What You Need to Know About Fire Glass

By the time you've planned your fire pit and chosen your components, you’ve already done most of the difficult work. That’s why many consider buying fire glass to be one of the most fun parts of their fire pit project. It’s at this stage where you can create a truly distinctive look for your fire feature.

Ready to start shopping for fire glass? Before you do, check out this helpful guide we’ve put together covering some common questions we get about fire glass.

How Much Fire Glass Do I Need?

The amount of fire glass you’ll need will depend on the size of your fire pit. Fire glass is most commonly sold in 10-pound packages, which translates to roughly the same volume as a gallon milk jug. As you can imagine, it can take quite a bit of fire glass to fill a fire pit to the recommended depth of two to four inches.

To take some of the guesswork out of the process, we’ve created this convenient fire glass calculator to help you out. This calculator will give you a good approximation of how much fire glass you’ll need for any standard four-sided or round fire pits.

Fire Glass Calculator:

4-Sided Fire Pits

Length:
Width:
Glass Depth:
Total Pounds Needed: 0 lbs.

Round Fire Pits

Diameter:
Glass Depth:
Total Pounds Needed: 0 lbs.

Fire Glass Cost

You can expect to pay $3 to $4 per pound for fire glass, typically in 10-pound increments. Fire glass is a premium product and comes at a higher price tag than more traditional media options. However, unlike a traditional material like lava rock, fire glass is nearly indestructible and will almost never need to be replaced (unless you decide you’d like a different appearance).

It’s important to remember these front-end costs may seem high initially but are much more reasonable when spread over the life of your fire pit. We offer bulk discounts on many of our fire glass products, as well.

Different Types of Fire Glass

There are many different fire glass sizes, shapes and color combinations to choose from. While they all serve the same purpose, it’s still worth noting the most common options you’ll come across when shopping. There are several different styles to consider when buying, and these are our most popular:

Classic Fire Glass
Reflective Fire Glass
Firebeads
Recycled Fire Glass
Zircon Fire Glass

We cover the differences between these styles in greater detail in our fire glass buying guide, so be sure to check that out, as well.

Can I Use Any Glass in My Fire Pit?

No. You should only use fire glass in your fire pit. Fire glass is a special tempered glass product designed to withstand the heat generated by a gas fire pit. As a result, fire glass will not burn, melt or emit toxic fumes in the same way other types of glass might.

Do not use non-fire glass products as a fire pit media option.

How Do I Maintain Fire Glass?

One of the best aspects of using fire glass as a fire pit media is how easy it is to maintain. In most cases, you won’t need to do anything to keep your fire glass looking great. However, if your fire glass gets dirty, a quick cleaning is all it takes to restore it to its impressive original appearance.

Get Answers to All Your Fire Pit Questions

Our fire pit specialists can help you with more than just fire glass—they’ll walk you through every step of the design process. If you’d like to speak with a member of the Fire Pits Direct team, contact us. We’re here Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time to assist you.