Buyer's Guide
A wooden fire surround is one of the best ways to transform a room, and bought wisely it will give you years of enjoyment. We know a fire surround isn't the easiest thing to buy online, so this guide brings together everything you need to choose with confidence. If you have any questions at all, call us on 01422 250 723, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. It's very unlikely you'll ask us something we haven't heard before.
You can also email photos of your existing fireplace to contact@firesandsurrounds.co.uk, with your phone number and a short description, and we'll help you work out what you need.
Helpful guides
- How to use a fitting kit: fitting a fire surround is straightforward with our free fitting kit. This step-by-step guide and video show you how.
- How to measure a rebate: rebates are often the most confusing part of buying a fire surround. This guide explains what they are and how to find the one you need.
- How to fit a hearth and back: a simple guide to fitting a hearth and back panel.
- Made to measure: how to work out your own sizes while keeping the surround's proportions right. We're always happy to work them out for you too.
- Frequently asked questions: answers to the questions we're asked most often.
Choosing your colour
Wood colours and paint finishes look very different under different lighting, so a colour that looks right on screen or in a shop can look quite different in your home. That's why we offer colour samples: order as many as you like, and we'll refund the cost when you order a fire surround.
Who should fit my fire surround?
If you're going to use your fireplace as a main source of heat, you'll need professional advice on heat output, fuel and fitting.
- Gas fires: you'll need a Gas Safe registered engineer, who can fit your surround, hearth and back panel at the same time as the fire.
- Open fires and stoves: we recommend a qualified HETAS engineer, who will make sure your solid fuel fire is fitted safely and to all the right standards. If you'll be using a solid fuel or HE gas fire, choose the high heat upgrade on the product page: we strengthen and upgrade the veneer, although no wooden surround can be made fireproof.
- Electric fires and electric suites: these are the easiest to fit. If you need a socket moving, use a registered electrician; otherwise any builder, joiner or handy person can fit the surround for you.
How to choose the right size
If you're not buying a hearth and back panel from us, first check that your hearth is big enough for the surround to stand on. The E measurement on our dimensions diagrams is the width from the outside of one leg to the outside of the other, and your hearth needs to be wider than this. How much space you leave either side is up to you. As a guide, on a 54" hearth we'd suggest an E measurement of no more than 52", although some customers prefer to take it right to the edge of the hearth.
The same goes for the shelf: on a narrow chimney breast, we'd leave at least half an inch either side.
If you'd like your surround made to measure, start with the size that matters most. That might be your hearth, the gap in the carpet where your last surround stood, the width of your chimney breast or the size of your fire opening. If you change the width, add or take away the same amount on each width measurement (A, E and C). For the height, we usually change it by about half the amount you've changed the width.
On every product page you can choose Made to measure in the Size step. It opens with the surround's standard sizes, so you can change them and see the price. We never start a made to measure surround until we've spoken to you, so don't worry: we'll call you to check every size.
Do you offer discount codes?
No. You don't need to hunt around the internet for voucher codes, because our prices are already the best we can offer for the service we provide.
Still not sure?
We're here Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, and always happy to help you choose. Call us on 01422 250 723 or contact us.