Fireplaces are becoming extremely popular, not so much for heating the home, but for recreational purposes. This popularity is providing an explosion of fireplace accessories, equipment and safety equipment. A visit to any home improvement store will reveal an almost mind blowing array of choices that are available for fireplaces today. So, how do you choose, how do you know what you need and what is essentially fluff?

There are some items that are a must to have if you are using a fireplace in any capacity. These fireplace accessories include; a wood cradle, heat resistant gloves, a fireplace screen and pokers to name a few. Great, now you know what you need, but what exactly are they for and how do you know which ones are the best picks for you?

A wood cradle is an important fireplace accessory if you are carrying your wood through your house before it reaches the fireplace. This nifty little device is available in a variety of styles, colors and materials. It does just as the name suggests, it is a place to store the wood until it is burned. Because it has a cradle shape, it keeps the annoying little pieces of bark that falls off of the wood from becoming embedded in the flooring that surrounds the fireplace.

The next set of essential fireplace accessories falls into the all important category of safety. When dealing with fire, safety should be the first concern. Using fireplace accessories such as gloves and pokers will help you to keep your hands, arms and fingers safe when working with the fire. While the fireplace screen keeps people, especially kids and pets a safe distance from the fire.

A good place to find a selection of fireplace accessories is at a home improvement store. They generally have a large enough assortment of supplies to give you a choice, but not so many as to confuse you. However, if you are looking for both selection and a knowledgeable staff, visit a fireplace specialty store. These stores are staffed with people who can answer any of you questions on which gloves protect the best to what kind of firewood burns hottest.

Another great way to decide which fireplace accessories interest you the most is to visit friends and family that have active fireplaces and see what they are using. Don’t be afraid to ask if you can build a fire with their tools and equipment, get a feel of working with the accessories before you purchase your own.

While burning wood and building fires is fun, please don’t neglect fireplace accessories that are used for safety reasons, these are what you will be happy you purchased when you really need them.