Slate Fireplace Surround

A fireplace surround is an architectural element made of various materials, which surrounds a fireplace, providing aesthetic and safety benefits. Fireplace surrounds are necessary for a fireplace to blend into a room rather than stick out like a big hole in the wall.  There are many different styles of fireplace surround which can fit in a range of design schemes, from modernist concrete designs to formal tiled ones but a slate fireplace surround has its own look. From an aesthetic point of view, Slate Fireplace Surround is subtle and visually pleasant. A fireplace surround can make the fireplace more visually interesting, and hence it becomes engaging to look at whether or not a fire is present.

Other than visually appealing, it provides safety as well. The surround can provide additional layers of fire protection, making the fireplace less dangerous. A brick or tile surround will retard escaping sparks, ensuring that they cannot penetrate the wall around the fireplace and cause a fire, and a built-in surround can provide additional fireproofing insulation around the fireplace, so that a fire will not start inside the wall. Due to safety concerns about fireplaces, many regional building codes specifically address Fireplace Surrounds and their design.

Besides, if a fireplace is being utilized for heating, the surround can increase efficiency. Using tiles, for example, will create more heat, as the tiles will absorb heat from the fire and radiate the heat later, after the fire has been allowed to go out. A roaring fire in the early evening can heat the tile or stone, and the house will be gently heated as the heat dissipates out after the fire is extinguished. The surround can also radiate heat while the fire is burning, and in combination with a small fan, it can help to spread heat around the room or house.