About Fireplace Accessories

A fireplace is much more than just a hole in the wall and a chimney. In the abstract, it is also a special kind of experience. On this page I discuss some of the fireplace tools and fireplace accessories you should consider owning in order to make that experience as safe and enjoyable as possible.

Exterior

Starting at the top, the most important piece of equipment you can get is a chimney cap. A chimney cap should be installed for obvious reasons: chimney caps keep rain, squirrels, birds, and other animals from getting in, and it acts to arrest dangerous sparks from getting through the chimney and starting a fire outside. I always recommend stainless steel chimney caps. If there is only one flue in the chimney, a single chimney cap will work. However, many chimneys have multiple flues for example, one for the furnace and one for the fireplace. Then it makes sense to install a mult-flue chimney cap that will cover the entire top of the chimney cap (or crown) as well as the flues.

During the summer months, pesky mosquitoes can make the outdoor patio and grill area a little less enjoyable. However, there is a wonderful new solution for this eternal problem, called the Skeeter Vac. This unit converts propane from a standard grill tank into carbon dioxide and water vapor; once expelled from the unit, it mimics the chemical makeup of a human's breath, attracting the biting insects away from the real humans. More information and pictures will be coming soon. By the way, these are proven to be environmentally friendly and are much less annoying than a "bug zapper."

Interior

A log burning in a livingroom fireplace is a beautiful thing. But remember you're dealing with fire; fire burns, and it's inside your house. You want to be able to enjoy the beauty and warmth of that fire, while at the same time preventing flame and sparks from escaping into a living area occupied by people. You also want to minimize the amount of ash that will naturally filter out of the fireplace and onto the surrounding floor area. There are several ways to accomplish these important goals of safety and aesthetics.

If you don't have a set of tightly closing fireplace glass doors in front of your fireplace, consider their benefits both in spark protection and in keeping warm room air from escaping up the flue. They can also dramatically change the appearance of the hearth area. When determining the size of fireplace glass doors you need to order, close measurements are very important, especially for an inside fit. We recommend avoiding this type of installation; it's better if it overlaps slightly, so the fireplace glass doors will actually be slightly larger than the fireplace opening.

You will also need to determine if yours is a zero-clearance or masonry fireplace, usually easily determined by looking at the chimney from outside. If it is brick, you most likely are looking for masonry fireplace glass doors. If the chimney is enclosed in vinyl siding, it is probably a pre-fab fireplace, in which case you will need zero-clearance doors.

If you don't want fireplace glass doors, you should at least put some kind of metal mesh fireplace screen(s) in front of the fireplace to block most sparks that might escape. Many fireplace glass door sets come with a built-in fireplace screen(s), which can open like a little swinging fireplace door(s) or be drawn aside like a curtain. That way, the fireplace glass doors can be left open for a more realistic feel, but you will still have some protection from sparks.

Fireplace screens can be purchased in artistic designs to add extra interest to the hearth area. Both Pilgrim and Minuteman produce beautiful, high-quality fireplace screens and fireplace tools. For extra peace of mind, a Kidco safety gate can be put around the fireplace or woodstove to keep small children from getting too close to the fire.

Hearthrugs should be placed on the floor in front of the fireplace for additional spark protection and to further beautify the fireplace area. In the case of a woodstove, stove boards can be placed underneath to protect the floor from scratching and excessive heat.

Fireplace Tools and Toys

Besides these two important "add-ons" (chimney caps and fireplace screens), there are many fireplace accessories available to enhance the functionality and appearance of your fireplace.

The interior of a fireplace is usually made of a noncombustible material such as stone or brick, which tend to absorb a good amount of the heat produced by the fire. Firebacks are specially designed plates made of cast iron that are placed in the back of the fireplace to radiate more heat back into the room. This alone will pay for itself very quickly in fuel savings and efficiency if you want to use your fireplace as an additional heat source in your home.

There's no avoiding ash accumulation whenever you burn wood logs in a fireplace, so there's always going to be some cleanup necessary afterward. Decorative ash containers and shovels can improve the look of the hearth while at the same time helping with the safe removal of ash.

A good-quality log rack or log carriers will allow you to stack firewood neatly and keep it off the floor. And a log carrier or cart to help transport the wood indoors will make the job neater and easier.

Fire needs oxygen to burn, but sometimes it doesn't get enough at first to burn efficiently. An old-fashioned bellows looks great, is fun to use, and lets you direct a powerful stream of air into the spots where the flames may need the most fanning.

Last but not least, adding, moving, and turning logs can be uncomfortable, if not dangerous, since you need to get so close to the flames in order to do the job. To do it right and do it safely, you need a good set of pokers and tongs of various sorts. Fireplace tools come in iron, brass, or polished wood, and in many unique designs and sets. Not only do fireplace tools help manage the fire, they also add decorative accent to the fireplace area.