

[AMc]

I don't think you'd necessarily need to tile I have exposed brick behind one of mine and 6" behind the other 8KW stove the carpenter installed woodern skirting. Not sure he should have done but it there have been no ill effects to the paint on it so I'm guessing you need to be almost in contact to get a fire risk. Not sure I'd put a stove against a plaster and stud wall but that looks solid?

Lots of the scandinavian stoves morse (sp?) are shown installed freestanding. If the flue is sound then it looks like a good idea to me but if the flue isn't then it could get very expensive pretty fast?

 

[Feltwell]

Thanks for the comments. Yes, it's plaster on brick, so no great issues there. I'm presuming that as it's a stove I'd have to line the flue whatever due to the flue temperatures they generate being much higher than an open fire - is that right? It *should* be easy enough to line, it's a dead straight run up (look back on the first picture on page 1 - it's the chimney at the back of the house with 2 pots on).

 

[AMc]

Looks to me like it could easily have had a stove on it originally but I except you'd know better than me!
I'd budget for a liner even if you don't end up using one.