Carl Finnell · Case study · York
A statement fireplace, built to order
A built-in Spartherm Linear Triple in York, an 11kW German stove with a guillotine lift door, set into a bespoke porcelain feature wall. One of our more challenging and rewarding installations.
The stove
A spectacular flame picture
The built-in Spartherm Linear Triple is a stunning example of modern fireplace design. Highly controllable, it has a smooth guillotine lift door with a generous glass area and an advanced airwash system, so you get an uninterrupted view of the flames with excellent control. As an optional upgrade the door can be operated electrically by remote. Made in Germany by Spartherm, one of Europe's leading premium manufacturers, it is backed by a 10-year guarantee on the stove body, and its Thermotte lining reflects heat back for a hotter, cleaner burn.
| Nominal heat output | 11kW |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Wood logs |
| Glass viewing area | 1,000mm wide x 569mm high |
| Appliance depth | 450mm |
The installation
Interesting, and genuinely challenging
The room is an extension of the main house with an external chimney that also houses an outdoor fire. We worked with the builder to route the large flue, 250mm internal and 300mm external diameter, through the wall and into the new chimney stack, using larger-than-normal flue blocks so the 250mm stainless liner could be installed.
With the flue in place we built a non-combustible metal stud and Glasroc feature wall, then clad it in a porcelain material supplied by Lapicida in Knaresborough, with integrated heat vents and bespoke detailing. A custom 8-sided stove frame gives the contemporary built-in finish, a dedicated external air supply improves combustion, and the job was fully commissioned, tested, HETAS certified and finished with a carbon monoxide detector.
York homeowners planning a comparable built-in feature can read our dedicated guide to fireplace installation in York, including the survey, opening, hearth and making-good decisions that shape the finished room.
The thinking
When the fireplace becomes the wall
A three-sided built-in fire like the Spartherm Linear Triple does not sit in a room; it organises one. Glazed on three faces and built into a bespoke porcelain feature wall, this York installation turns the fire into the architecture: visible from across the space, framed in large-format panels with almost no joints, and burning behind glass like a living picture.
Porcelain is the right skin for a wall like this: precise, jointless at scale, easy to keep and completely at ease with heat when built on the correct substrate, the same discipline we bring to every chamber we build.
The craft
Built-in fires are construction, not installation
A built-in three-sided appliance arrives as a firebox and leaves as a wall: the structure around it is designed and built for the purpose, with heat-rated boards and adhesives throughout, expansion understood, services routed and the flue rising cleanly from a fire that has no chimney breast of its own. It is the most construction-heavy work we do, and the drawings are agreed before a single batten is fixed.
As always the finished system was commissioned, tested and certificated, with Building Control notified: statement pieces get the same paperwork as workhorses.
Near you
Contemporary statement fires across York
Renovated townhouses and new builds around York increasingly ask for exactly this: a fire designed into the architecture rather than added to a wall. Three-sided, tunnel and linear built-in fires all follow the same path, survey, design, drawings, build, and all benefit from being planned early in a renovation.
And because York extends its smoke control rules city-wide from November 2026, appliances and fuel are specified to burn cleanly and legally, checked against your exact address on the survey.
Questions about this kind of job
Asked and answered
What is a three-sided fireplace?
A built-in fire glazed on three faces, so the flames are visible from the front and both sides. It is built into a purpose-made wall or peninsula rather than a traditional fireplace, and it reads as architecture rather than appliance.
Is porcelain safe around a built-in fire?
Yes, when built on heat-rated backer boards with the right adhesives, which is the invisible half of the job. Large-format porcelain gives a near-jointless finish that suits contemporary fires perfectly.
When should a built-in fire be planned in a renovation?
As early as possible: the wall is constructed around the appliance, so flue route, structure and services all want designing in from the drawings. We work alongside builders and architects on exactly this kind of project.
Can a statement fire like this still meet York’s smoke control rules?
Yes: appliance choice and fuel do the legal work, and we specify both to burn cleanly and lawfully, checked against your address as York’s rules extend city-wide from November 2026.
HETAS Registration Number 2087
HETAS registered
Installed with care, certified with confidence
Carl self-certifies every installation and notifies Building Control on your behalf, so the work is signed off properly and your certificate of compliance is issued for your records.
- HETAS-registered installer
- Certificate of compliance issued
- Meets your home insurance
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The work behind it
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HETAS-registered installs. We cover Leeds, Harrogate, Wetherby, York, Ripon, Malton, Thirsk and Scarborough.
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