If you are thinking about installing a new open fronted fireplace in your home then there are many different accessories that can be bought to make it a better and more enjoyable experience.
Fireplace screens offer protection to those flying sparks whilst fireplace tools allow you to stake the fire.
This article talks about fire grates and their uses.
Fireplace grates come in many different sizes and styles and are basic or sometimes decorative.
They are made from many different materials but the one that lasts a long time, offering value for money as well as decorative visual pleasure is often the cast iron fire grate.
A fireplace grate is probably the most important accessory that you could own when having a live fire in your home.
It allows the wood to be burnt evenly and stops smoke and ashes in your home but supporting the wood over the base of the fire until it burns out completely.
This means it allows the base of the fire to breathe whilst suspending the wood so that ash residue from the wood is minimized and smoke is kept to a minimum.
Grates come in many different forms such as the self feeding grate, the basket fireplace grate and the sea through grate, all of which offer even burning of your wood.
Fireplace grates also offer a smarter cleaning solution for your log fire.
As your grate stops the burning logs from moving around and causing a mess, it also means that the charred embers all collect in one localized area which allows for easy clean up.
Fire grates are also great if you want to have a controlled fire on your patio or outside your tent on a camping trip where you may want to use it to cook some sausages or toast some marsh mellows.
In many hardware stores and throughout the internet there are many retailers which offer traditional cast iron fire place grates.
However, if you are looking for something bespoke then there are also companies that will custom build a unique fire grate for you but obviously these come at a premium price.
If you enjoy a bit of DIY and own a welding kit then it is actually quite possible to make your own personal fire place grate out of some old scrap metal and it is quite likely your own custom made piece will likely last you the life time of your fireplace.
Modern fireplace grates are usually made from cast iron and come in a few different designs.
Some are made as baskets where you can pile as many logs in as you wish.
Other designs have prongs which are there to skewer your logs on to or between to make sure that they do not roll around anywhere and cause a fire hazard.
Whichever kind that you go for, just remember to set a budget and stick to it as some decorative pieces can actually be quite expensive.