Limestone fireplace surrounds for Insets

There aren’t many people who picture their dream home without a real fire at the heart of it and we often get asked ‘How can I have a fireplace in my new house or extension?’

The simple answer is that you can’t have an open fire without seriously compromising the building’s insulation and airtightness, both of which are intrinsic parts of a new build these days. You can have a woodburning stove but for many people that just isn’t the look they’re after ‘I don’t want a metal box with a window in it’ is what we are told. Fortunately there is a solution and one that both looks right, maintains the integrity of the building’s airtightness and satisfies that primal need we all have for a real fire.

The answer is an insert fire set into a purpose built fire surround it gives that look of a real fireplace with a totally uninterrupted view of the flames and yet doesn’t impact on the integrity of your build. Inserts have a counter-weighted guillotine, all-glass door that lifts at a touch of a finger. When it is installed all you see is a window of fire. Set into an elegant limestone fire surround, you have the classic look of a traditional fireplace, and all the joy of real flames, yet with none of the disadvantages of an open fire.

With the glass door down you have a fire drawing its air directly from the outside and venting straight into the chimney. You also have a fire that is easy to light, clean, safe and, most importantly, controllable. Most modern houses will have good insulation so it is important that your fire doesn’t overheat the room. An insert gives out its heat as a gentle convected warmth and can be turned down to the point where it is just ticking over, slowly burning a couple of logs yet still keeping a good flame pattern. And at the end of the evening you can just walk away from it, knowing that it is completely safe.

Fondis have been at the cutting edge of combustion technology for years and produce low emissions, cleanburning, Ecodesign ready stoves. The Fondis Stella burns so cleanly that it is even permitted to burn wood in a smokeless zone.

And, even better, if the urge for a truly open fire proves irresistible then a Fondis can be burnt with the door up. The stove can be fitted with a door sensor that automatically opens up a dedicated air supply to the room if it registers that the stove door is open. The best of both worlds with the classic look of a traditional fireplace, containing the latest combustion technology, built into an airtight and fully insulated new house.

Pallet delivery will apply if not ordered with a stove.