We Have Answers to your Fire Glass Questions

Fire glass offers a distinctive enhancement for any gas fire pit. With a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes of glass to choose from, this media option offers a great way to personalize your fire pit to match your style or outdoor décor. This premium product is more than just a decorative enhancement, however, which is why we’ve put together this guide to answer some of the most common questions we receive about fire glass.

What is Fire Glass?

Fire glass is a decorative glass media option made specifically for use with fire pits and fireplaces. This glass goes through a tempering process to make the glass safe to use in a fire feature. Treated glass will not melt, smoke or emit toxic odors. Fire glass shards have also been tumbled to ensure sharp edges are removed, making them even safer to use.

What Does Fire Glass Do for a Fire Pit?

Fire glass serves several important purposes within a fire pit. The most obvious use of fire glass is as an aesthetic enhancement. As previously mentioned, fire glass comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors to allow for an impressive level of customization when designing a fire pit. Different styles of glass can even be mixed for a more vibrant appearance.

In addition to providing color and style, fire glass enhances the ambiance of a fire pit by reflecting the light of a fire. Reflective fire glass, in particular, offers an impressive shimmering effect which can really elevate a fire pit design in a subtle yet noticeable way.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, individual glass pieces spread gas more evenly throughout the fire pit to create a fuller, more natural flame. A fire pit burner without media would produce an unattractive and simple flame due to the fact the gas would burn far too efficiently with no variation in flame appearance.

Does Fire Glass Burn Like Fuel?

No. Fire glass will last indefinitely under normal conditions. Instead, since glass is a ceramic, it will soak up the heat of the fire and emit it as infrared heat, providing consistent warmth to those sitting around the fire.

Though fire glass is extremely durable, it is not completely indestructible. If heavy decorative enhancements are placed on top of glass or if too much glass is installed on top of a burner, glass can become superheated and fuse together. Make sure to only use glass in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. This includes ensuring fire glass depth does not exceed two to three inches over the fire pit burner.

Can Fire Glass Be Used with Propane or Natural Gas?

Fire glass can be used in both propane and natural gas fire pits. The one recommendation we have for propane fire pits is to use glass half an inch thick or larger. This allows propane, a heavier gas, to rise more easily through the fire glass pieces.

Fire pits and fireplaces both produce a small amount of soot with both gas types. For this reason, fire glass can be susceptible to darkening over time, particularly with lighter colors of glass. Fortunately, a quick wash in hot, soapy water will restore glass to its original luster and have it looking as good as new. It goes without saying, but always allow glass to cool completely before washing.

Find Fire Glass for Your Gas Fire Pit Project

Whether you’re finishing a new fire pit or refurbishing an existing installation, our large selection of fire glass can help you create a fire feature you can be proud of. You can also read our fire glass buying guide and contact us with any additional questions you may have.

Be sure to check out our helpful fire glass calculators, as well. We’ve included a version on the bottom of this page for both rectangular and circular fire pits. You can also find matching calculators on all fire glass product pages.

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.

Ready to add some fire glass to your fire pit?