Freestanding fireplace

[wooded]

We are going to buy a new house, and I want to build in a freestanding fire place (not gas, just wood) in the middle of the livingroom, like the ones on the frontpage of the Rural Building (http://www.ruralbuilding.com.au/pages/home.asp) (<--- click) website (I know those are gas, but you'll get the idea)

I have browsed on the internet for hours and hours, and cannot find anything like those designs, the only ones I find are ugly freestanding iron small fireplaces.

Can someone give me some tips on how to approach this DIY idea?
Where can I get the fireplaces, how to build etc., do's and don'ts.

Maybe someone can give me a better serach string for the search enigines, I am now using 'freestanding fire places'

Any other (warnings and) tips are also welcome! My location: Perth

Cheers,
WoodEd.

[wombat47]

What you will need to buy is a "wood heater" or "slow combustion heater" then build a solid brick surround for it, leaving a recess to suit your chosen heater, as well as an opening at the top for the flue. You will install the heater into the opening, with a double flue rising to a point higher than the highest point on your roof.

For safety, as well as cleaner fuel consumption, I would strongly recommend your heater, if not slow combustion, has a door. I doubt that you would be able to find a double sided version.

You will also have to consider fuel. Will you have to buy it? Do you have a free supply and, if so, is the wood suitable for wood heaters? I don't know what varieties are preferred in WA - but many eucalyptus (or is it eucaplyti) burn quickly with low heat output. Pine and black wattle leave resinous deposits in the chimney which are difficult to remove in the chimney sweeping process (another chore to consider).

Does your council have any policy on wood burning heaters, or regulations pertaining to their installation, or allow you to install a wood burning heater at all?

And, as the owner of a wood burning heater who lives in a area with very cold winters, nothing looks cosy than a wood fire and, with the right mix of wood, is an effective source of heat, BUT ... they are ecologically unsound, they take a lot of hard work and commitment to keep up a supply of fuel and to feed in that fuel, they are dirty and messy and the fuel harbours all sorts of little things with numerous legs which come into your house with the wood.

[wooded]

What you will need to buy is a "wood heater" or "slow combustion heater"

Like this?
http://www.thefireplace.com.au/wood_2door.html
Thanks for the tip! I'll get there.
:)

[Trav]

but many eucalyptus (or is it eucaplyti) burn quickly with low heat output.

My experience is that many eucs burn for a long time and at a high heat. That is why most of the houses in Canberra that use wood fires (still to many IMHO) use good old aussie hardwoods.

Trav