What Kind of Logs Are Used In Gas Fireplaces?

Written on: January 22, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About Gas Hearths

More and more customers are discovering the ease and style of ga hearths. Not only do they add warmth and charm without the mess or hassle of logs and embers, but they have a realistic look that many people don’t expect. With memories of old electric fireplaces that put a plastic log over a lightbulb, many people ask, What kind of logs do you use in a gas fireplace to get such a realistic look? The gas logs in a gas fireplace are made from cement, ceramic or ceramic fiber blends that are carefully crafted and painted to look just like real wood logs.

What’s Your Style?

Log sets for gas fireplaces are available in a wide variety of styles, to suit your décor and the style of your hearth. You can choose wood species—oak, birch, pine, and more, even driftwood, with charred effects or split-log looks. You can also select log layouts—more logs or fewer, a neat stack or a more rustic, asymmetrical pile.

Whatever style you choose, gas logs are made to withstand high heat, and should last two to five years, depending on how much you use your gas fireplace.

The best part about a gas fireplace is that you don’t need a chimney. Of course, it’s easy to convert a wood-burning hearth to a gas fireplace. But if you don’t have a chimney, you can also choose the look of your mantel and surrounding hearth, to create exactly the look you want, all thanks to ventless and direct vent designs.

Ventless or Direct Vent: What’s Best?

Direct vent and vent-free technology are two great ways to add a gas fireplace even if you don’t have a chimney or flue. All that’s needed is access to propane gas.

Ventless models have a regulator that produces a fine gas-air mix that allows the gas to burn cleanly, and reduces the fumes associated with traditional gas fireplaces.

With direct venting, a single dual-chambered pipe is installed directly through a wall to the outdoors. The pipe simultaneously draws air for the fire from the outdoors, while it expels the fire’s combustion byproducts to the outside.

Because the space requirements between the fireplace and wallboard or wood are minimal, a gas hearth can be installed almost anywhere. That means you can incorporate cozy charm into just about any room, including living rooms and family rooms, but also kitchens and dining rooms. Create your dream master suite or a spa-like bathroom escape, just by adding a gas fireplace. You can also convert traditional fireplaces to a maintenance-free propane hearth with a gas log insert.

The Benefits of a Propane Fireplace

Propane-fueled fireplaces add ambiance—but they also provide efficient supplemental heat without the mess, smoke and ash of a wood-burning fireplace. And a gas hearth is much safer. No more playing with matches and waiting for tricky kindling to catch—you can turn on and adjust the flame with a wall switch or even a remote control, and turn it off when you are done. No waiting for embers to burn out or worrying that they will flare up again.

Warm Up Your Home

Nothing beats the cozy charm and ambiance of a fireplace. Let the pros at Pico show you how easy and affordable installing a gas fireplace. We service and install everything we sell, and we stand by our work. Contact us for more information today, and kick back by your own fireplace before the holidays.