Kaminy Kupit V Spbfireplaces and stoves at home: a reference that sells nothing

An independent reference about fireplaces and stoves at home. It sells nothing, is not an installation company and is not connected with the previous website on this domain.

Planning

Planning the work

A fireplace or stove comes into a home for the long term, and most decisions are made before the first brick is laid. Where the chimney will run, whether the floor can take the weight, where the hearth will get its air, who will install and check it: these questions are best answered on paper. Below is a general sequence that helps you avoid missing anything important.

A hearth that was thought through in advance costs less than one that is rebuilt after the first winter. A design is not a formality; it is a chance to make mistakes on paper rather than in the wall.

— Editor's note

How this section works: we describe how to prepare for a hearth installation in general terms. Construction requirements, dimensions and clearances are set by the design and the applicable regulations, so there are no figures here.

How to plan a fireplace or stove installation

  1. Choose the type of hearth

    Decide what you want from the fire: heating, atmosphere or both. A wood-burning fireplace, a stove, a gas fire, an electric fire and a bioethanol fire place very different demands on a house.

  2. Ask a professional about requirements

    Invite a professional to assess the house: is there a usable chimney or where could one run, can the floors take the hearth's weight, how will combustion air be supplied? In a block of flats, check any restrictions with the building management.

  3. Commission a design

    The design fixes the hearth's position, the chimney arrangement, the protection of walls and floor and everything the regulations require. The installers work to it, and the finished work is checked against it.

  4. Leave installation to professionals

    Building a stove and installing a fireplace and chimney are jobs for experienced specialists, while gas equipment is installed and connected only by specialised organisations. Ask for paperwork for the completed work and an operating manual.

  5. Check the draught

    Before the hearth goes into use, a professional checks the draught and the condition of the chimney. Run the first fires as they advise and watch carefully where the smoke goes.

  6. Fit alarms

    Fit a carbon monoxide alarm and a smoke alarm in the room with the hearth and near the bedrooms. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and tell everyone at home what to do if an alarm goes off.

When you need a professional

A professional is needed at every stage that concerns construction: choosing the location, the design, the masonry, installing the chimney and taking it through floors and the roof. Mistakes here are not visible straight away and show up later as smoke in the room, cracks or overheating of nearby structures.

It is also worth calling in a professional once the hearth is in use: if the draught has weakened, cracks or soot have appeared on the surround, the door no longer closes tightly, or the carbon monoxide alarm has gone off even once. Until the cause is found, it is best not to use the hearth.

Everything to do with gas, including installation, connection, relocation and servicing, is the job of specialised organisations. Working on gas equipment yourself endangers the whole building, not just your own home.

What to discuss with a professional before work starts

  • Which type of hearth suits the house and how you plan to use it
  • Where the chimney will run and how it will pass through floors and the roof
  • Whether the floor can take the hearth's weight and needs strengthening
  • Where the hearth will get its combustion air
  • How to protect walls, floor and furniture near the fire
  • How and when the chimney will be swept, and who will do it
  • Ideas

    Ideas for the home: a living-room fireplace, a stove at the cottage, electric and bioethanol fires in a flat, a log corner and a hearth with children around.

  • How-to

    How to light a fire and how to store firewood, plus the stove, gas and chimney work you should never do yourself.

  • Questions

    Answers about this reference, about lighting fires and firewood, and about fireplace and stove safety at home.

Sources

  • Fire Safety Regulations of the Russian Federation (Government Decree No. 1479 of 16 September 2020)
  • Russian rescue-service guidance on safe stove heating

Specific requirements are summarised in general terms from the Fire Safety Regulations of the Russian Federation and Russian rescue-service guidance on stove heating. Other countries have their own chimney and fire-safety rules, so check your local regulations. Dimensions, clearances, fire separations and installation methods are set by the design, the applicable regulations and the professionals who install and service your fireplace or stove.