Just a general helpful comment - on sourcing reasonably priced logs - try asking your local tree surgeons, especially the smaller operations - as they often sell cut logs cheaply and often deliver too!

Contact Hannings on Moyser Roadm SW16 They were fabulous

http://www.hannings.co.uk

Maybe you should check if you are in a smokeless zone before you go to the trouble & expense of installing a wood burner. I thought most of London was smokeless? Another thing to consider (as friends of mine did not) is storage of the logs/fuel - they ended up with sacks in the bathroom!!

Stova in Carshalton.
They are expensive but if you are considering wood burner, they actually know what they are talking about (German origin)

We are in smokeless zone so you should buy a clean burning stove, there's a list from Defra of stoves that meet this spec. (we've got a Swedish Handol). These clean burning wood stoves tend to be more efficient so ultimately pay for their extra cost...worth getting your chimney lined if going this route. Stove won't really save you money unless you have free/cheap wood, think of it as a very low maintenance pet which gives a much nicer type of heat than central heating

I don't know if it's because we historically have preferred mixed fuel stoves (burning coal and wood) but there's a general lack of knowledge and expertise about wood burning. I've been told absolute nonsense in several reputable stores selling stoves.
Scandinavia and Northern Europe have a long history of wood burning and (oddly enough) tend to make the best most efficient and IMHO beautiful looking stoves with lovely big viewing windows
Clearview are good solid uk-made stoves - often tend to be mixed fuel - have been described to me as a landrover...make of that what you will.

Average builder may not be up to the task, though if you are comfortable there's an entire dedicated Building Regs document to wade through ( with the standard contradictory statements that you find in Building Regs).

One thing you must do, please to get your installation done (at very least inspected ) by a HETAS qualified person.
Carbon Monoxide is nothing to trifle with.

Avoid Stonewoods like the plague - they totally messed up our stove installation. They ignored emails, they were rude and wouldn't repair damages which we had to do and will now be sending them the bill for it.
Quick to take your order and money then as soon as the contract is signed their customer service disappears.

hello, we had a wood burning stove installed with Stonewoods (they're on the Wandsworth one-way system at the end of Putney Bridge Road).

They were very good and it cost around £4k. I'd suggest getting them around to have a look.

They'll also advise on what size burner you can have as that'll depend on the size of the room, oxygen available! Also consider how absolutely roasting red hot they get - children and pets must stay clear!

you can get smokeless coal or wood ones - but the wood does need to be kiln dried wood otherwise it gums up the lining of the chimney which could eventually be a fire hazard.

Brilliant things though, worth the investment - ours heat up our entire house!

Haven't done it in London but elsewhere (twice!). You just need an average builder to open up the fire place first...the alternative is to extend the hearth out (there's a minimum building control requirement depth) but in an average London terrace that would take way too much space. You may well still need to extend your existing hearth. A few things I'm sure you've thought through 1) are you in a 'smokeless zone'?...this may be why so few Londoners have them...2) do you have enough space to store an adequate wood supply (they chomp through it) 3. Will you be in this house long term....if not it may be cheaper to run your heating on constant for the next few years rather than install one! If you do go ahead they are a fab feature - Clearview have a great reputation and I'd happily recommend them, I think they are also able to advise re fitters etc so potentially worth a call.

I would like to install a wood burning stove or a real fireplace but our current fireplace (which has a gas fire in) is narrow and small and so would, I presume, require opening up. Is this something anyone has advice on / can recommend companies to sort chimney / fit stove? I would be grateful for any suggestions on where to start with this. Many thanks.