Firebacks: Which Type Is Better
for My Fireplace?
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of
Cast Iron Firebacks and Stainless Steel Firebacks
© 2005, PennVentures LLC

Fireplace owners eager to hold down fuel costs this winter are  increasingly turning to a low-tech but very efficient fireplace accessory

tool, the fireplace fireback. Firebacks are metal inserts placed in the back of your fireplace. Firebacks reflect and radiate the heat of your fireplace back into your room, increasing the amount of warmth your fire provides.

Firebacks come in two types: stainless steel firebacks and cast iron firebacks. Both types can be merely leaned against the back of your fireplace or stood in "feet" or brackets. (The photo below shows a

Pennsylvania Fireback in its brackets, called Saf-T-Boots, with a grate.) And both types of firebacks also protect the back wall of your fireplace. But each type of fireback does have its own advantages.

The traditional cast iron firebacks come in a wider range of sizes than the stainless steel firebacks do. Cast iron firebacks can be bought for the smallest fireplaces up to mansion-size fireplaces. Some cast iron firebacks are plain, but most have a decorative design cast into them. The designs range from classical urns, to Old World coats of arm, to colonial era motifs such as pineapples, to modern smiling suns. There are patriotic eagles and flags, and there are designs with your favorite animals, such as swans, deer, ducks, or horses.

Cast iron firebacks work much like old fashioned iron radiators do. That is, they are warmed by a heat source (hot water for radiators and your fire for the firebacks) and then they radiate that heat into the room. The mass of the cast iron firebacks makes them even more efficient "radiators" than the stainless steel firebacks.

The newer, stainless steel firebacks do not come in as wide a range of sizes as the cast iron one do. All of them are plain, without a design. These stainless steel firebacks are not recommended for gas fireplaces, as the intensified heat may damage the gas shut-off valve.  Because they do not have the mass of the cast iron firebacks, the stainless steel firebacks do not radiate as much heat as the cast iron ones do.

But the stainless steel firebacks have three advantages when compared with the cast iron ones. First, they reflect more of the fire's light into your room. Second, they are much lighter weight than castiron firebacks. This makes a difference to those concerned about managing the placement of the much heavier cast iron firebacks. For example, a small, 15" square iron fireback weighs about 30 pounds; a 23" by 20" iron fireback weighs about 70 pounds, and a 31" by 34" iron fireback weighs almost 300 pounds. The third advantage of the stainless steel firebacks is their price. They cost about half as much as a similarly sized iron fireback.

The stainless steel firebacks are the no-frills version of this fireplace accessory, most appropriate for those who value price over appearance. They are great for cabins or rooms that are more functional than decorative. The cast iron firebacks are more appropriate for traditionalists and for those who value not only energy-saving but also value maintaining the visual appeal of their fireplaces.

Either stainless steel or cast iron firebacks will make your fireplace more energy efficient. But consider whether a stainless steel fireback or a cast iron fireback will best meet your price, weight, light-reflection properties, and appearance preferences.

FireplaceMall Article Library Index   Chimney Cap Articles How to Select Your Chimney Cap: Everything You Need to Know!   Picture Guide to Types of Round Flues: Help Selecting the Appropriate Chimney Cap for Round Flues   Quick and Easy Selection Guide for Chimney Caps for ROUND Flues   How to Install Your Chimney Cap   Checking Your Chimney Caps: How to Assess Their Condition   Chimney Caps with 3/4 Inch Mesh or Chimney Caps with 5/8 Inch Mesh:  What's the Difference?   How Tall Should Chimney Caps Be?   Chimney Pots or Caps to Conceal Chimney Exhausto Fans   Damper Articles Improve Your Home's Energy Efficiency with a Fireplace Damper   Fire Articles How to Make a Good Fire in Your Fireplace   Fatwood: Nature's One-Match Kindling   Fireback Articles Firebacks: Which Type is Better for My Fireplace?   Increase Your Fireplace's Energy Efficiency with a Fireback   Fireplace Accessories Articles Are Silver or Chrome Fireplace Accessories Right for Your Hearth?   A Quick Guide to New and Traditional Fireplace Screen Shapes   Fireplace Candelabra Articles Decorating Secrets for Making the Most of Your Fireplace Candelabra   Candle Tips for Fireplace Candelabra   Fireplace Candelabra Serve Outdoor Needs, Too   Fireplace Problems How to Clean Your Fireplace   Smoky Fireplace? Here's How to Fix It   Stinky Fireplace? Solutions for Fireplace Odors   Firewood Articles How Much Firewood Do I Need?   5 Reasons Early Spring is the Time to Buy or Gather Firewood for Your Fireplace or Woodstove   Learn the Experts' Tricks for Selecting and Storing the Perfect Firewood   Mantel Articles Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel with the "Three Plus One" Trick   Fireplace Mantel Mirrors: Five Mirror Decorating Tricks for over Your Fireplace   Decorating a Fireplace Mantel:  Candlesticks and Fireplace Accessories   Bring the Beach to Your Fireplace Mantel   Outdoor Fireplaces, Fire Pits, and Fire Bowls How to Select Outdoor Fireplaces, Fire Pits, and Fire Bowls   Safety and Use Tips for Outdoor Fireplaces, Fire Pits, and Fire Bowls   Seasonal and Holiday Fireplace Articles Autumn Theme Decorating for Fireplace Mantels   Halloween Hearth: Treat Your Fireplace to These Fireplace and Mantel Halloween Decorating Tricks   Thanksgiving Day Fireplace Tradition   Before You Hang Your Stockings by the Chimney with Care, Be Sure Your Fireplace is Santa-Ready   Christmas Fireplace Safety   Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel for Christmas: Holiday Photos   Decorating Your Fireplace Mantel for Christmas: Fill Up the Glassware with Free or Inexpensive Wintery Items   Decorating Your Fireplace for New Year's Eve and Day   Five New Year's Resolutions for Your Fireplace and Chimney   A Sweetheart of a Fireplace Candelabra: A Special Valentine's Gift   Decorating Your Fireplace for Springtime and Easter

View/Edit Shopping Cart

Home    Article Library    Chimney Caps    OurLinks    Reach Us    Site Map

Contact Information:
fireplacemall@earthlink.net
Toll Free Phone:
888-8FIREPL
888-834-7375

We Ship UPS Ground

© PennVentures Inc.  2001-2010

 

Serving Online Shoppers Since 2001