Fireplace Surrounds (A Complete Guide) (2024)

Fireplace surrounds can be an essential part of anyfireplace, whether it’s traditional open fireplaces, gas fireplaces or wood burningstoves.

Fireplace surrounds help to make a fireplace into more afeature and a focal point for a home, as well as providing a shelf space abovethe fireplace to allow you to decorate it with personal items.

There are surrounds for our own open fireplaces and woodstoves, and through renovating our home we’ve also removed a surround whentaking out an old gas fireplace.

We’ve therefore put together this complete guide tofireplace surrounds to explain and show:

• What a fireplace surround is, what it does andwhether one is needed.
• Whether fireplace surrounds are hollow and howthey are attached.
• What materials fireplace surrounds are typicallymade from.

What Are FireplaceSurrounds?

A fireplace surround is the object that sticks out fromthe outer wall of a fireplace into the room and surrounds the fireplaceopening. A fireplace surround is usually made up of the sides and mantel but mayor may not include the base of the fireplace, known as the hearth.

A fireplace surround is usually thought of as the componentsthat protrude from the wall of your home away from the fireplace firebox opening.

In many cases a fireplace surround can come as one unitand can be made up of the following components:

• Mantel
• Legs
• And sometimes the hearth.

The mantel consists of the top part of the fireplacesurround that is commonly found to be flat on top so that ornaments and otherdecorations can be placed. A mantel can also be commonly bought as a standalonecomponent to create a ‘floating mantelpiece’ look.

You can read more about standalone floating mantel shelves in another one of our articles here.

The sides of a surround, also referred to as the legs,provide support for the mantel above and also helps create a barrier betweenthe fireplace and the room.

The hearth is flat area at the base of a fireplace on which the fire is built and other objects can be placed such as a fireplace screen. A hearth sticks out into the room to provide protection for the floor against hot embers. Some fireplace surrounds will have a hearth as part of the unit.

The images below show the surrounds for our own open fireplaceand old gas fireplace.

As the size of fireplace openings are never quite the samebetween homes, fireplace surrounds come in a range of shapes and sizes tosuit.

Surrounds also come in a range of designs, materials andpatterns so that you can find one that fits in with the décor of your home.Designs range from antique to contemporary, while materials can include wood,stone and concrete.

What Does A FireplaceSurround Do?

The purpose of a fireplace surround is to:

• Be a stylish and attractive component of afireplace that helps to make a fireplace a focal point for a room.
• Provide a barrier between an open fireplaceand the room so that fires can be more safely contained within the fireboxand help keep hot embers away from any combustible materials within the room.
• Allow you to place household decorationsabove the fireplace on the mantel.
• Can help to keep smoke from coming into theroom.

Does A Fireplace Need ASurround?

A fireplace does not always necessarily need a surround,but the requirements for a fireplace surround must be in line with local andnational codes and building regulations.

A fireplace can also look very bare if there’s nosurround.

The image below shows our kitchen fireplace when we removedthe surround for renovation, and even when we had touched it up with some paintit wouldn’t have looked great without the surround being put back.

Are FireplaceSurrounds/Mantels Hollow?

Certain models of fireplace surrounds will be hollow, whilesome won’t be. It’s typical for lower cost fireplace surrounds constructed ofwood to be hollow while more upmarket and higher priced surrounds can be solidthroughout.

Not all fireplace surround and mantels will be hollow.

Whether a surround is hollow can be down to the materialsused and whether the surround is part of the original construction of the fireplaceor not.

Wooden surrounds that are used with fireplaces thatdon’t already have a surround are more likely to be hollow than otherbrick, stone or concrete surrounds that were constructed alongside the fireplace.

Whether a fireplace surround is hollow or not can also bereflected in the price. You can expect lower cost wooden surrounds to have ahollow center, while more expensive surrounds or standalone mantels that usehigher quality materials to not be hollow.

As an example, the wooden surround for our old gasfireplace that was in the kitchen before we renovated it is hollow.

When this surround was installed you couldn’t tell bylooking at whether it was hollow or not.

Whether a fireplace surround is hollow or not doesn’tdetract from its functionality or looks, but using a hollow fireplace surroundcan be a cheaper option when the insides of the surround wouldn’t be seenanyway.

On the other hand, the concrete surround (paintedblack) for our living room fireplace is completely solid, and you canonly tell by the sound it makes when knocking on it. The stone surround foranother fireplace we have (with a multi fuel stove installed) also isn’thollow.

How Are FireplaceSurrounds Attached?

Many fireplace surrounds can be part of the constructionof the whole fireplace and will be built in, but surrounds that have been addedonto a fireplace will usually be attached to the wall with brackets and screws.

Surrounds that aren’t part of the construction of afireplace, in particular wooden surrounds, are typically attached to a wallwith a number of brackets/lugs and screws located around the surround.

These brackets can either be found on the inner or outerside of the surround and may be located under plaster so that they can’t beseen.

The number of brackets and their locations will differbetween each surround, but as an example the location of the brackets for ourold wooden gas fireplace surround is shown below.

The brackets were screwed onto the back of the surroundand into the wall. The brackets themselves were covered in plaster and thewall was originally covered with wallpaper and so the brackets or plastercovering them couldn’t be seen.

Some surrounds, particularly those that are made frommasonry, may be more built in and won’t necessary only be connected to thefireplace with brackets.

However, our concrete living fireplace surround isattached to the wall around the fireplace using both cement and withbrackets.

For more information on how fireplaces surrounds are attached see our in-depth guide on how to remove a fireplace surround.

What Are FireplaceSurround Made Of?

To help suit different home decors and personal preferences,fireplace surrounds can be found made from a range of different materials.

Common materials that can be used for a fireplace surroundinclude:

• Wood
• Concrete
• Brick
• Cast iron
• Stone
• Granite & Marble
• Tiles

Other materials that can be used for fireplace surroundsinclude quartz and slate.

Wooden Fireplace Surrounds

One of the most common materials used for fireplacesurrounds can be wood.

Wooden fireplace surrounds are common because of their easeof installation and affordability.

Wooden surrounds can be lighter, and cheaper to constructand transport and so they can be less expensive compared to masonry surrounds.

Many wooden surrounds are also hollow, which alsohelps to reduce purchase costs even further. Their relative lightness in termsof weight also helps to make the installation and removal of wood fireplacesurrounds a lot simpler.

Our old kitchen surround for a gas fireplace was atraditional wooden surround, and was attached to the wall using brackets withscrews.

If you’re looking for a traditional wooden surroundthen you’ll typically find them constructed of a hardwood (like our old gasfireplace surround above).

Many wood surrounds also come painted, with white being apopular color, and while these painted surrounds are made from wood beneath, theywill most likely be constructed from manufactured wood as it can’t be seen.

For more information on wood fireplace surrounds see our article on what’s behind a wood fireplace surround.

Concrete Fireplace Surrounds

Many existing open fireplaces can be constructed of a concretemantel, legs and even hearth.

Concrete fireplace surrounds can be found with a naturalconcrete finish or some can come painted. Our own living room concretefireplace surround is painted black to match the black hearth and black brickfirebox.

For this particular fireplace we simply used a heatresistant black spray paint to touch up the concrete surround when we boughtthe house.

Concrete surrounds can be found as either a traditionalsurround and mantel constructed as part of the fireplace (like ours) or can be partof a feature wall that may extend up to the ceiling to help provide more ofa prominent and modern look.

Brick Fireplace Surrounds

Brick is another common material for fireplacesurrounds.

Brick is commonly used for the back and sides of fireboxes(the area inside the fireplace where the fire is started) but can also be usedto create a surround for a fireplace around the outside of the fireplaceopening.

One of our open fireplaces is built out into the room with abrick surround.

Unlike many wooden fireplace surrounds that can be bought asone unit and fitted directly onto the outer wall of a fireplace, bricksurrounds will usually need to be constructed around the fireplace in-situ.

As all fireplace openings are of different sizes, each brickfireplace surround will typically have to be a bespoke build.

Cast Iron Fireplace Surrounds

Although cast iron isn’t such a popular material to be usedfor fireplace surrounds compared to the likes for wood or masonry, cast iron canbe more commonly found in the form of a back panel that separates theopening of a fireplace with a surround made of a combustible material.

As wood is a combustible material, wooden surrounds must belocated a certain distance away from the opening of a fireplace for safetyreasons.

As an example, our old kitchen gas fireplace has atraditional wooden surround but between the surround and opening was a castiron back panel.

This cast iron back panel was screwed into the wall at thetop corners, much like how the wooden surround was attached to the wall.

Stone Fireplace Surrounds

Popular stone fireplace surrounds include natural stonesurrounds with a smooth finish and surrounds that are finished with a stoneveneer.

We had a multi fuel stove installed in one of our livingroom fireplaces, and before that we had a stone surround and hearth builtaround this existing fireplace.

Expect to have to pay more for a stone fireplace surroundcompared to a wooden surround but you’ll get a quality finish that can reallymake the difference with a fireplace, and our stone surround has cemented thefireplace as the focal point for this living room.

Marble And Granite Fireplace Surrounds

Like stone, marble is a higher end surround material, butcan really transform a fireplace into something special.

Granite is a popular material for hearths (readmore about hearths and their materials here), and so granite can also beused as a material for surrounds with a number of different variations ofcolours and patterns available.

Tile Fireplace Surrounds

Much like cast iron, tiles can be great for usingwithin the gap between the surround and the fireplace opening.

What Is The Best Material For A Fireplace Surround?

Wood is the best material for fireplace surrounds foraffordability and ease of installation.

Stone is the best fireplace surround material whenlooking to provide a more authentic and classier looking surroundcompared to wooden ones.

Marble is the best material for fireplace surroundswhen high end looks and sophistication outweigh the cost.

What is Code For FireplaceSurrounds? (Fireplace Surround Regulations)

For safety purposes surrounds made from combustiblematerials must not be located too close to the opening of a fireplace firebox.

How far the surround sticks out away from the face of thefireplace will also impact on the clearances needed to combustible materials.Surrounds that project more than certain distances will require additionalclearances.

In the US, the two following national codes should beconsidered when looking to install a fireplace surround:

• National Fire Codes
• National Standard Building Code

You can find the NFPA 211 document ‘Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances’ here.

The NFPA 211 code states that in relation to fireplacesurrounds:

‘Woodwork, such as wood trim, mantels, and other combustible materials, shall not be placed within 6 in. (152mm) of a fireplace opening.’

NFPA

The regulations or code for fireplace surrounds will depend on your area of residence and national and/or local guidance. Speak to a certified installer or professional to confirm the code and regulations for fireplace surrounds in your location.

What Size Should AFireplace Surround Be?

A fireplace surround should be sized so that is takes into account:

• Clearances required to any combustiblematerials used within the surround.
• The size of the fireplace opening.
• The size and depth of the hearth(if one is already part of the existing fireplace)
• The size of the room.
• The size of the chimney breast (if there is one)

Depending on the materials used for the construction of thenew fireplace surround, sufficient clearances may be required from theopening of the fireplace firebox to the surround.

Surrounds made from combustible materials such as wood willneed to be located at least 6 inches away from the firebox opening (dependingon where you live) and potentially more if the surround sticks out a certaindistance away from the face of the fireplace (in line with the National FireCodes and the National Standard Building Codes).

This is for wood burning fireplaces and the clearancedistances may be different for other types of fireplaces such as gas. Speakwith a local installer or professional to confirm clearance distances for yourparticular area of residence.

The size of the fireplace opening (the edge of thewall around the firebox) will dictate the size of fireplace surroundrequired along with any clearances to combustibles.

If your fireplace already has a hearth then you’llneed to also consider its size and depth.

A surround should sit on top of the hearth and so thedepth of the hearth should be taken into account when sizing up a surround. Thewidth and length of the hearth should also be considered to help ensure thatthe legs of a surround don’t protrude over the sides or front of the hearth(which wouldn’t look good).

You may also want to consider the size of a fireplacesurround in relation to the room. A large surround may dominate a small room,or a small surround may look underwhelming in a larger room.

If a surround is to be placed up against a fireplace with achimney breast then the width of this breast should be taken into account toensure that the surround and mantel isn’t wider (which also wouldn’t lookgood).

As an example, our old kitchen gas fireplace had a woodensurround that:

• Was larger than the fireplace opening.
• Sat on the existing granite hearth andwasn’t out of proportion to the size of the hearth.
• Being a combustible material, was a sufficientdistance away from the opening of the fireplace, with a cast iron backpanel making up the space between.
• Was adequately sized for the room anddidn’t look out of place.
• Wasn’t too wide for the chimney breastbehind it.

If you’re looking to install a ceiling high fireplacesurround then you’ll also need to consider the height of the room when sizingup a surround.

How Hot Does A FireplaceSurround Get?

How hot a fireplace surround gets can depend on:

• The type of fireplace such as woodburning, gas or wood stove.
• Clearance distances to the surround fromthe fireplace.
• The surround material.

Modern wood burning stoves can put out a lot more heat thaninefficient open wood burning fireplaces.

The clearance distances to surrounds will also differbetween countries and states due to local and national codes and buildingregulations.

A surround made of metal can also get hotter than a surroundmade from stone.

As a result it can be hard to say how hot a fireplacesurround gets, and from our personal experience the stone surround for ourmulti fuel stove is warmer to the touch (but not too hot to touch) compared tothe concrete surround for our open fireplace, most likely due to the fact thatour stove radiates out much more heat compared to an open fire.

Can You Paint A FireplaceSurround?

Many types of fireplace surrounds are paintable. The typeof paint needed to paint a fireplace surround will depend on the materials usedfor the construction of the surround.

When we bought our house, the surround for our living roomfireplace was already painted black.

We’ve since touched up this surround with more blackpaint to make the black color further stand out. The image below shows thebelow and after for painting our open fireplace surround.

As this is a concrete surround and had an existing paint ofcoat, we simply masked around the surround and sprayed it with a heat resistantblack paint can.

We’re also looking to paint the wooden surround we took outof our kitchen fireplace when renovating. We think that painting this surroundwhite will help it fit in with the modern new look of our kitchen.

Further Reading

A Complete Guide To Fireplace Hearths

Parts Of A Fireplace Explained

How An Open Fireplace Works

How To Use A Fireplace