Be Ready for Anything with the Proper Fireplace Supplies

For a wood-burning fireplace, obtaining the proper fireplace supplies should start with a tool set. This set usually has a long handled poker to stoke the fire, a flat-bottomed shovel to scoop ashes, a set of tongs for moving hot burning logs and a small broom to clean your fireplace of stray ashes. A grate is also needed to contain your firewood within your fireplace. Made usually of black cast iron, a grate will keep your flaming logs from rolling out and possibly setting your home on fire.
Additional fireplace supplies for a wood-burning fireplace include fire starters and hearth matches. Fire starters help start the kindling burning since wood logs take a little longer to catch fire. The hearth matches are long and allow you to keep your fingers far away from any potential burns while starting a fire.
Gas fireplaces don't need most of the fireplace supplies used in wood-burning models. They have their own separate set of requirements. For example, a gas fireplace needs gas logs. These are usually constructed from concrete or special ceramic materials and manufactured to look like real wood logs. In addition, you will usually need a special cast iron grate for your fake logs to rest upon. There are also special rocks you need to spread at the bottom of the fireplace which will glow like embers once your fireplace is lit. These special touches for your gas fireplace can give it an authentic look, much like that of a real wood-burning one.
There are some supplies that both wood burning and gas fireplaces have in common like fire screens. The primary function of these screens is safety. For a wood-burning model, a fire screen can keep flaming logs from rolling out. When a fire consumes the wood logs, they can start to "settle" inside the firebox and displace a log, causing it to tumble out. In addition, burning wood logs like to "snap" and errant embers could blow out. A fire screen can keep these embers contained, thus avoiding a possible fire spreading in your home. Fire screens in a gas burning fireplace serve basically one function - keeping children, pets and other items away from the fire.
Having the proper fireplace supplies is important in maintaining the integrity and safety of your home. The first thing you should do when you purchase a new home is buy the supplies most appropriate for your fireplace, even if you don't plan to use it for a while. That way, you will have the tools necessary should you decide on the spur of the moment to light a fire.