You don't HAVE to use a grate, but it does come with some worthwhile advantages
They have grill or mesh features that help with airflow and ash clean up
Benefits of having a grate include increased ventilation, decreased smoke production, and easier fire starting
One con of owning a grate is that it may not improve the heating...
Generally, a gas fireplace will be good for 10-15 years
However, different parts have different lifespans
An indoor gas firebox can easily last 50 years- and wear out slowly
Burners generally last for around 25 years
Gas valves last about 15 years
Ceramic logs can basically last around 10 years
Blowers and remotes last about 8-10 years
When I...
It was a typical day in the office. I was working on a project when I heard someone yell, "Fire!" I turned around to see the desk across from me engulfed in flames. The fire spread rapidly and soon the whole office was ablaze.
I quickly grabbed my laptop and phone and ran for the door, but before I could...
Neutral colors are typically the best options for fireplace mantels
Ivory is a great color choice for portraying classical components on your mantel
Depending on the color you picked for the mantle or whether it complements the decorations, the firebox interior may need to be painted a different color
It may be a good idea to match the...
When we bought our home in rural New England, the first order of business was to make sure the chimney was in good shape.
We weren't too worried about it at first- after all, the previous homeowners had kept it clean and well maintained.
But as we started poking around, we realized that there was a problem. The cap on the...
Because traditional brick mortar consists of sand, lime, and cement, it will disintegrate in a roaring fireplace
So, yes, fire fireplaces masons need to use refractory fireplace mortar comprised of magnesium silicate, which can deal with heat up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you have a fireplace in your home, there are probably several questions you ask yourself regarding...
It was my birthday and I was opening presents at my parents' house. I had just turned 30 and I was feeling a little bit older than I used to feel.
But as I opened the last gift, I saw something that made me feel young again. It was a set of beautiful copper fireplace bellows.
My parents had known that...
When I decided to buy a pair of fireplace tongs, I had a lot to consider. I needed something that was both sturdy and well-crafted, as I didn't want to have to replace them anytime soon. After some careful consideration, I decided on a beautiful pair of antique English fireplace tongs.
These tongs were large and impressive, and they were...
A heat reclaimer captures heat from your stove's exhaust before it exits the chimney and recirculates it into the room — genuinely useful on an older, inefficient stove that's still sending a lot of heat straight up the flue.
On a newer, EPA-certified stove with good baffling, there's less spare heat left in the exhaust to reclaim, and...
A kindling splitter is a stationary, ring-topped splitting tool: you set a piece of wood upright inside the ring and strike it down with a mallet, which is generally safer than swinging a hatchet at kindling-sized pieces since your hands stay well clear of the blade.
Our top pick
Splitting kindling by hand with a hatchet is a genuinely common source...