Fireplace grate that lasts more then a couple weeks?

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no tree to big

no tree to big

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I've used most from home cheapo menards the hardware stores and they all have a big hole burnt through them in 2 days to a couple weeks... when I moved into the house there was a bad ass heavy grate that lasted a whole season no melting then another half season before it started to fail I have no idea the brand if that though [emoji36] we burn long hot fires. anybody have any recommendations?
 
hseII

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I suck at welding but at work we have a big miller and 5 guys that can weld figures the one "certified" is the worst one outa the bunch haha.

Just don't know if I can find any grating like that
We had some 3/4" plate that we cut strips out of: heavy, but it didn't burn out so quick.
 
Chris-PA

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Get rid of it. Get a nice iron fireback. Build the fire on the hearth, arrange the wood so the coals are exposed to the room. For starting arrange the logs so you can put kindling/paper/whatever under it and air/flames can flow through.

You'll be amazed at how much heat you get and the wood will last much longer without air flow constantly flowing through, burning up the coals and taking the heat up the flue.
 
no tree to big

no tree to big

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Get rid of it. Get a nice iron fireback. Build the fire on the hearth, arrange the wood so the coals are exposed to the room. For starting arrange the logs so you can put kindling/paper/whatever under it and air/flames can flow through.

You'll be amazed at how much heat you get and the wood will last much longer without air flow constantly flowing through, burning up the coals and taking the heat up the flue.
Honestly if the fire was any hotter I could not stand to be in the living room our fire box is large and it throws tons of heat out. we have tried no grate but did not like the results
 
Chris-PA

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Honestly if the fire was any hotter I could not stand to be in the living room our fire box is large and it throws tons of heat out. we have tried no grate but did not like the results
Good luck! My grate has lasted many years - it's been up in the barn for 10 of them.:)
 
Whitespider
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I've had it no more then a month and it wasn't cheap...
I'm not sure what you mean by, "it wasn't cheap", but you'll need to spend somewhere 'round $100.00 for a good cast grate these days.
A good one is easy to spot... or more correctly, easy to feel... a quality cast grate weighs a lot, it takes two hands to set it in place. Stay away from big-box stores and check with local fireplace stores... if they try to hand you one using only one hand, walk away.
*
 
loadthestove

loadthestove

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I'm not sure what you mean by, "it wasn't cheap", but you'll need to spend somewhere 'round $100.00 for a good cast grate these days.
A good one is easy to spot... or more correctly, easy to feel... a quality cast grate weighs a lot, it takes two hands to set it in place. Stay away from big-box stores and check with local fireplace stores... if they try to hand you one using only one hand, walk away.
*
+1 Purchased one for grandparents a some years back at a Local Mom and Pop furniture /hardware store.That thing would break your back carrying it.definatley a load for one person to carry
 
Chris-PA

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What is this iron fireback u speak of???
An iron plate that sits at the back of the firebox, like this:

rherefordlg.png


A fireplace is radiant heater - the flames don't produce much heat, and it's not too effective at heating air as the hot air tends to go up the flue. Radiant heat transfer is a function of the 4th power of the temperature difference, and it's the coals that are hot. If you are exposed to the direct radiative heat from the coals you really feel it.

The firebacks are to try to reflect the heat that gets radiated out the back.
 

DFK

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We use a grate that came out of an OLD Coal burning stove.
We have used it for over 20 years. I have no idea how old it is.

It is about 14" x 10" and stands about 3" high.

David
 
no tree to big

no tree to big

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I don't need a grate, but curious how long one made out of rebar would last. Would be an easy project.
Maybe the big rebar they use on the highway would last a while Def not the 1/2 stuff for house foundations. Rebar is not an overly hard metal so it would be eaten by the fire fairly quickly
 

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