Choosing a fireplace surround for your wood-burning stove

Table of contents

• What about materials?
• Staying safe
• 5 of the best fireplace surrounds for wood burners

A wood-burning stove isn’t just an efficient, functional means to make your home nice and snug. It’s also a very attractive focal point in your living room. A work of art, if you like.

It makes sense then that – just like any other artwork – you would want to frame it. That’s where a fireplace surround comes in useful. A surround helps to draw attention to your stove. It encourages people to admire it. And why wouldn’t they? If you’ve got it, you might as well flaunt it!

On a more practical level, a mantle above your stove also provides some valuable space for decoration, ornaments and keeping things out of harm’s way at a height that pets and small children won’t be able to reach.

What about materials?

You can find fire surrounds in all sorts of materials and colours, so you’re bound to be able to find one that’s perfect for your living room. Limestone, granite, marble, cast iron, natural stone and synthetic materials are just a few examples of the sort of materials that are available.

It’s just a case of finding the look that’s right for you.

Staying safe

Before embarking on any work to add a surround to your fireplace, the most important consideration is safety. That means ensuring that any surround you plan to use is made of non-combustible materials. Surrounds on the Gr8Fires website meet these requirements and are suitable to be used with stoves, open, gas and electric fires.

There are also safety considerations that need to be made when fitting your surround. In addition to the fireproofing aspect, air circulation is the other key safety requirement. All the information you need is contained in this Building Regulations document, but you might consider calling in a professional to make sure everything is followed to the letter.

5 of the best fireplace surrounds for wood burners

1. Dublin 54 inch Corbel Black Granite Fireplace Surround

Made from natural black granite, the Dublin simply oozes class. It doesn’t demand attention over your stove, just extends and complements it to create a beautiful feature fireplace. The same model is also available in a 60-inch surround and in an alternative crema marfil version.

2. Paros 54 inch Ivory Cream Surround
The Paros adds a touch of grandeur to any room. It takes its name from a Greek island, and the striking pillar-like edges of this surround are certainly reminiscent of some of Greece’s fine architecture. It is hand-finished in mocha beige synthetic marble

3. Celeste 54 Ivory Cream Fireplace Surround
The Celeste is consistently one of our best-selling surrounds – with good reason. It is traditional in appearance, with the lines of the surround almost acting as a picture frame for your stove.

4. Cabra 54 inch Ivory Cream Fireplace Surround
The Cabra is a simple, understated yet subtly grand fireplace surround. With a minimalist detailing suited to modern living rooms, but a scale and lines that are equally at home in a traditional home, it is a very versatile surround. It comes in an ivory cream synthetic marble.

5. Estada 54 Polished Polar White Fireplace Surround

Suitable for stoves, as well as gas, electric, solid fuel fires, is an elegant surround, boasting smooth lines and a beautiful micromarble finish. It is impressive without being imposing, with the presence to ensure your fireplace commands attention even in sizeable rooms.