UKH

Having onl thought about it after the stove has been installed, what has anybody found to be an effective heat reflector which would also be flexible enough to fit down the side and then around the back of a stove which has approx five cm down each side?

Having felt the brickwork, it seems to make more sense to have something metal which would reflect/radiate the heat a little bit like the stove does, rather than having the heat being absorbed by the brick.

One plan is to make one out of steel sheeting and hinges and have it powder coated black, so it's flexible like the side of a squeeze box and could curve around the stove and also blends in.

In reply to Timmd:
Hmm....interesting. seems like a good idea. I've have a little convection fan which works well but a heat mirror type thing could work. Much like like the silver inserts you see behind radiators etc.

In reply to jimjimjim:
I've googed it and found heat reflectors which have a brick pattern on them, am slightly kicking myself that I didn't think of it before the stove went in, but there you go, experience is what you have just after you needed it.

In reply to Timmd:

I'm surprised you only have 5 cm gap around the stove, I thought you needed more than that for regs.

Depending on where the fireplace is in the house I'd say it's good to have the brickwork warmed up as this will retain and emit the heat long after the stove has gone out.

In reply to gethin_allen:
You're right, I'm rubbish at guessing distances, it's 12 cm.

Edit: It seems there are stove manufacturer suggested gaps, and there are regulations for distances from combustible materials. The wood surround is far enough from my stove to fit the combustible material regulations.

In reply to Timmd:

Don't underestimate the benefit of the brickwork heating up. If we run the fire in the evening for a couple of days and then leave it off, you can still feel heat in the brickwork around the fire (and upstrairs around the chimney breast) the following evening. Big storage heater!

In reply to NottsRich:
Interesting, I might try and get hold of some metal and compare how the air feels upstairs throughout my house.

I'm aiming for being able to leave my heating off in my terraced house and the doors open, and having the attic bedroom warm enough but not hot.

I seem to take after my Dad in being 'warm blooded' as my Mum would put it, and not needing much bedding at all during the winter, one plaid wool rug/blanket is often enough.

It sounds Spartan, but it isn't from me being quite warm generally. If people come round I'll put the heat on.

In reply to Timmd:

I think I agree, the old storage heaters were mainly a box full of bricks. Let the bricks get warm.

In reply to Timmd:

metal would just get hot very quickly and radiate the heat through to the bricks, you'd be wasting your money.

In reply to Timmd:

My daughter in Canada has a big wood burner in her living room. It's a timber framed house with no brick chimney so they have a large galvanised steel plate on the wall behind the stove. It stops the house from burning down when they have the fire going 24/7 during the winter months when it drops to minus 35C outside.