Blog

I arrived at the lake on Wednesday the 23rd March, bright sun and blue skies on the forecast for the next few days and until today, Monday the 30th that is exactly what I have been enjoying. The other thing that has been a complete joy is the wood burner. Bright warm clear days at this time of year bring cold nights and frosty mornings with them. The warmth the wood burner gives is incredible, at eleven o'clock at night I can sit in the awning in shorts and T Shirt.

I did not want the hassle of fitting the gasket ring which enables the flue pipe to exit the awning through the canvas roof on the same day as setting everything up. I have purchased a new awning for the caravan with new poles and this would be the first time it had been erected too. I must admit that I was very nervous about cutting a big hole in a brand new awning. I decided to ask the campsite where I store the caravan during the winter if I could set everything up on the day I was to pick the van up to take it home to start getting it ready for the new season, the owners kindly let me use a nice big level pitch for the day.

After putting the awning up and pegging it all round as square as possible, we put the wood burner in with the intention of moving it around, trying different places. As soon as we moved it in there was only one place it could go, front and centre. After leveling and transferring the flue position up to the roof it was easy to position the gasket. This comprises of an inner steel ring and an outer steel ring with a rubber sleeve which the flue passes through. The steel rings are pre drilled, once lined up you need to make a hole for the bolt which connects the inner and outer rings together. I decided to heat a Phillips screwdriver up and burn through the canvas.

This would not only make a perfect hole but would also seal the canvas edge around the hole. After every bolt was fitted loosely with a nut, silicone was placed between the two plates and the nuts were tightened. Running a Stanley knife around the inner ring, removed the canvas from the centre allowing the flue out. It was a very simple process which was made easier by having plenty of time to do it, if we had tried to do it the same day as setting up I think it would have been rushed and may not as gone so well.

Here we skip forward to having set up at the lake. I have put down six, ten inch granite slabs for the wood burner to sit on and act as a hearth. I have also made a back and side screen to protect the awning from the heat close to the burner. I made it from some scrap plywood which I then coated with heat resilient paint.

I think it looks fantastic but will it light, I have a lot of wood which has been cut into logs and stacked. Oak going back 8 years, Birch for three and chestnut for over a year now its safe to say I have some lovely seasoned wood to use. Time to fire it up!!

It has been in use for seven days as I write this, sat in a lovely warm awning while the rain hammers down. I have only used the gas cooker in the caravan three time's in that week and only right at the start while the heart was still building, the burner would go out over night. I used the gas to make the first cup of tea while I got the fire going again. The thing is so easy to use, the draw makes it very easy to light and the vent means its also very simple to control the heat output. I have cooked and will continue to cook every meal with it.

Every morning it makes me smile, returning from a walk around the lake or in the woods, seeing the stack pipe with the witches cowl, wisps of smoke curling into the air, it makes me smile. I am discovering new pleasures with it every day, sitting with the door open toasting tea cakes or marshmallows in the evening is one that could become a habit.

If your thinking about buying a wood burner I can from experience recommend that you do. I would also recommend that you do your research and have a good look around to see what is available.

After you have done that. Throw it away and buy one from Jon at the Windy Smithy