Best Fireplace Accessories You Need For Your Home
The best fireplace tools help keep your flames bright, your hearth protected and your fireplaces clean. From ash buckets to spark guards, every accessory plays a significant role in keeping your fireplace burning efficiently.
Best Fireplace Screens
A fireplace screen provides protection from the sparks, flying embers and hot coals that might escape while allowing heat to pass through. This safety feature retains heat and doesn’t allow it to escape, increasing the efficiency of your fireplace.
The best fireplace screen can be of multiple types like three panels, spark guard, door screens and curved screens. A three-panel screen consists of one large panel directly in front of the fireplace and two side panels that cover the width of the fireplace. This is stationary and doesn’t open or close. A two-panel or door screen props open by swinging in different directions, while a spark guard consists of one continuous screen in front of the fireplace. A curved door is similar in appearance to spark guards, but it’s curved from the sides.
You can also decide on the best fireplace screen by considering which material you need. A glass screen offers visibility, while a metal one is more durable. A mesh screen allows a clear view of the fire while providing protection, while a wrought iron screen looks more ornate and attractive.
Best Fireplace Grate
The basic function of a fireplace grate is to secure wood logs inside the fireplace, preventing them from falling and rolling into your living space. It’s positioned inside the fireplace and allows for better airflow. The best fireplace grates increase the efficiency of your fireplace by offering hotter fires and less smoke.
You can opt for cast iron grates that are heat-resistant and durable or choose steel grates that are lightweight and easy to install. Wrought iron grates are also a good option for traditional fireplaces.
Best Fireplace Tools and Sets
A fireplace is incomplete without the tools needed to stir the fire, lift logs, remove the ashes and clean the fireplace. The best fireplace tools consist of a poker, tongs, shovel, brush and a heavy-duty stand for all these accessories.
You will need a poker to move the wood logs and stoke the fire, while tongs come in handy to add kindling or reposition logs while they’re burning. Shovels are convenient to easily scoop firewood remnants and ash from the fireplace, whereas brushes are ideal to sweep leftover ash and debris into an ash bucket. All of these tools come together on a heavy-duty fireplace shelf or stand placed near the fireplace to keep your tools organized. The best fireplace tools are made from heat-resistant materials like cast iron or steel for better durability.
Best Fireplace Hearth Rugs
The flooring near your fireplace can often get soiled due to ash and soot from the fires. Investing in a fire-resistant hearth rug can protect your floors and carpeting from any flyaways. Most hearth rugs are designed in oval, half-round and rectangular shapes for design and safety purposes.
One of the best materials for a fireplace hearth rug is wool since fire damage is less visible on wool compared to other materials. This material doesn’t ignite easily and will conveniently self-extinguish if exposed to sparks, ensuring durability. It’s also an expensive choice and requires more maintenance.
Fiberglass hearth rugs are naturally fire-resistant, making them ideal for high heat exposure. They won’t burn, melt or support combustion since they have a thick vinyl pad on the bottom. Like wool, fiberglass tends to smother any embers or sparks that fly from the fireplace.
Synthetic fibers like olefin, nylon and polyester are also popular choices. They’re the most cost-effective and are treated with flame-retardant chemicals that enhance their properties. The downside of this material is that it is not as fire-resistant as the other two options for hearth rugs; synthetic fibers may melt or char, but they won’t catch on fire or burn completely.
Best Log Racks and Grabbers
A log rack is one of the best fireplace accessories to organize your logs in a convenient way. This is also efficient in keeping the logs off the ground and letting the wood dry better. Logs kept on grass or dirt make it much easier for infestations to occur; placing your wood on racks might help with this. You can opt for standing log racks that can be placed anywhere in the room or wall-mounted log racks to save space. Corner log racks are also a good option for places with limited space.
Log grabbers help you handle and arrange logs for the fireplace so you can reduce the risk of any injuries. You can either get a claw-style log grabber for a secure grip or a basket-style grabber to hold the logs in a basket.
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher to protect your home and deal with accidents in case the flames escape the fireplace.
Fireplace Cleaning Tools
While the best fireplace tools help you directly manage the flames and start fires, tools that help with cleaning and maintaining a fireplace are also essential.
For those experienced with chimney cleaning and roof work, a chimney brush may be used to remove ash and creosote from the chimney flue; a flue liner cleaning rod can be attached to the brush for better reach. If you have stubborn soot and creosote buildup in your chimney, you can use a chemical solution like a creosote remover spray for easy handling. This effectively removes creosote deposits in chimneys and helps to prevent chimney fires.
If you plan to clean your chimney yourself, make sure to use fall prevention equipment and follow product safety instructions to ensure safety.
Relying on professionals to keep your chimney clean is essential to prevent creosote buildup and keep your fireplace safe.
Fireplace Styling Tips
Once you have the best fireplace accessories all set up around your fireplace, you can design your fireplace to add to its appeal. Consider decorating your mantelpiece with artwork, succulents or candles. The ground around your fireplace can be decorated with fire-resistant rugs or mats to enhance its look. Ambient lighting and other décor can transform the look of your regular fireplace to make it stand out and look more attractive.