Customer Service Hours

8:00 AM EST to 7:00 PM EST

Showrooms

ALEXANDRIA

7525 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22306

Get Directions

FALLS CHURCH

2843 Rogers Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042

Get Directions

ROCKVILLE

802 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852

Get Directions

Fireplace Grates Buyer’s Guide

Looking to buy the best quality and affordable fireplace grates? This guide explores their features to help you choose the best one for your needs!

 

Whether you already have a fireplace installed or you are shopping from scratch, the next thing to consider is the fireplace grate inside. There are a variety of fireplace grates, and depending on your personal needs, you can choose among many different styles, materials, and levels of affordability.

What Are Fireplace Grates?

Although they are located on the inside, fireplace grates are a crucial piece of the installation. Depending on what you are looking for, you’ll find that fireplace grates do a lot for your masonry fireplace.

More Efficient Fires

A fireplace essentially holds the burning logs above the fireplace floor, which allows more space for air to reach the logs, and since oxygen is needed for combustion—we know that the more air the fire is exposed to, the longer and higher it can burn. So you are getting more mileage out of your wood and allowing the fire to give off more heat to the room. This is why it’s important to take into account the height of the grate’s legs, as that creates the space underneath.

Simply put, fireplace grates are the most practical thing to enhance the efficiency of your masonry fires.

The Aesthetic Boost

While too many people base their grate decisions solely on the look—it is certainly something to consider. Without a fireplace grate, the flames would look less impressive, and there would be a lot of empty space in your fireplace. Once you install your desired grate, it will make the perfect centerpiece of your beautiful living room.

When choosing a fireplace, be sure to balance your aesthetic aspirations with practical considerations such as the size of your firebox, and the durability of the material the grate is constructed. How often will you be using the fire, and how intense would you like it to burn? More durable materials such as steel will likely be a bit more expensive. So if you only will be using the fireplace a couple times a year, a less expensive material may be a more affordable option for you.

Protect the Fireplace Floor

A grate protects the floor underneath from the heat of the fire. This way, the fireplace itself will not be damaged after repeated use, and your fireplace can stand the test of time. No one likes a sooty, burnt-out floor.

Also, a fireplace grate can help the ventilation because the extra space under the fire allows the fire to grow and allows the smoke to be easily carried out to the chimney.  

Less Maintenance Required

Because a grate allows ash to build underneath the flames, it allows ash to become finer over time, which makes fireplace maintenance easier. Finer ash can be easily removed, and cleaning your fireplace is no longer a task you will dread (or at the very least you will dread it less).

Factors to Consider for a Fireplace Grate

Before learning about the different categories of the grate, take a moment to consider what you need in a fireplace grate. Here are some questions to ask:

How Often Will You Be Building Fires?

If you plan on building log fires every day, you should take note of the lifetime grates, most likely one of cast iron. On the other hand, if you light fires on a less than regular basis, you have more leeway on the material to browse the various types of designs. If you are only looking to light fires on special occasions, such as the holidays; or you’re reserving fires for the coldest days of the year, you have full latitude in choosing a model.

Is This Grate for an Outdoor or Indoor Fireplace?

stainless steel grates are ideal for outdoor fireplaces, as they will not rust over time when exposed to the elements.

Does Your Fireplace Have a Gas Starter?

Most likely, you would know if it does. A gas starter is a pipe-like device that, once turned on, releases gas and small flames to ignite the logs, beginning the fire. If you light your fires by hand, with a match or barbecue lighter—your unit does not contain a gas-starting pipe, which means you are not limited to an extra tall type of grate.

How Much Heat do You Want?

Believe it or not, you can control the intensity of your fires by choosing your fireplace grate. This is because fireplace grates are engineered with different priorities in mind—some for aesthetics, and others for efficiency.

Types of Fireplace Grates

Because everyone has different needs for their fireplaces, different types of grates have emerged. Each has been constructed with its own specialty, so you must find a grate with the same priorities as yours.

Lifetime – Heavy-duty construction with customizable options. Look for one with a lifetime guarantee, because as the name suggests—these are a lifetime investment.

Be warned, however, durability is tied to weight—so if you want a lifetime grate, double-check the material it is made from. If you intend on using your fireplace every day, however, you are going to want a sturdier grate built for a long lifespan.

Ember Bed – Built for the longest, hottest burn. A steel mesh contains the ember directly underneath the logs until it’s burned to ash. This enhances the efficiency of the fire and leaves you with less ash to clean up afterward—a modest advantage, that over time, can go a long way.

Extra Tall (for gas starting fireplaces) – Extra Tall grates are manufactured to accompany fireplaces that employ a gas starter. Instead of lighting the logs directly, a gas starter is something you turn on that emits flames (lit by attached gas), essentially starting the fire for you. Extra Tall grates are constructed specifically for fireplaces that have gas starters. Before browsing grates, it’s useful to know if your fireplace uses a gas starter. 

Zero Clearance – A compact unit. Built specifically for a smaller, factory-built fireplace.

Custom – Exactly what it sounds like: you choose the exact depth, width, height, and grate thickness to fit your fireplace.  

Self-Feeding – You’ll notice that the bars appear more curved than its countertops. This sloped shape forces logs to fall to the center of the piece, allowing the fire to burn longer, more consistently. Because self-feeding grates are more efficient, you won’t need to stay as concerned about feeding your fire more wood, because the grate practically takes care of itself.  

Non-Tapered – A “tapered” fireplace grate is one in which one end is thicker than the other. So naturally, a non-tapered fireplace grate is one with the same-sized front and back; these grates are designed for see-through fireplaces.

 

The Materials

Cast-Iron –The weightiest of fireplace grates. Designed with small gaps throughout to allow the wood to burn longer, as it won’t fall through, underneath the fire. Cast-iron grates can be used with both wood-burning and charcoal-burning.

Steel – Steel fireplace grates are more useful for wood-burning, and although they’re not the heaviest of the three materials—steel still carries some weight to it.  

Stainless Steel – A non-corrosive metal, so it can withstand use indoors or outdoors without rust ever-developing over time.

 

The Dimensions of the Fireplace

Before purchasing your grate, you need to know the space you’re working with—it’s the same as when planning any type of home improvement. You wouldn’t want to spend time and money ordering the perfect fireplace grate, only to later realize that it doesn’t fit in the fireplace.

 

How to Calculate Grate Size

  1. Take measurements of the front width of the fireplace. (Remember, grates are tapered, so the front width of your fireplace is most likely wider than the back).
  2. Take measurements of the fireplace’s rear width.
  3. Take measurements of the distance between the front and back of the fireplace. This is the “depth” of the fireplace.
  4. If you have a gas starter, measure the height of the installed gas starter pipe. (If you do have a gas starter, you’re going to want an extra tall grate).
  5. Now that you have these four measurements, subtract 6 inches from the front width, rear width, and depth (and gas starter, if applicable). These three remaining numbers are your maximum grate size. Shop away!

The reason we’re subtracting six inches from each dimension is that it’s recommended to have 3 inches of clearance on all sides of the grate. Not only is it safer to have a better-ventilated fire, but it also allows better performance, as more oxygen can reach the flames for a hotter, long-lasting fire. This also applies to the gas starter pipe, which should also have three inches of space around it.

 

We're Here to Help!

Fireplace Deals’ inventory has dozens of design options for your perfect installation—whether you’re focused on a more efficient burn or having the most inviting centerpiece for your next family get-together. Browse our selection to learn more. Or check out the rest of our Learning Center for more Homeowner Resources. As always send us an email or call us at 866-848-3473.