No chimney? How to get a wood burner anyway: false chimney breasts vs twin-wall flues

Roughly half the homes we visit now have no usable chimney. New-build estates, Stevenage’s New Town housing, kitchen extensions and conservatories were never built with one. You can still have a real wood burner; there are two ways to do it.

Option one: a twin-wall flue system

A twin-wall flue is a factory-made insulated chimney in stainless steel sections. It can run vertically through the ceiling and roof, or horizontally out through an outside wall and then up the side of the house to the right height above the roof. Outside it is usually matt black or stainless; inside it can be matched to the stove.

Good for: extensions, conservatories, garden rooms, any room on an outside wall. Time: usually about two days. Look: a visible flue pipe above the stove, which many people like in a modern room.

Option two: a false chimney breast

If you want it to look like the house always had a fireplace, we build one. A false chimney breast is a timber-framed, boarded and plastered chimney breast with a recess for the stove, a proper hearth, and the flue running inside it and straight out through the back wall. Decorated, it is indistinguishable from an original. You can add alcoves, a mantel or a beam.

Good for: living rooms in homes with no chimney, feature walls in extensions. Time: two to three days plus decorating. Look: a traditional fireplace with the flue hidden.

What has to be checked first

• The flue route and the clearances to joists, windows and neighbours
• How high the flue must finish above the roof
• Whether the wall is suitable for the flue to pass through
• The hearth size and the floor beneath it
• Planning: an external flue is usually permitted development, but front elevations in conservation areas and listed buildings need checking
• Smoke control: in most of London and parts of Hertfordshire you need a Defra-exempt stove

Which should you choose?

If the room is modern and the stove will be a feature in its own right, a twin-wall flue is quicker and cheaper. If you want a traditional fireplace and a focal point for the wall, a false chimney breast is worth the extra day. Tom will show you both options at the survey with the costs side by side.

See the service page or book a survey.