Did you get the most out of your fireplace this winter, or did you feel like something was missing? Your fireplace can be easier to use, and more efficient, with the right tools. Here is our list of the best and most useful fireplace accessories.
Fireplace Accessories
Fireplace grate or andirons. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, a metal fireplace grate or set of andirons  is a must. A grate cradles the wood in your fireplace as it burns, while a set of andirons provides to elevated resting points to keep the fire off of the floor of your fireplace. It’s crucial to keep the fire off the floor of the fireplace so air can efficiently circulate underneath the fire.- Fireplace tools. A set of quality, sturdy fireplace tools are a must for every hearth. Your set of fireplace tools should include a poker and pair of tongs to help stoke the fire and rearrange burning logs. It also should include a brush and metal shovel to clear away ashes or burning embers that might pop out of the fireplace.
- Spark arrestor or fireplace screen. When fires are burning, logs can shift or pop, or a gust of wind can burst down the chimney. Both of these send ashes and embers flying into your home. That poses a fire hazard, as well as a burn risk to anyone sitting near the hearth. A spark arrestor or fireplace screen covers the fireplace opening to keep ash and embers inside your fireplace, making it a crucial accessory for fireplace safety.
- Fireplace doors. There are two types of fireplace doors. Standard fireplace doors are left open while the fire is burning but are closed when the hearth is empty to block drafts from entering your home through the chimney opening. There are also heavy-duty ceramic fireplace doors that can be closed while the fire is burning. These doors provide safety by keeping logs, ashes and embers in the fireplace, and they help you to capture more heat from your open-hearth fireplace by trapping the fire’s heat and radiating it back into your home.
- Firebacks. Firebacks are large pieces of metal placed at the back of the fireplace. They are decorative, but they also perform a valuable function. Firebacks help direct more of your fire’s heat back into your home instead of out your chimney.
Shop With Us!
If your hearth needs help from some fireplace accessories, now is the time to shop! After using your fireplace all winter, you should have a sense of what tools would help you to better handle your fire, and make your hearth more efficient and safer. Before you forget what you need for your hearth, stop by one of FireSide Hearth & Home’s showrooms to find the fireplace accessories you’ll need next winter.
