16/10/2026
The boys have been to start pull out a fireplace opening for a stove installation today.
Everyone got a nasty surprise when the wooden stove surround was removed.
**** OFTEN, WITH SAFETY, IT'S THE THINGS YOU CAN'T SEE THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT. ****
This photo was taken today. They also took me a short video which I'll upload in the comments
This family have obviously been very lucky. How on earth this hadn't gone up in flames, I really never know !
This is worth sharing to highlight the risks of distances too close to combustibles. Regulations and requirements are always there for a reason.
Out of sight, out of mind is NOT good enough. This could have been so, so easily much worse.....
Rules with safety are there to protect you and not meant to be broken.
There may be things on any install that you can do that could save you money, and I'd be the first one to highlight things that customers can change that helps finances in their favour, such as choosing silver twin-wall flue pipe over black, or a possible change of one stove model to another.. Perhaps change of hearth material type, such as from granite to slate
Let's just say this was good enough to make it into my folder of scary photos !!