Timber Fire Surrounds & Water-Oil Heater Radiator Covers

Which fire surround designs do you make?

Four mantelpiece designs, in a range of styles to suit the hearth and the budget: Chevailer (CHEV), York (YORK), Victorian (VICT) and Westminster (WEST). All four are made to order rather than supplied at set sizes, so the design is chosen first and then built to the opening you have. Prices are given on request.

Should I choose timber or MDF?

That is really a decision about the finish. Timber is the option for stained work — the grain is the point of it, so it suits a room where the joinery is already stained or oiled. MDF is an option for a paint finish, with a smooth surface that does not show timber grain. If the surround is going to be painted out with the architraves, MDF is the better material rather than the cheaper compromise.

Which corbels can I have on it?

Any of our stock corbels, turned or carved — turned No.7, No.8 and No.9, carved No.1, No.2, No.2S and No.3. They sit under the ends of the mantel shelf and they are the biggest single change you can make to how heavy or how fine the surround reads. Our corbels are clear pine, which takes stain or paint equally well.

How do I measure for a fire surround?

Record the opening and the space available around it before requesting a quote. Measure the width of the fireplace opening and its height, then measure the wall width available either side of the opening — that is what limits how wide the jambs and the mantel can be. Add the mantel height you want, measured from the floor to the top of the shelf. Note anything in the way: a skirting return, a picture rail, a chimney breast that is not square. Photograph the opening straight on with a tape in shot.

What clearance does it need to the fire?

That is set by the appliance, not by us. Clearances from a heater or fireplace to combustible materials are specified in the installation instructions for your particular appliance and by the building regulations that apply to it. Get the figures from those instructions and confirm them with your installer before the surround is ordered, because they govern how close the timber can come to the opening — and therefore the internal dimensions of the surround.

Are fire surrounds covered by the 25 year guarantee?

No. Our 25 year guarantee covers external LOSP H3 treated pine used above ground. A fire surround is an interior product and is not made from treated pine — neither the timber version nor the MDF version is covered by it. The same applies to the radiator cover.

What is the water-oil heater radiator cover?

A timber cover (code RDCV) for a wall-mounted water or oil heater radiator. Provide the unit dimensions and its manufacturer’s clearance and airflow requirements, and confirm with your installer that a cover is suitable before ordering. Like the fire surrounds it is made to order, to your unit’s dimensions, and priced on request. Australian made and delivered to your home or site. Call 03 9720 1996.

Related pages

• Turned and carved corbels in clear pine
• Curved and arched architraves, machined to any radius
• Fretwork and frieze panels, internal and external
• Internal hall arches and external verandah arches
• Ball, Acorn and Windsor post knobs, and pyramid tops
• Every range we make, Victorian through to Art Deco