Biomass-fuelled backup heat; mass heaters store and slow-release heat from a short, hot burn.
Cost
Medium
Upkeep
Frequent
Skill to build
Basic
Lifespan
15-25 years well-built and maintained; firebox/baffle components may need earlier replacement
Embodied carbon
Low
Space / material use
Medium
Output timing
On-demand/controllable
Skill to repair
Basic
Regulation (FR example)
Flue installation follows DTU 24.1. Chimney sweeping is compulsory (typically once or twice a year) under the departmental sanitary regulation, and insurers generally require proof. Some communes restrict wood burning under an air-quality plan.
Note: Cost, carbon and footprint are rated against the other options for this same need, not in absolute terms.
No sizing or quantities: how much a technique yields, and how much a household needs, both depend on the build and the people, so the catalogue compares options rather than dimensioning them. It carries no bill of materials and no build sequence, and it is written for an oceanic, clay-soil climate (Normandy, France). Regulatory notes are indicative and need confirming locally.