While it might seem that ceramic glass is the better option, the experts at Brick-Anew unanimously agree that tempered glass is the best choice. Tempered glass is also the preferred choice for most fireplace door manufacturers.
Ceramic glass can increase the turnaround time on your fireplace door order because it is something that has to be special ordered. No fireplace door manufacturers haver ceramic glass as a standard option. It is only available as a special order on a few select doors from specific manufacturers. Ceramic glass doors are overkill; very few customers actually need them. Buying ceramic glass doors rather than tempered glass doors is similar to buying a camera that can take 75 megapixel pictures just for your family vacation.
Advantages of Using Tempered Glass on Fireplace Doors
Tempered glass is heat strengthened glass that has been heated and rapidly cooled to increase the strength of the glass. Tempered glass is an affordable option that is safe to use on fireplace doors as long as you always keep the doors open while a fire is burning.
Tempered glass is heat resistant up to 500-600 degrees Fahrenheit. Your doors will easily withstand the temperature of a regular fire, but closing the doors turns the firebox into a heat trap. The temperature in the firebox will far exceed 600 degrees. As long as you keep the doors open, the glass will not weaken or be in danger of shattering. Tempered glass is also cheaper than ceramic glass and can be tinted to hide the ashes of yesterday's fire. It isn't dangerous if it breaks, and it is exceptionally strong.
Want to keep the doors closed while you burn? Most fireplace doors are not designed to be closed while a fire is burning. Even if you find ceramic glass doors, you must have them approved by the manufacturer to close them while burning. If you have a prefab fireplace, you won't be able to close the doors regardless of the glass; you'll have to keep the doors open to meet national ventilation standards. (Read more about the difference between prefab and masonry fireplaces here.)