G500 Series Fireplace Grates: An Honest Review

Fireplace grates aren’t just for aesthetics; they’re practical. They provide a solid base on which to burn wood fuel. They also help filter ashes and coals to the bottom of the firebox, all while holding up to the intense heat of the flames. No fireplace is complete without one.

If you’re in need of a grate, a quick online search for “fireplace grates” yields hundreds of results. It can be overwhelming. How do you know which one you should get?

At HY-C, we manufacture several styles of fireplace grates under our Liberty Foundry Co. brand name. We understand all the ins and outs of making sure you end up with the perfect grate for your firebox. And in this guide, we’re going to take a look at our G500 Series of fireplace grates.

We’ll cover the sizes in which these grates are manufactured, how their design facilitates an efficient burn and easy cleanup, how much each size costs, and much more.

By the time you’re finished here, you’ll have all the information you need to decide whether or not a G500 Series grate by Liberty Foundry Co. is right for you.

Discover the G500 Series Fireplace Grates

G500 Series Fireplace Grate Sizes

One of the most important aspects of selecting the right fireplace grate is choosing the right size. If your grate is too small, your fire won’t put off enough heat. If your grate is too big, your fire may consume too much oxygen in the firebox, snuffing itself out before it can get going.

When looking at G500 grates, there are four measurements to consider: the front width of the grate, the back width of the grate, its depth, and its height. With all of that in mind, the G500 grates are available in five distinct sizes:

Each grate has a depth of 15 inches and a height of 7-½ inches. This means when you’re considering a G500 grate for your fireplace, the only dimensions that offer any variability are the front width and the back width.

G500 Series Extender

If you’re still having trouble finding the right fit, the series also includes an 8-inch extension piece for maximum modularity. It’s compatible with any of the five available sizes, ensuring you’ll be able to adjust your grate to the perfect size for your hearth.

This extender comes with all the applicable hardware you’ll need to add it seamlessly to your grate. Like the rest of the series, it also includes one key design element to ensure a hot, consistent burn: an adjustable slope.

G500 Series Fireplace Grate Design

You may not think there are many design liberties you can take with a fireplace grate. And in some respects, that’s true — there are only so many ways to design a stand that holds burning wood on top of it.

Even still, there are some core aspects of burning wood to ensure you get the brightest, warmest fire possible:

1. You want to concentrate all the fuel towards a central point
2. You want to filter out burnt-up material (like ash and soot)

The G500 Series fireplace grates accomplish both of these feats in one key, unique feature: an adjustable slope.

The nut and bolt in the middle of the grate are what attach it to its legs. Loosening this bolt and sliding it along its slot allows you to adjust its slope.

As wood burns and crumbles, it collapses towards the middle, keeping all of the hot coals and embers concentrated in one spot. These coals help to burn up the rest of the wood (and any additional wood fuel added to the fire later on).

At the same time, slots in the grate allow ash to filter down to the bottom of the firebox. From there, the grate’s 2-¾” leg clearance provides plenty of room to scoop out ash to keep the firebox clean and your fires burning efficiently.

G500 Series Fireplace Grate Material

Like most of the other grates in the Liberty Foundry Co. collection, the G500 grates are made of cast iron. Cast iron has long been used in the production of hearth products for one very good reason: its ability to resist heat.

Oftentimes, fireplace grates that have been exposed to several fires suffer what’s called burn through — cracks or holes in the grate caused by repeated heating and cooling cycles. In many cases, these structural failures are caused by poor materials that comprise the grate.

Making a grate from cast iron ensures it can take the heat (literally), retaining its form even after several fires. Cast iron grates do tend to have a higher cost than grates made from other materials (like steel).

G500 Series Fireplace Grate Price

Given its cast iron construction, there’s really only one additional factor that affects the cost of each grate in the G500 Series: size. Bigger grates require more raw materials to fabricate, and they cost more as a result.

Here’s a look at the MSRPs for each of the G500 Series fireplace grates (including the 8-inch extender piece, the G500-C):

Keep in mind that these are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices. The actual prices for each grate may vary a bit from retailer to retailer (in fact, in most cases, you should expect to pay a bit less than MSRP).

Should You Get a G500 Series Fireplace Grate?

This has been a close look at the G500 Series of fireplace grates from Liberty Foundry Co. If you’re still wondering whether or not you should get one of these grates for yourself, here are the two main factors that should help guide your purchase: size and price.

A grate is no good for a firebox if it won’t fit in it. To find out if a G500 is a good choice for you, measure the front and back width of your firebox and its depth. Then, ensure that one of the sizes listed above will fit in your fireplace, allowing for an extra three inches of space on all sides (for optimal airflow).

After you find a size, you’ll have to make sure its price is within your budget. And while cast iron grates tend to be a little pricier, they’ll certainly last longer than a weaker, cheaper grate (that you’ll very likely have to replace anyway).

If the size and price make sense, use our product locator to find a grate online or in stores near you. And if the G500 Series isn’t a good fit, be sure to read up on the G800 Series. They’re built for small and medium-sized fireplaces and are a bit more wallet-friendly.