Your Fireside Friend: What is a Fireplace Companion Set?

Are you considering a traditional log burning fire? We don’t blame you, as these not only look cosy and charming, but give off significant warmth, also. However, you should know that they do require maintenance both when lit and extinguished. If that’s not for you, then electric fires may be more up your street, however if this is not an issue then you’re ready to learn about fireplace companion sets.

What is a fireplace companion set, you may ask? This is a set of tools used for fireplace maintenance, namely a poker, log tongs, a shovel and a brush. Read on below as we tell you more about what each of these tools is designed to do to efficiently maintain your wood burning fireplace.

Poker

A fireplace poker, also known as a fire iron, is a fire-resistant metal rod with a handle at one end and a spiked point at the other, sometimes with an additional hook also coming off the end. They are so aptly named since their purpose is quite literally to poke the logs in a fire. This is done for a number of reasons; the first is to safely reposition any logs that may look like they’re falling or to move them out of the way of other logs that are yet to burn as much, whilst the second is to help them burn more efficiently.

Looking more at the latter, when logs burn, layers of ash form on their surface. For a successful fire, a combination of kindling and oxygen is needed, so for logs to burn efficiently they must be exposed to oxygen. The layer of ash that coats them prevents them from being as exposed to the oxygen in the room, hence why the poker is used to knock this ash off and allow them to burn more efficiently, which will in turn prolong the time that your fire will stay burning.

Log Tongs

Again, this one is pretty self explanatory – log tongs are special tongs that are used to place logs on an already burning fire. They should be used instead of trying to put or throw a log onto a fire just using your hands, since they put distance between you and the fire, which keeps you safe whilst allowing you to gently place the log and avoid other logs falling or kicking up embers should you even gently throw it on.

You may need to add more logs to an existing fire if it is dying down sooner than you want or anticipated, or simply because you wish to prolong the fire or make it larger by adding more kindling.

Shovel & Brush

A fireplace shovel and brush work hand in hand to make the cleanup process easier once your fire has extinguished. The shovel can be used to efficiently scoop up the majority of the ash from your fireplace to be disposed of, whilst the brush can then be used to gather any remaining ash and soot left on the surface of your hearth so that this too can be cleaned away.

If you’re looking for a reliable fireplace retailer, then you need Fireplace Superstore. We provide a range of fireplaces and stoves for sale along with all your essential fireplace accessories, including companion sets. Get in touch with us today with any enquiries.