Should I have a fireplace or wood burning stove?

You’re guaranteed to find exactly the wood burning stove or fireplace you need and dream about in our extensive range. But which fireplace should you choose? And what is the difference between a wood burning stove and a fireplace? What is a fireplace insert and wood cassette? We guide you through the options that are available to make it a bit easier for you to choose.

Let’s begin by looking at the various types of fireplaces and wood burning stoves on the market:

Jøtul F 232 black wood stove in Scandinavian living room

Wood burning stoves - take up little space and heat up quickly:

In the past, most wood burning stoves had solid sides that offered no view of the fire. The majority today have a glass front. Some also have glass panes on the sides to provide maximum view of the flames. These stoves are often called wood burning stoves. A wood burning stove does not take up much space, is simple to connect to a chimney and quickly heats up the room when it is lit.

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Mother and son sitting in the kitchen in front of fireplace insert Jøtul I 620 F

Fireplace insert - design your own fireplace:

A fireplace insert can be described as a complete burn chamber, often with a wide door. An insert is placed on a wall and a surround is built around it. You can design the fireplace surround yourself. You can choose what finish you want, for example with a wood niche, and a smooth or rougher texture painted in the colour of your choice. A fireplace insert can also be placed inside an open hearth. Our fireplace inserts come in a wide range of sizes with a choice of one, two or three panes of glass to let you view the fire and enjoy the cosiness. So you’re free to choose exactly the fireplace insert that works best for you and your interior space.

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“The wood burning stove or fireplace that you choose should not only match the interior of your home, it should also fill the space with a pleasant and soothing heat for many years to come.”

Jøtul FS 520 FRL white fireplace in a bright Scandinavian living room

Fireplace - time and cost saving package solution:

When a fireplace insert is mounted in a pre-designed frame, we call it a fireplace - or what we in the technical language call a fireplace surround. Here you get a total package consisting of a fireplace insert, with either one, two or three glasses, with finished framing around.

Our fireplaces are a time- and cost-saving alternative to building your own fireplace. In addition, they take up less space, are easy to place and provide very good heat. The fireplace frame can have a wood niche, and different variants in relation to valves, floor height for the insert, and can be painted in the color you want - right after installation.

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Jøtul C 400 Panorama fireplace cassette installed in open pit

Wood cassette - ideal for open hearths:

A wood cassette is intended for installation in an existing open hearth or fireplace. Our wood cassettes are flexible and easy to install, and quickly transform an open hearth into an efficient, clean-burning fireplace. Instead of letting the heat disappear up the chimney, you’ll get much more heat from each log you burn. In fact, the energy efficiency can increase by as much as 80%! You’ll enjoy the warmth and cosiness with a clear view of the fire thanks to a large pane of glass in the front.

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What are the heating needs of your home?

Of course, what you decide to invest in will depend on what you’re after. Is this to be the main source of heat in your home? Or a feature that will add comfort and cosiness? Or both?

Remember that a wood burning stove produces a lot of heat. Its capacity (size) must therefore be relative to the heating needs and size of the space in your home that you want to heat. You obviously won’t need to invest in the largest fireplace or wood burning stove if the main purpose is to create a cosy, relaxing atmosphere in your home.

But if it is going to be the main source of heat, you need to start by measuring the space that you want the fireplace or wood burning stove to heat. Another decisive factor is how well insulated your home is. A good rule of thumb;

Houses built before 1960 require 80W per m2
Houses built from the 60s to the 90s require 60W per m2
New, well-insulated houses have an estimated need of 30W per m2

So the calculation is:

If you want to heat a living room and kitchen area of 70 m2 in a pre-sixties house, you need a fireplace that gives out 5,600 watts (70m2 x 80W) of heat.
If you want to heat a living room and kitchen area in a sixties to nineties house, you need a fireplace that produces 4,200 watts (70m2 x 60W) of heat.
In a more recently-built house, the fireplace only needs to produce 2,100 watts (70m2 x 30W) of heat.

Jøtul FS 520 FR if fireplace with wood niche in a bright living room with a yellow chair

Choose the fireplace or wood burning stove that meets your heating needs and interior space

A wood burning stove or fireplace from Jøtul greatly increases the cosy factor in your home, is kinder to the environment and keeps heating costs down. It should also be an interior feature that is right for the living space and your heating needs, and enhances the style you have chosen for your home. Jøtul creates fireplaces and wood burning stoves with all this in mind - small and large, narrow and wide, round, black and white. What they all have in common is that they are the most efficient wood-burning fireplaces in the market, with a strong focus on design, innovation and user-friendliness.

In other words, this is the perfect place to start looking for your dream fireplace or wood burning stove. And our dealers are always happy and ready to help you realise your dream.

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