DEFRA-approved Ecodesign wood-burning stoves, full chimney lining or twin-wall flue systems, hearth construction and HETAS-certified Building Control sign-off — designed for clean burn, real radiant heat and a stove install you can actually insure.
HETAS-registered installer · DEFRA Ecodesign stoves · Building Control notified
Wood burning stove installation covers stove selection and sizing, chimney inspection and lining (or full twin-wall insulated flue where no chimney exists), hearth construction to Doc J, register plate, CO alarm, commissioning and the HETAS certificate and Building Control notification that legally completes the work.
Homeowners adding a feature stove to a living room, snug or open-plan kitchen, owners of rural and off-grid properties wanting reliable wood heat, period-property owners reinstating a working fireplace, and self-builders specifying a stove from first principles.
Any time of year — we install year-round, but surveying in spring and summer means earlier slots, more flue and hearth design freedom, and the stove ready well before the first cold snap.
A wood burner done well is one of the most efficient, comforting and resilient heat sources you can put in a home. Done badly it's a chimney fire, a CO risk and a void on your household insurance. HETAS certification, the right liner spec and Doc J hearth detailing are the difference.
Wood burner mistakes are catastrophic, not cosmetic. Here is what cutting corners actually costs:
Unlined or wrongly lined flues, missing top seal and tar build-up from wet wood are the leading causes of stove-related house fires across the UK.
Poor draught, undersized air supply or a stove fitted in a depressurised airtight home pulls combustion gases back into the room — CO is colourless, odourless and kills.
Any wood burner without a HETAS certificate or Building Control notification is excluded from a household claim. Even unrelated claims can be challenged.
Conveyancing solicitors specifically request the HETAS certificate and Building Control notice. Without them, sales stall or get renegotiated against you.
A wrongly sized or poorly fitted stove burns twice the wood for half the warmth, glazes the glass black and shortens firebox life dramatically.
Output rating must match the room. Oversized stoves get damped down to avoid overheating — the worst possible combustion (smoky, sooty, tar-laden flue).
Existing masonry chimneys rarely meet modern flue requirements. A 904-grade stainless liner with insulating backfill is non-negotiable on virtually every retrofit.
Doc J specifies minimum hearth dimensions, non-combustible thickness and clearances from combustibles. A cosmetic surround that fails these is a fire risk and an enforcement target.
We inspect the chimney (smoke test and sweep if required), measure the room, check air supply provision, and confirm hearth and clearance requirements before quoting anything.
We recommend the right output (typically 4–8 kW for a living room), DEFRA-exempt for smoke-control areas, and from brands with proper UK parts and warranty support — Stovax, Charnwood, Hunter, Clearview.
Itemised quote including the stove, flue liner or twin-wall system, hearth, register plate, decoration making-good, CO alarm, HETAS certificate and Building Control notification.
Chimney lined or twin-wall installed, register plate sealed, stove set on hearth, all connections tested, draught checked, CO alarm fitted and commissioned.
HETAS certificate issued, Building Control notified, owner manual handed over, first-burn (paint-curing) and lighting demo, and recommended sweep and service schedule explained.
Modern Ecodesign wood burners convert 75–85% of fuel energy into useful room heat — versus 20–30% from an open fire.
5 kW into a living room is instant, radiant heat — perfect for cold snaps when the central heating is slow to respond.
Heat that doesn't depend on the gas main, electricity or oil delivery — invaluable in storm weeks and power cuts.
HETAS certificate plus Building Control notification means full insurance cover and a protected resale value.
Smoke-control-area approved stoves with secondary and tertiary air systems for very low particulate emissions.
A correctly sized and detailed stove becomes the focal point of the room — properly proportioned hearth, neat flue and a glass that actually stays clean.
A wood burner is engineering, not decoration. Here is the depth behind a Greencore install:
Since January 2022 every new stove sold in the UK must meet Ecodesign efficiency and emissions limits. We only install Ecodesign-compliant stoves from established UK-supported brands — never grey-import models with no parts pipeline.
Most of Darlington, Middlesbrough and the urban North East sits inside smoke-control areas. We only fit DEFRA-exempt stoves in those zones — allowing legal wood-burning under the Clean Air Act.
Existing masonry chimney: 904-grade stainless steel liner (lifetime warranty) with insulating vermiculite or rockwool backfill. No chimney: twin-wall insulated flue routed internally or externally, fully compliant with Doc J clearances.
Doc J specifies a 12 mm constructional hearth, decorative top, minimum hearth size and clearances to combustibles (typically 150–300 mm depending on stove). Every install meets or exceeds these.
Stoves over 5 kW require dedicated air supply (vent or external air kit). Modern airtight homes need an external air kit even on smaller stoves to ensure clean combustion and avoid depressurising the room.
Only kiln-dried hardwood below 20% moisture should ever go into a modern stove. Wet wood is the single biggest cause of glazed glass, tarred liners and chimney fires. We brief every customer on fuel and storage at handover.
Annual chimney sweep, annual stove service, glass-rope check every 2 years, baffle plate inspection. We can arrange the sweep alongside the service to keep the certificate trail clean.
Genuine project photography from across the North East — no stock imagery, no embellishment.
Free site and chimney survey. DEFRA Ecodesign stoves only. Building Control notified, HETAS certificate issued. Fully insured (£5m public liability) — the only safe way to fit a wood burner.
Gas-Safe registered (214402) · Fully insured (£5m public liability) · 12-month workmanship guarantee
