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Say Buh-bye to your Fireplace Poker Set

November 20, 2021

Fireplace Reviews

Whether you are someone excited to start a remodel of your home’s fireplace or you are decorating the fireplace inside of your new home, there are several different types of accessories that you can choose from. However, one of the most vital accessories for people that have a wood fireplace is a fireplace poker set.

Fireplace tool sets not only serve an important function in the operation of a fireplace, but they are also an important interior design element. Because these tools are so prominently featured right beside your fireplace, it is important to claim a tool set that looks great.

This article is going to detail everything that you will need to know regarding tool sets for a fireplace. By the time that this article is over, you will know the different types of tools available, their functions, and what common styles are available.

For This Article, We Will Explain:

What Are The Different Fireplace Accessories Found In a Fireplace Tool Set and What Do They Do? – Right from the beginning we’ll explore each type of fireplace tool found in a set and their specific function for your fireplace.
What Are Some Various Fireplace Tool Set Brands and Where Can You Find Them? – We cover several tool set brands like Uniflame, Amagabeli, Minutemen, Panacea, Pilgrim Home and Hearth, Pleasant Hearth, Plow & Hearth, and more. We also talk a bit about where you can find tools sets.
Does Your Fireplace Tool Set Need To All Be Matching Pieces or Can You Mix Different Types? – As a compelling decorating theme, we explore the importance of having a complete matching set.
Does Your Living Room Home Decor Style Matter When Choosing a Fireplace Tool Set? – We highlight ways that the room’s decorating style can affect the style of tool set you choose.
What Issues Do Homeowners Face When Using a Wood-Burning Fireplace? – We cover a few of the disadvantages commonly faced with wood fireplaces in a house.
Why Is an Electric Fireplace a Preferable Choice When Compared With a Traditional Fireplace? – To avoid the issues wood fireplaces bring with them, we discuss all of the reasons an electric fireplace should be chosen instead.
Do Electric Fireplaces Require a Fireplace Poker Set or Other Tools? – We talk about whether fireplace tools are needed for electric fireplaces and when you might include them.
For People That Already Have a Traditional Wood Fireplace In Their Home, How Can They Convert It To Electric? – If you truly want to enjoy an electric fireplace, but you already have an existing fireplace, this section explains how to convert it.
Is a Generic Electric Fireplace Purchased Through Amazon a Good Choice or Should People Invest In a Brand Name Electric Fireplace? – We highlight problems that may arise with the purchase of generic electric fireplaces for your home.
For People That Prefer High-Quality Products, Which Electric Fireplace Brand Produces The Best Fireplace? – We highlight everything you’ll love about this superior electric fireplace brand.

What Are The Different Fireplace Accessories Found In a Fireplace Tool Set and What Do They Do?

When purchasing accessories for your fireplace, a fireplace poker set can come in many varieties. Each of these sets may have different tools depending on what your specific need is. However, the most common type of set is a 5-piece fireplace tool set. A 5-piece fireplace tool set has the standard tools that all wood fireplaces will universally require. Some certain accessories listed below may not come in these sets, therefore they will have to be listed separately. These tool sets can come in different styles and materials. The material and build quality of the tools will dictate their durability from repetitive use.

Here are the most popular tools you will find in a tool set for a fireplace:

Spade – A spade is simply a small fireplace shovel. These shovels are needed to scoop up ash and debris whenever the fireplace is cleaned out. Typically, this would happen long after the fireplace has burned out. However, for safety reasons, these spades are almost made out of metal. The metal spades allow for the handling of any hot material like leftover embers that may still be hot to the touch.
Poker – A fireplace poker set is a simple poking stick, usually with a small hook on it. A fireplace poker tool is used to move burning logs around. Moving logs may be needed to get more oxygen to flow to the fire. Logs also may need to be moved to make them more stable before adding more logs on top of it. The small hook is used so that you may pull logs slightly closer, rather than just poking them away.
Andiron – This is a log rack that rests inside of your fireplace. This fireplace rack is what the logs will be placed upon for burning. By placing logs on a rack like this, you allow for the maximum amount of heat to flow to the fire. This will make the logs burn larger and hotter, producing more heat to warm the home. Andirons are typically made out of sturdy and heat-resistant metal.
Brush – A fireplace brush is a handheld brush that usually comes with a dust bin. A fireplace brush is used for cleaning small amounts of ash and debris. You would typically use these immediately after shoveling a large amount of ash. The bristles of the brush will help clean up the leftover ash that the shovel is having trouble with. Also, brushes like these are needed with a fireplace like a wood stove. Wood stoves tend to have curved shapes, making it tougher to get everything with a shovel.
Log Holder – A log holder is different than a log rack that rests inside of the fireplace. Instead, this is a rack that sits outside of the fireplace. You would place all of your fireplace log pieces into this rack for easy storage. While you may have a large wood-storage shed outside, logs inside of this indoor rack will have already been split. They are close by for easy access in case another log needs to be added to the burning fire.
Bellows and Blowers – Bellows are blowing devices used to increase the burning of the fire. This can be used to reignite embers and get a fireplace to burn hotter. It can also be used to help increase the burning of a log that has just been added to the flame. Blowers like these only need to be used sparingly if the fire has been built correctly.
Hearth Broom – This is a broom that is larger than a typical brush. A broom is used for a fireplace hearth. Because traditional hearths tend to be larger and flush with the floor, a hearth tool like this makes the job much easier than bending down with a brush. However, a brush may still be needed for that last bit of ash, especially if you want to make the hearth look perfectly clean.
Lighter – In modern times, these will be long butane lighters that can produce a small flame with a simple pull of a trigger. There are also more traditional methods like long matches or the burned end of a longer stick to light the fire.
Ash Bucket – No, we didn’t say ash budget. Ash buckets are an essential hearth tool if you want to keep your fireplace free of all of the ash. When shoveling ash and cold embers, you need a metal bucket like this. It must be metal in case any of the embers are still hot. These small flammable embers can start a fire that you didn’t want. By scooping leftover ash and embers into a bucket, you can keep it safe compared to simply dumping it into a standard trash can. Sometimes, people use these buckets to store their small kindling pieces as well.
Log Grabber – These log tongs allow you to grab an entire log. You would need to use these fireplace tongs when a poker is not enough to get the job done. While a poker can slightly move things around, a grabber like this can pick a log up that fell onto the fireplace’s stone floor and place it back onto the fire. Or it can grab a difficult log and move it. After using tons like these, a poker may still be needed for small adjustments.
Screen – A fireplace screen is a safety device that serves a few functions. First, it creates a small barrier so that people keep their distance from the flames. Additionally, if you dropped something near the fireplace, it protects that object from rolling in accidentally. Another important feature of a fireplace screen is it protects things inside from getting out. This means embers won’t easily spark out of the fireplace and a burning log that fell off of the rack won’t roll out onto the room’s floor. They come in single or multi-panel screens. They are mostly used with traditional hearths. Something like a wood stove doesn’t need a screen because the fire already burns behind a glass or metal door. For the same reason, these aren’t needed with enclosed fireplace types.

What Are Some Various Fireplace Tool Set Brands and Where Can You Find Them?

There are many brands of fireplace tools that are available for purchase with your fireplace. Tools can vary in quality depending on the brand, so this is a selection of fireplace tool brand names that you may find more reliable.

Brands like Uniflame, Amagabeli, Minutemen, Panacea, Pilgrim Home and Hearth, Pleasant Hearth, Plow & Hearth, and Shelterlogic are all brands that you may want to consider. Remember that different brands will offer different styles of tools, therefore you should choose the brand that works best with the design of your current fireplace.

When purchasing any of these brands, many can be found at a local store or on large online stores like Amazon. Of course, the exact model that you want may be missing from Amazon, and local store inventories regularly need to restock. So, whether you are purchasing a Uniflame tool set, Amagabeli, Plow & Hearth, or one of the other brands listed, you may want to simply check with the manufacturer’s website. Many manufacturers sell their products from their official websites. You’ll usually get a better deal and the manufacturer is likely to have the exact model that you want in stock.

Does Your Fireplace Tool Set Need To All Be Matching Pieces or Can You Mix Different Types?

If you are in the market for a tool set, you should buy a complete set that matches rather than buying tools individually that don’t match. This will look much better since it is going to be displayed right in your home.

However, some items need to be bought separately to match the set that you have. For instance, let’s say that you are purchasing a heavy-duty wrought iron fireplace tool set. If you want a heavy-duty andiron or log rack, you’re going to get one that is a heavy-duty wrought iron as well. Of course, instead of wrought iron, you can use cast iron if it looks similar. Regardless of what material you prefer, just make sure that the additional accessories match the initial set that you purchase. If you get a set that looks hand forged, then you need to make sure that other accessories look hand forged as well.

If you purchase tools individually instead of a set, you may end up with some wildly contrasting tools that look strange next to your fireplace. If you are looking at brass fireplace tool sets with crook handles, then all need to have crook handles. If you need an additional tool that isn’t in the set, it needs to be the same material and it needs to have the same handle. If additional tools have ball handles, they will stand out negatively among the initial set you purchased. If you buy a set and need an additional tool, check with the brand to see if they offer that tool. This will ensure that the tool is more likely to match with the rest of your tools.

An outdoor fireplace like a fire pit should have matching tools as well. Even though an outdoor fireplace like a fire pit can have storage to keep your tools out of sight, having a matching set looks much better when they are pulled out to be used.

Does Your Living Room Home Decor Style Matter When Choosing a Fireplace Tool Set?

A fireplace poker set needs to match the style of the fireplace and the room that the fireplace is in. If you have a fireplace that has a rustic aesthetic, it makes more sense to have tools with a black finish rather than bright stainless steel. While it can still be steel construction, having a black finish on it will make it work better with the fireplace you have.

Remember that these tools will be sitting fireside for guests to see when they visit. If you go to a lot of trouble to design a great fireplace, then the accessories displayed nearby should also have the same thought put into them. Having a luxurious fireplace will quickly look cheap if you place cheap fireplace tools right next to it.

What Issues Do Homeowners Face When Using a Wood-Burning Fireplace?

If you don’t already have a wood fireplace, you’re in for an uphill battle building one. You have to hire an architect, make sure things are up to code, check that your home builder properly follows the building code, and more. However, if you already have one in your home, there are still two main concerns: safety and hassle.

Safety is a major issue with wood fireplaces. They are a fire hazard, so you are risking your home when you use them. Additionally, they are a breathing hazard. Despite having ventilation in the form of a chimney, smoke and other contaminants still fill the air of your home.

The other main issue is that they are a hassle. There is a lot of work that goes into using these fireplaces. You have to manage wood storage, split logs, clean the fireplace, build fires, and keep an eye on the fire that you have built. All of this work isn’t worth it for most people.

Why Is an Electric Fireplace a Preferable Choice When Compared With a Traditional Fireplace?

People prefer electric fireplaces over wood fireplaces for many reasons. However, the main reason is that they don’t have the safety issues like wood fireplaces and they aren’t a hassle to use like wood fireplaces.

Electric fireplaces don’t pose the same fire risk because nothing burns inside of them. Since nothing burns inside, no contaminants are released into your home either. High-end brands such as MagikFlame are UL certified, safe around children or pets, don’t produce any fumes, and don’t have burning flames that will cause a house fire.

Electric fireplaces are also extremely easy to install and use. After you’ve placed one where you want it, you don’t need to install ventilation. Instead, just plug it in. Turn it on, set the temperature that you prefer, and that is all you need to do to enjoy it.

Do Electric Fireplaces Require a Fireplace Poker Set or Other Tools?

Electric fireplaces don’t require any sort of tools for you to enjoy them. You don’t need to purchase tools and place them next to an electric fireplace unless you prefer aesthetic decorations. While many modern designs will be better without fireplace tools on display, these tools can add some charm to rustic and traditional large electric fireplace styles. Additionally, since you don’t need them to function properly, you can get away with purchasing cheaper generic brand tools that look good rather than ones that function well.

For People That Already Have a Traditional Wood Fireplace In Their Home, How Can They Convert It To Electric?

This type of home improvement project is surprisingly easy. With a fireplace insert, you can slide it directly into the opening of your existing fireplace. It is that simple. There is no need for a complicated installation procedure.

Is a Generic Electric Fireplace Purchased Through Amazon a Good Choice or Should People Invest In a Brand Name Electric Fireplace?

While Amazon can have some great deals on products, you want to avoid generic fireplaces on there. The fire effects are terrible, the heating ability is poor, and the build quality is lacking. Instead, focus on purchasing an electric fireplace from a trusted brand so that you aren’t disappointed with your purchase.

For People That Prefer High-Quality Products, Which Electric Fireplace Brand Produces The Best Fireplace?

MagikFlame is the answer to your electric fireplace needs. Whether you need one of their MagikFlame inserts or a mantel package unit like the Artemis, these features are included: