Fireplace Accessories

Over the years, the use of a fireplace screen has changed very little.  Fireplaces are not used today as they once were.  Fireplaces are no longer the main source of heat and I do not know anyone who uses theirs for cooking.  However, the fireplace screen still plays a vital role in today’s fireplace.

Fireplace screens are a must for all that use their fireplace.  Luckily, there are several added benefits to having this necessity.  

Safety
First and foremost the fireplace screen is needed for safety.  You must protect your family and home from flying sparks and embers.  An unprotected fireplace can be disastrous.  The damage can range from putting burns in the floor to burning the entire house.

The second part of safety is keeping children and pets out of the fire itself.  A fireplace screen will provide a barrier between your child’s roaming hands and the fire.  It will also keep your pets out of the fire or ashes when the fireplace is not in use.

Decor
Fireplace screens can be absolutely beautiful.  There is a huge selection of fireplace screens to choose from to go along with any style, color scheme, or theme you are trying to achieve.  

Whether you want a simple screen to just blend in, a decorative brass fireplace screen with fancy scroll work, or anything in between, you can turn your hearth into a thing of beauty.

The fireplace has long been the focal point or whichever room it was in.  You can easily turn an ordinary looking fireplace into a show piece with the addition of a fireplace screen, matching fireplace tools, and a matching log rack.  At this point, the fireplace will also be functional.

Disbursing Heat
This is one of the benefits that is overlooked or unknown.  The entire fireplace screen will heat up.  This allows a uniform heat to be emitted from the front.  This actually makes the fireplace heat much more efficiently, disbursing heat evenly through out the room.

The benefits of a fireplace screen are great.  Safety is the number benefit.  Decor and disbursing heat are just an added bonus.

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Wooden Fireplace Inserts are great for increasing the efficiency and appearance of an old wood burning fireplace. A Wooden fireplace Insert sits partially inside the fireplace and it has an outer shell that transfers heated air and reduces heat loss. An Insert adds sophistication, energy efficiency and a high heated output.

Wooden Fireplace Inserts have blowers that circulate the heat and lower combustion and air emissions. It is usually very easy to install and they are usually made from steel or cast iron. These inserts make sure the air is fire is clean burning. These inserts help to reduce the cost of heating a home. The inserts have a firebox that is surrounded by a steel shell that prevents heat from escaping up and out of the chimney.

There are different types of Fireplace Inserts like Gas, Natural Gas and Propane. Inserts come in different shapes, styles and appearances. Most wood burning fireplace sare a little outdated and inefficient, but with the wooden fireplace inserts the efficiency is improved. These inserts are EPA approved and they allow for more heat and less wood burning. The inserts are built with glass doors that keep the heat contained and safely allowed to retain the level of heat.

Wooden Fireplace Inserts are used by many homeowners that have all types of fireplaces. These inserts allow them to keep their current fireplace no matter how old and update it a little. In today’s economy saving money is very important and these inserts allow you to save money on utility bills and it allows you to heat your home in an eco-friendly way. The environment is saved just a lot by using wooden fire place inserts and the clean air is a result.

With clean emissions and less burning a home can be heated at a maximum level without the cost or the by products of chemicals and smoke. There is a fireplace insert out there for all types of homes ad fireplaces, with just a little research and perseverance anyone can find the right fit for their home. Safety, efficiency and health standards should always be first concern when installing any type of fireplace insert.

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Fireplace grates are a very important fireplace accessory.  They are second only to the fireplace screen which keeps the fire contained in the firebox.  Fireplace grates are available in many shapes and sizes to accommodate all styles of fireboxes.  They are crucial to your fireplace burning at peak efficiency.

What Is A Fireplace Grate

A fireplace grate is a device used to raise logs off the firebox floor for the purpose of containing the logs and creating airflow to produce a hot fire.

The most common grate is a series of evenly spaced bars held up by four legs.  The bars are flat in the middle with the ends bent upward to hold the logs.  There is a self feeding variation of this fireplace grate.  The main difference is that the middle of the bars continue bending down creating a U shape instead of being flat.

There are also basket style fireplace grates.  Just as the name suggests, they are shaped like baskets.  The sides have evenly spaced straps of iron which allow for airflow.  This basket sits up on four legs to elevate it off the firebox floor.

Fireplace grates are generally made of cast iron or stainless steel, cast iron being the most common.  The rule of thumb is the heavier the grate the better.  

The heavier grates are more durable and stand up to continuous hot fires.  Lighter weight fireplace grates have smaller parts and sometimes hollow parts that just do not last.

Light weight grates are less expensive and will probably hold up fine if you seldom use your fireplace.  If you use your fireplace a great deal, your best bet is a heavy duty fireplace grate.  You will not regret it.

Fireplace Grate Function

The fireplace grate’s main function is to elevate the burning logs off the base of the firebox to create airflow.  This airflow greatly increases the efficiency of the fire.  

With the logs elevated, air is allowed to be drawn under the logs forcing the coals to burn hot.  The hotter they burn the more they draw.  If the logs are not elevated they basically sit on the floor and suffocate.

Another function of the fireplace grate is to contain the burning logs.  The angled sides of the grate hold the logs and force them to the center.  Otherwise, when the logs closest to the bottom burned down, the top logs would roll off.

Fireplace Grate Benefits

A hot fire is the main benefit.  The obvious benefit of a hot fire is more heat for you.  A roaring fire produces far more heat than one that just sits there and smolders.

Another benefit of a hot fire is less smoke.  Less smoke means a more complete burn causing less creosote build up in the chimney, reducing the risk of a chimney fire.  Less smoke also means less pollution for the environment and your neighbors.

For anyone who uses their fireplace, a fireplace grate is a must.  If you do not already have one, do yourself, your chimney, the environment, and your neighbors a favor by outfitting your fireplace with a fireplace grate.

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Fireplace Screen And Fireplace History

Ancient dwellings had a fire pit dug in the ground.  The fire pit was in the center of the dwelling  and smoke escaped through holes in the roof.  It was a toss up of how smoke would escape and how much blew back into the dwelling.  Chimneys were invented much later and partially fixed this problem.

In 1678 Prince Rupert raised the grate of the fireplace which greatly inproved the airflow.  In the 1700’s Ben Franklin developed the convection chamber which made fireplaces and wood stoves much more efficient.  In the later 1700’s Count Rumford designed a firebox that greatly improved the efficiency of the fireplace.  His design made the opening of the firebox tall, which allowed for greater air flow, and shallow which reflects more heat out of the front.  The Rumford style firebox is still the most common used today.

Fireplace screens were created for two main reasons.  First,  they spread the heat out evenly through out the room.  Second, fireplace screens contain the burning embers and flying sparks, protecting the family and home.  Fireplace screens were also used to cover the the firebox in the summer months while not in use.

Early fireplace screens were made of several types of materials:  leather, paper mache, wood, and wicker.  These fireplace screens would have two end frames and the material would be secured to them.  Eventually, the fireplace screens would get decorated to become a focal point in the home.

Today, the fireplace screen still performs the same functions as they did in the early days.  Although fireplaces are not used as they once were,  the fireplace screen is still as important as ever to the fireplace user.  Fireplace screens still protect the family and home, spread heat evenly, and now make a beautiful focal point for any home.

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The Great Fireplace Grate
Fireplaces took a major leap forward in 1678 when Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles1, raised the fireplace grate.This increased airflow greatly improving the efficiency of the burning fire.

Fireplace grates provide many benefits and a hot burning fire is one.  When the logs are elevated off the firebox floor, air is pulled from under the burning logs creating a draw.  This causes a cycle.  The draw of air burns the logs hotter and the hotter the logs burn the more it draws.  This causes the fire to burn cleaner which means less pollution and less creosote in your chimney reducing the chance of a chimney fire.  A hot fire also means more heat for you.  When the fireplace grate is positioned towards the back of the firebox,  the heat hits the slant of the fire back.  The slant of the fire back slants forward reflecting the heat out into the room.

Another benefit of fireplace grates is they securely hold the burning logs in place so they are not rolling out onto your floor.  This benefit should be obvious.  Fireplace grates will also keep the burning logs compact which makes them “feed” off one another instead of having them spread out burning independently.

Fireplace grates also make lighting the fire easy.  Simply crumple up newspaper and stuff it under the fireplace grate.  Next, put  kindling on the fireplace grate.  On top of the kindling place medium size pieces of wood and on top of that place a log or two.  Presto, a full size fire.  The importance of the fireplace grate in all of this is to keep the weight of all the wood off the paper, which would smother it, not allowing it to get hot enough to ignite the kindling.

When measuring your firebox for a fireplace grate, simply measure the back of the firebox.  This is usually the narrowest point if the colvings (sides) slant in.  Make sure the is at least 2-4 inches of clearance on each side.  The fireplace grate should have 6-8 inches clearance front to back to keep it as far back as possible away from the doors or screen.

Fireplace grates have a long history and are still as important today for many good reasons.

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