Choosing the perfect fireplace for you can be difficult with a lot of different things to consider. To make it easier for our customers, we’ve cut through the jargon and explained definitions and fireplace terminology used throughout the site. If you still require further help or advice, please contact one of our expert team.
Ash pan
A metal tray designed to sit at the base of the fireplace to catch the ash as its burnt away found in fireplaces for solid fuel use
Air Vent
A small grill placed in the wall of your room it is needed for gas fires with an input of over 7kw
Agean Limestone
This is the product our Limestone mantels are made from millions of years old each piece is individual and is made from 100% agean limestone
Bars
An integral part of the cast fireplace which sits at the front to stop the coal or wood falling out the front normally below the bars is an ash pan cover which hides the ash pan and is moved forward to access this
Builders Opening
The opening dimensions in the chimney breast to allow the fitting of the fireplace into the chimney each fireplace has a particular size this needs to be to allow correct fitting
Cast Iron
This is the product the fireplaces are made from its cast in foundry’s in china painted with black heat resistant paint or highly polished
Cast Iron Back
This is at the back of the fireplace and is the area that the fuel is burnt in designed for each fireplace it’s needed for use in solid fuel use and forms part of the fireplace
Cast Iron Insert
A name given to describe the actual cast iron part basically it means the fireplace these are then covered by a mantel made from wood, cast iron or stone
Combination Fireplaces
A fireplace that’s all in one it has a shelf attached to the top of it so there is no need for a separate surround they come in various sizes for use in every room of the house
Carrara Marble
This is the marble used to make our marble surrounds its natural material cream in colour with veins running through it lends itself to the natural beauty of the fireplaces it graces
Carbon Monoxide
A poisonous gas which is produced by burning fuels it needs to be vented away from the fireplace
Chimney
Common in houses of all ages the chimney breast is the main focal point for a room and is normally brick built and designed to draw the fumes away from any fireplace
Clearance
A Clearance is the measurement which is needed to install items i.e. when fitting a stove there is a clearance measurement that needs to be taken into accountant so that no combustible product i.e. wood carpet etc. is within that range
Ceramic Fibre Back
An item used at the back of a tiled fireplace for gas use it’s not as heavy as a cast iron back and reflects the heat better into the room than a traditional cast iron back
Corgi
No not a dog it’s the body that oversees the fitting and safety of all gas appliances which has now been replaced by Gas Safe Register
Class 1 Chimney
Common in older houses earlier than 1960 the class 1 chimney is easily identifiable by 7″ or greater flue an easy way to tell if its class 1 is to see if there a chimney pot on the roof
Class 2 Chimney
Either on an older house where the original flue has been lined with a flexible 5″ liner or a newer house which has steel flue built in.This type of fireplace is easy to spot with steel flue terminal on the roof or silver cowl instead of standard chimney pot
Damper
A Damper is an item that is used to restrict the air flow to a chimney normally used at the top of the fireplace it’s a metal plate that can be open and closed to shut off draughts when the fireplace is not in use
Decorative Gas Fire
An appliance that has a living flame fire it’s used for decorative use more than a primary heat source typically with a heat output of 2kw they are used for effect and a secondary heat source
Electric Insert
Designed to fit our range of fireplaces the electric insert can be used in no chimney situations they sit behind the bars and have 3 settings of Effect Heat 1 and Heat 2 not as realistic as a gas insert they are better than having nothing and come complete with real lumps of coal to place around the insert to make it look realistic
Fire Back
Designed as part of the fireplace to radiate heat into the room and to protect the chimney from damage they are available in Cast Iron and Ceramic fibre
Fireplace Insert
The part of the fireplace that sits behind the surround it’s made from cast iron and comes in arched tiled and fascia panels for use with solid fuel gas or electric
Fire Basket
This is a freestanding device which sits at the base of the fireplace and contains all the fuel in for burning we do designs in traditional and modern for every home a real open fire for the price of a simple basket
Fireguard
A device that sits in front of the fireplace to stop young children actually touching the fireplace some designs have small mesh frames on them which will stop sparks from escaping from the fire also called fire screens
Free Standing Stove
This is a wood burning or multifuel stove that sits on its own legs and is a fireplace contained all in one with a glass door so no fumes or embers can spill out they really are the clean way of having a solid fuel fire without all the mess
Flue Pipe
Attached to the top or rear of the stove this is the item that vents the fumes away into the chimney breast
Flue Liner
A flue liner is a flexible liner that is used to line the chimney when it’s in bad condition they are available in 5″ 6″ and 7″ for use with gas and solid fuel attached to a cowl at the top of the fireplace they make the cost of replacing the lining in the chimney breast very economical
Grate
The term used for the grate at the bottom of the fireplace which the fuel is burnt on some come with coal savers to stop the fuel falling forward and make the area slightly smaller to burn in
Grate Polish
Known as Black Lead it gives the fireplace a traditional look as to the type your granny used to polish the old kitchen ranges with still in use today it gives the fireplace a true traditional look
Gas Fire
These are available for all our cast iron fireplaces and convert the fireplace from solid fuel use to having it used for gas with a living flame fire they are cleaner and easier to use than solid fuel and really do provide a realistic look to an open fire. Available in Class 1 and Class 2 Chimneys we have 1 to fit every type of room
Granite Hearth
The granite hearth is one of the bases we use for all our fireplaces it can be cut into sections for solid fuel use or used in single slab form for use with gas and electric it’s as tough as nails and will not scratch in day to day use and forms the perfect hearth for the perfect fireplace
Hetas
The body that oversees the fitting and safety of solid fuel fireplaces
Hearth
Made from Granite Tiled and slate the hearth is the slab at the bottom of the fireplace that it all sits on suitable for solid fuel and gas use they have to be certain sizes for certain uses
Jura Stone
A natural product made from unappealing sheets of marble and coated with 2 finishes one is smooth Cotswold and the textured Chiltern. Both finishes give the appearance of stone and are cold to the touch like real stone
LPG Gas Inserts
LPG gas inserts are available for our range of fireplaces where customers have no mains gas
Lithofin
A limestone and slate sealer to seal the porous surface of new limestone to avoid staining from any type of spillage
Mantel
This is the surround that fits around the fireplace available in cast iron wood limestone or marble in lots of different sizes and shaped we have designs to fit from the most basic front room or to grace the drawing room of a period manor
Multi-fuel
Multi-fuel stoves are capable of burning a variety of materials in wood coal anthracite coke etc. just to name a few they used to be wood burning stoves but now they are designed to burn a multitude of item without buying various grates for different burning applications
Natural Gas
This is the type of gas that’s piped in to most houses in the UK it is highly flammable and used in the home for many heating uses
Oxygen Depletion Sensors
A device fitted to the gas insert to shut down the gas fire when fumes spill into the room and are not vented away correctly basically it’s just a safety device
Portuguese Limestone
Same as Agean limestone a phrase that’s used to describe the material the limestone surrounds are manufactured from
Polished or Full Polished
The term used to describe the finish of a highly polished metal surface on the fireplace it’s easy to keep clean using wd40 or metal polish it can be used for gas or solid fuel use but will tarnish around the bars when used in a solid fuel situation
Power flue Fire
A Type of gas fire that vents straight thru the external wall to an extract the fumes without the need for a chimney they are taken away by an integral fan so you can have a working living flame gas fir without having a chimney
Rebate
A measurement used on the fireplace surrounds to measure how far the cast needs to sit from the wall its always between 25-75mm normally as rule of thumb you need 25mm for an arched insert and 75mm for a tiled insert most timber surrounds have adjustable rebate strips but limestone and cast iron fire surrounds its fixed at 70-75mm
Rear Flue
The rear vent on the back of a stove to allow the flue pipe to connect and be taken straight out of the wall
Top Flue
Traditional way to vent the flue pipe from the stove it attaches to the flue collar and goes straight up into the chimney breast
Tubeline Tiles
These tiles are supplied by us for use in our tiled fireplaces they are hand painted and no two sets are the same with such a good selection I’m sure you will be able to choose a set to fit in with your decor
Vent Wall Vent
No normally needed for gas insert under 6.9kw input only required for those appliances over that rating or where spillage test fails
Wax Finish
This is the finish applied to our timber surrounds to create a traditional look its stained with an antique water based wood stain then hand finished with an antique colour and hand polished to create patina
Zebo
A finish applied to black fireplaces to create a traditional look it also goes under the name of black lead