What is Fire Glass and How Do I Use It?

Lots of people are looking at and thinking about using fire glass in their homes and fireplaces. So what exactly is fire glass?

Fire glass is made from tempered glass, and can be used in fireplaces and fire pits to add color and reflect light from the flames. These pieces of tempered glass are often tumbled and polished to dull the sharp edges on the glass, and to prevent possible injuries, like cuts and abrasions.

Fire glass is designed for use in fireplaces and fire pits, and because of its composition, can tolerate high temperatures that would cause other materials to melt, burn and discolor. In addition to retaining its visual appeal, fire glass does not create toxic fumes, smoke, ash or soot.

What can fire glass be used for?

Because of its durability and qualities, fire glass can be used to replace logs. Especially due to its reflective quality, fire glass can be quite beautiful in addition to fireplaces. In addition to fireplaces (both indoor and outdoor), fire glass can be used in fire tables, fire pits, fire pans, aquariums, and landscaping.

In what types of fireplaces and fire pits can fire glass be used?

Looking for tips on how and where to use fire glass? It can be used in either vented or non-vented fireplaces, and also in outdoor fire pits. You can also use fire glass indoors with vent-free fireplaces, but only use it with vent-free fireplaces that have a vent-free approved burner system.

You can also use fire glass with both propane and natural gas. Because propane tends to burn “darker” than natural gas, you may need to clean your fire glass after using it with propane over time.

When selecting fire glass, it is important to note that tempered glass chips are often more uniform in shape, and won’t have the sharp, rough edges that you’d typically find in broken glass shards. Tempered glass chips also last longer, and won’t melt, burn, or discolor like untempered glass. Also be careful not to try and handle tempered fire glass when it has been heated. Fire glass produces more heat than the average gas log, so be cautious when using fire glass. As with any other fireplace tool, fire starter or fuel, safety always has to come first.

It’s important that you not try and use ordinary glass in your fireplace. Ordinary glass can pop under intense temperatures, and even burst, causing it to shoot out into a room, potentially causing harm and injury to people and pets. Interested in learning more about fireplaces? Please send questions to me at [email protected] and I will do my best to respond to each one, and maybe even write a blog post to provide even more detail related to your fireplace questions and concerns.