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Thread: Log Burner Installation (Vermiculite Question)

  1. #1
    Master bomberman's Avatar
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    Log Burner Installation (Vermiculite Question)

    Hi

    Currently exploring getting a small -5kW stove fitted in the lounge.

    Having had a few quotes, it seems that there is a difference in opinions regarding using Vermiculite.
    I reside in a 1930ish semi-detached house and have been told that I should have it as insulation….then have been told that it absorbs moisture and would need to be removed in less that 7 years as this could cause issues……

    Can anyone offer any advice please?

    Thanks

    B

  2. #2
    Master Skier's Avatar
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    All I can say is that I used vermiculite when installing a woodburner in the Summer of 2012 and all was absolutely fine up to the point I sold the house in May of this year. At the end of the day, yes it absorbs water but there shouldn't be a significant amount of water getting to it in the first place.
    Last edited by Skier; 15th October 2021 at 17:01.

  3. #3
    Insulation where, around the flue? Or are you saying you need to insulate something else like the walls or ceilings?

  4. #4
    Master bomberman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tz-uk73 View Post
    Insulation where, around the flue? Or are you saying you need to insulate something else like the walls or ceilings?
    Insulates the flue to stop fire and ensures heat is retained.

    B

  5. #5
    Master Maysie's Avatar
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    Just use Chimwrap instead?

    I insist ours are Chimwrapped (Inglenook flue voids so they are L A R G E), but there are installers which prefer no insulation of (large) flue voids anyway, which is maybe where your controversy is coming into play(?).

  6. #6
    Is this instead of a twin-wall flue?

    Must admit the only use of vermiculite I was aware of was putting it into soil for drainage!

    R
    Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.

  7. #7
    Master Maysie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ralphy View Post
    Is this instead of a twin-wall flue?

    Must admit the only use of vermiculite I was aware of was putting it into soil for drainage!

    R
    Twin wall is [typically] rigid, so this (I assume) is a flexible flue liner retro-installed within an existing masonry flue void.
    Last edited by Maysie; 19th October 2021 at 13:55.

  8. #8
    They just put a liner up my chimney, no insulation. Should they have done?

  9. #9
    Insulation keeps the temperature of the flue hotter which improves draw and helps prevent condensation of tars which can be a fire hazard.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Maysie View Post
    Twin wall is rigid, so this (I assume) is a flexible flue liner retro-installed within an existing masonry flue void.
    We had flexible twin wall installed in a previous property, so it's not always rigid.

    I'm assuming the use of Vermiculite in the OP's situation would be used in this way:



    R
    Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.

  11. #11
    I remember a conversation about insulation but I’m sure he said liners can corrode/overheat or something. May have been rubbish but he inspected chimney and said it wasn’t needed.

  12. #12
    Master
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    My neighbours have just installed a log burner. I am not a happy man. I have a black car which turns grey every time they light the fire! Plus, it stinks!

  13. #13
    Master Skier's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maysie View Post
    Twin wall is rigid, so this (I assume) is a flexible flue liner retro-installed within an existing masonry flue void.
    Er, no it isn't. I installed my own wood burner in 2012 (and subsequently had it certified) and used flexible dual walled. An open bag of vermiculite when dropped from the roof onto a patio makes a big mess. I did the installation myself as I had the time and thought it would be an interesting skill to learn. That said I was quoted, IIRC, £400 and half a day by professionals; it took me a long day but I learnt a lot.

    To the OP, these sites were of huge value to me when researching the installation and stove itself:

    https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co...fitters-manual

    https://www.stovesonline.co.uk/

  14. #14
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by tixntox View Post
    My neighbours have just installed a log burner. I am not a happy man. I have a black car which turns grey every time they light the fire! Plus, it stinks!
    I have a similar issue with a few neighbours burning wet wood.

    This time of year I have to get the windows shut in the evening or the house ends up stinking.

    Annoyingly I had a gas burner installed 4 years ago but now wish I had got a log burner. I have thought about changing to a log burner but have been told the flues are different and would also need to be replaced.

  15. #15
    Master bomberman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skier View Post

    To the OP, these sites were of huge value to me when researching the installation and stove itself:

    https://www.stovefitterswarehouse.co...fitters-manual

    https://www.stovesonline.co.uk/
    Thanks Skier

    B

  16. #16
    Grand Master Chris_in_the_UK's Avatar
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    We opted for a proper poured thermal concrete lining - bit more expensive but far more durable.
    When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........

  17. #17
    Master Maysie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ralphy View Post
    We had flexible twin wall installed in a previous property, so it's not always rigid.

    R
    Quote Originally Posted by Skier View Post
    Er, no it isn't. I installed my own wood burner in 2012 (and subsequently had it certified) and used flexible dual walled.
    For clarity, I probably should have said that twin wall is 'typically' rigid, as it is generally used when there is no flue or chimney, so the twin wall (rigid) flue is supported off brackets fixed to the wall.
    The examples above where 'flexible twin wall' is used are more typically referred to as 'twin skin' or 'flexible twin wall'.
    Last edited by Maysie; 19th October 2021 at 15:27. Reason: Typo

  18. #18
    Master sweets's Avatar
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    Our installer wrapped the flue liner in foiled insulation sections, wiring it on and taping the seems as the drew it up the flue from the fireplace.
    He was dead against Vermiculite, suggesting it was patchy, but could also store (and propel into surrounding masonry when warmed by the flue) huge amounts of water. His market is mostly Victorian buildings, so this is more relevant than it may be for newer buildings.
    Hence using insulation with a vapour barrier.
    The progressive pour is the best (and most expensive) option, unless the flue is new enough not to need it.
    We definitely did, the pointing between flues has eroded over the 140 years of the property, when we tried a simple fire (with no liner) we got smoke into the rooms above and below the living room with the fire, from where the flues "combined" in the stack.
    D

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