charnwoodstoves

latest cutting-edge equipment and exceptional craftsmanship. In this blog, we will share with you some of the processes involved in making a Charnwood Stove from our UK-based factory on the Isle of Wight.

Metal fabrication

 

To create a high-performing and durable stove, we select the best of British sheet steel as the base metal substrate. The steel meets BS EN 10209 standards.

Laser cutting the steel

 

Our high-tech laser cutter is then used to produce accurately shaped component parts. The tolerance of this system is 0.2 mm with the ability to cut materials from 0.5mm up to 25 mm in thickness. This level of accuracy allows us to achieve sleek finishing touches on even the smallest details.

Shaping the metal

 

The stove’s body panels are formed to the required shapes and sizes with just a 2mm margin of error.

Welding the metal

 

Our welding process involves cutting-edge robotics as well as our extremely experienced and skilled team members, who have a combined 50 years of experience in the manufacturing industry.

Refining components

 

Smaller components receive finishing touches by hand.

Spraying high-temperature stove paint

 

After rinsing and neutralising the metal, our skilled team uses a spray gun to apply even coats of our specially formulated high-temperature stove paint. In addition to the standard Charnwood Black, we also offer you a choice of seven other beautiful shades.

Drilling & Assembly

 

After the drilling is complete, we move on to assembly. We carefully put all the pieces together, making sure that everything is aligned correctly and functioning optimally. Once the stove is assembled, we conduct a series of tests to ensure that it meets our high standards.

Packing & Shipping

 

Each stove is signed off by one of our experts before being processed for shipping. We continue to look for ways to reduce excess packaging while aiming to use environmentally friendly materials and encouraging reuse where possible. You can read more here.

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We take great pride in the products we produce at Charnwood. That’s why every one of our wood-burning stoves is handcrafted with care and precision. We hope that this behind-the-scenes look at how we make our stoves has given you a better understanding of the love, care and attention that goes into every Charnwood Stove.

If you are interested in finding out more, we highly recommend contacting an official Charnwood stockist.

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Used in many homes, firewood is a sustainable and cost-effective way to heat your property or outdoor space.

Whether you’re looking for suitable wood to burn in your stove or use in your fire pit on chilly summer evenings, it’s important to choose the right type of firewood. Not all types of firewood burn in the same way, so it’s important to understand the differences if you want the best possible results.

Here’s our guide to everything that you need to know about firewood.

What’s the difference between hardwood and softwood?

Firewood falls into two main categories – softwood and hardwood.

The main difference between hardwood and softwood is their reproduction and physical structure. For example, hardwoods are a lot denser than softwoods, meaning that they produce more heat and burn for longer.

On the other hand, softwoods are less dense, meaning they ignite faster and produce more smoke, making them more suited to outdoor fires.

For more information about firewood, check out our additional blog called everything you need to know about firewood.

Why choose hardwood?

Perfect for creating indoor fires in log burners and woodburning stoves, there are lots of different types of hardwood, including oak, birch and ash. Hardwood is especially useful for those looking to fuel a stove or heat a house.

Let’s take a closer look at the most popular types of hardwood:

Ash

Ash is particularly good for wood burning, as its properties allow it to burn on its own and produce an intense heat output, with a steady flame.

Oak

Oak is one of the most common types of hardwood used in homes, due to the fact that it is capable of burning for long periods of time and can be used efficiently with a different types of logs.

Birch

Available in black, yellow and white, birch can burn for a long period of time and can also be used as a natural fire starter.

Why choose softwood?

If you’re looking for firewood for an outdoor fire, softwood is a much better option than hardwood – it ignites far more quickly, meaning its ideal for campfires and kindling.

Softwood also seasons more rapidly than hardwood. There are lots of different types of softwood to choose from, including pine, cedar and larch.

Here’s a closer look at their properties. 

Larch

Low maintenance larch is the hardest of the softwood family and requires intense heat to burn effectively.

Pine

Easy to light and burn, pine produces an impressive flame and is great to use as a fire starter. It’s important to note that pine should only ever be used in outdoor environments due to the fact that it burns incredibly fast.

Cedar

Finally, cedar produces a distinct crackling sound with a small flame. One of the main advantages of this type of softwood is that it can be burned unseasoned. It also gives off a lovely wood burning smell.

To find out more about the best type of firewood to use with your Charnwood wood burning stove, please get in touch, we’re always on hand to offer help and support.

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As the heart of the home, the kitchen is the perfect place to pay attention to when it comes to your interior design. If you love to spend time whipping up a culinary storm and dining together as a family, it makes sense that you give the kitchen the touch of TLC it deserves when it comes to decorating. In the name of creative inspiration, we’re here to help. Today, we’re looking at 3 reasons you should consider bringing a fireplace into your kitchen design - offering tips and advice along the way so you’re left with a space the whole family simply loves spending time in.

1. It can be stunning focal feature

Unlike most other rooms in the home, the kitchen serves several practical purposes, and this means that the appliances often act as the focus points in this space. While you might have an attractive looking fridge or top-of-the-range washing machine, it’s unlikely that you want to draw attention to functional appliances when you’re considering interior decor.

By bringing in a fireplace, you can accessorise the borders and hearth with fireplace tiles to completely transform the look of your kitchen and make the fireside the focal point. A wood burning stove, acts as an eye-catching feature in its own right. However, you can always add the finishing touch by having a basket of wood and any pokers or accessories beside the stove.

2. It will provide warmth in winter

When the winter months set in, home cooked food is what most of us crave. But preparing to spend potentially hours in a frosty kitchen doesn’t hold much appeal, especially when you can be sitting snug and cosy with your throws by the fire in your living room – so how do you remedy that? Bring the fire into the kitchen, of course!

Heating your home using your kitchen fireplace can also be a way to keep energy costs low. Most modern stoves today are highly efficient and very clean burning. From wood pellets and firewood to mineral fuels, there are several options available to you when it comes to using your fire, so you can spend some time figuring out the best option for your home.

For more information around making the most with a fireplace during winter, check out our additional blog here.

 

3. It will create an atmosphere

Last but not least on our list of reasons for adding a fireplace to your kitchen is the atmosphere that this can create. A fireplace can add character to a room that has perhaps previously been all about being functional. While it still provides a purpose, it can be an attractive centrepiece even when not in use.

If you’re lucky enough to have space for a dining table and chairs in your kitchen, a fireplace could be the perfect finishing touch. In the winter evenings, you can light it up and allow the warm glow of the fire to bathe the kitchen in an ambient light as you eat together as a family. In summer when the fire isn’t needed, use the hearth to display candles and freshly picked flowers.

By choosing to have a fireplace in your kitchen, you can create a truly unique focal point that is practical, yet gives off bags of aesthetic appeal.

Author bio:

Suhayl Laher works at Tiles Direct, one of the UK’s largest independent tile distributors and retailers – bringing design inspiration to homeowners, architects and developers.

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‘A Charnwood Christmas in the Cotswolds’ is a short video that illustrates the sheer joy of owning a wood-burning stove and the magical moments they help create. It was captured during a recent visit to our friends Charlie Irons and Josie Fear (aka @charlieirons and @josieldn ) and their wonderful and aptly named Strawtop Cottage.
 

It’s an idyllic Grade II listed thatched cottage built with original Cotswold stone. Traditional features are sensitively blended with the contemporary, reflecting their impeccable taste. Warm tones, wood paneling, aged brick and stone, finished perfectly with the warmth of Charnwood wood-burning stoves throughout.
 

Charlie and Josie are huge fans of their log-burners and Charnwood have been delighted to supply them with a number of stoves for their main home too. The warm and inviting atmosphere they have managed to create showcases the very best of country living and it is no wonder they have a steady stream of bookings at the cottage.
 

Chatting while walking the dogs in the cold but stunning Oxfordshire countryside and later over a lovely roast (the first Christmas dinner of the season), it was clear how integral wood-burning is to their lifestyle. This is particularly true in the festive winter period when one wishes for nothing more than cosy evenings with loved ones by the fire.
 

Now, we might not all be able to reach such high levels of festive perfection (I know I don’t!), but no matter, because the significant benefits of wood-burning can be felt by any stove owner. To that point, here are some comments from other Charnwood owners regarding Christmas and their stove:

“It’s a ritual on Christmas morning to rekindle the stove, and to unwrap the presents without a fire is unthinkable. There’s something magical about children in their pyjamas sitting on the rug in the cosy space in front of a blazing stove.”
“The stove just provides a much-needed atmosphere on a cold winter’s night. You feel relaxed, cosy and there is something about it that just welcomes you into the living room. I couldn’t live without it.”
“My young nephew visited at Christmas & we built the fire together. It was the first time he had ever lit a real fire. We celebrated with toasting marshmallows! It wasn’t just building a fire – it was building a memory.”

(Source: Charnwood Well-being Survey)

Winter can be a difficult season for many, but as you see from the video images and quotes above, there is a way to flip the script. The onset of winter, with temperatures plummeting and days drawing in, needn’t be something to dread. Join fellow wood-burning stove owners and start to actively look forward to those long cold wintery nights!

The Strawtop cottage sleeps four adults and up to 2 well-behaved dogs and if you would like to book a stay (highly recommended) then check out the previous link and their Instagram page.

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Our favourite time of the year is fast approaching! For some it’s watching ELF, others their first advent calendar window, for us the festive season kicks off at the Ideal Home Show Christmas event! From the 23–27 November at Olympia London, this wonderful Christmas shopping extravaganza provides everything you need to prepare your home for the festive season.

You can browse and shop from hundreds of brands across 4 Christmas themed show sections; Gifts, Pets, Home and Decorations. There’s live entertainment, expert demos, celebrity chefs, and thousands of festive gift, home and food ideas that will leave you feeling festive and ready for the season ahead!

Christmas Past (2021)

 

Last year a Charnwood ‘Bembridge’ wood-burning stove took centre stage in Good Homes Magazines ‘Updated Heritage’ roomset. The team also gave a talk on the Interiors Stage discussing all the latest Charnwood developments as well as the introduction of EcoDesign regulations. It was wonderful to meet so many of you to chat and answer your questions.

Good Homes Christmas Roomsets

The Good Homes style team return with 4 beautiful roomsets each with their own distinctive decorating scheme. Created in association with Next Home, they are called Scandi Luxe, Arctic Shimmer, Winter Berry and Woodland Jewel.

It’s a showcase that delivers for a range of tastes, each providing inspiration to help you fill your home with festive spirit in line with the latest trends. A Charnwood Island I and Aire 5 were selected for two roomsets and the sneak peek photos below indicate a perfect setting for the warmth of a Charnwood wood-burning stove.

Arctic Shimmer x Charnwood Island I

 

Photo: Next Home

A Charnwood Island I will feature in a serene Arctic Shimmer roomset with winter whites, soft greys and sparkling silver alongside a host of tactile materials.
 

The Island I is the smallest stove in the Island collection, delivering an output of 2-7kW of heat. Its uncomplicated looks and gentle curves ensure it sits well in any situation, be it modern or traditional. This stove meets Clean Air Act requirements with excellent efficiency of over 85% and an extremely low smoke particle level of 9mg/m3 (the Ecodesign limit is 40mg/m3).

Woodland Jewel x Charnwood Aire 5

 

Photo: Next Home

A Charnwood Aire 5 has been chosen to feature in the elegant Woodland Jewel roomset. Comprised of rich colours from dark evergreen hues to on-trend amber paired with tortoiseshell accessories and sumptuous soft furnishings.
 

The Charnwood’s iconic Aire 5 wood burning stove has been designed to maximise the view of the fire. The minimal styling of the Aire 5 fits comfortably into virtually any fireside situation whether it be freestanding or within a traditional fireplace. The stove delivers a comfortable 2-5kW of heat to the room with a crystal clear burn – a wonderful focal point for the room.

The Aire 5 incorporates Charnwood’s unique BLU burning technology. Not only a vast improvement on the new 2022 Ecodesign standards, BLU also meets with Defra exemption limits; allowing wood to be burnt cleanly and safely in smoke control areas.

Vlaze Hearths

Vlaze Hearths will be used to create a clean, modern platform on which to stand our stoves. Vlaze is our sister company and are experts in using porcelain enamel for the living environment and creating luxury fireside products.

The smooth gloss surface finish is heat and fire-resistant, easy to clean and available in a wide range of colours & designer finishes. The hearth plates are available in 5 sizes to suit most stoves and boast a 12mm depth conforming to UK building regulations for non-constructional hearths.

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As with Vlaze, the quality of Charnwood Stoves can only be fully appreciated in person. To book your tickets and discover a world of festive delights click here – we hope to see you there!

If you can’t make it to the Ideal Home Show Christmas, then we recommend searching for your local official Charnwood stockist here.