G800 Series Fireplace Grates: An Honest Review

When starting a fire in your fireplace, you should never set logs directly on top of the brick surface and light them. Flames are hard on masonry, and you’ll quickly damage your firebox. Instead, it’s wise to burn your logs on top of a fireplace grate.

Choosing a grate for your fireplace may seem easy at first — until you start to think more deeply about it. During the buying process, plenty of questions arise, like, “Which size do I need? What material should I select? How much should I spend on a grate, anyway?”

At HY-C, we manufacture several collections of fireplace grates under our Liberty Foundry Co. brand name. And in this guide, we want to take a look at a particular trio of grates in our G800 Fireplace Grates Series.

We’ll take a deep dive on the sizes in which these grates are available, the material from which they’re made, the price of each grate, and more.

By the time you’re finished here, you’ll have a good sense as to whether or not a Liberty Foundry Co. G800 Series Fireplace Grate is the right choice for you.

Discover the G800 Series of Fireplace Grates

G800 Series Fireplace Grate Sizes

Like each of our collections of fireplace grates, the G800 Series grates are available in multiple sizes to fit multiple fireboxes. Their shape is a little complicated, though — each G800 grate is shaped like a trapezoid, meaning their back widths are shorter than their front widths.

This design choice is intentional: most fireboxes themselves are trapezoid-shaped. Using a similarly shaped grate takes advantage of the dimensions of most fireboxes to optimize airflow, creating a stronger, healthier fire.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the dimensions and weights of each G800 Series grate:

The G800-20 model has a front width of 20 inches, a back width of 16 inches, and a depth of 15 inches. Its leg clearance is 4 inches, and its total height is 7 inches.

The G800-24 model has a front width of 24 inches, a back width of 21 inches, and a depth of 15 inches. Its leg clearance is also 4 inches, and its total height is 7 inches as well.

Finally, the G800-27 model has a front width of 27 inches, a back width of 23 inches, and a depth of 15 inches. It also features a total height of 7 inches and a leg clearance of 4 inches.

Notice that each grate has a depth of 15 inches. This makes it easier to find the right size for your firebox as the only dimension you’ll need to take into consideration is the length of the grate. A 15-inch depth is pretty standard and should fit handily in most fireboxes.

Notice also that all three grates have a total height of 7 inches and a leg clearance of 4 inches. This 4-inch clearance — higher than the typical 2-inch grate clearance — both allows more bottom airflow to keep the fire going and provides room to clean up ashes from underneath the grate.

Choosing the Right Grate Size for Your Firebox

So — how do you decide which fireplace grate size is right for you?

While there’s no real consensus around this question, a good rule of thumb is to provide 3 inches of space around every side of the grate. This leaves room for air to circulate around the fire, feeding the flames and lifting combustion byproducts up the chimney flue.

With that rule in mind, let’s take a top-down look at the G800-27 model in a firebox:

The G800-27 has a depth of 15 inches. Adding 3 inches to the front of this depth and 3 inches to the back leaves us with a minimum required depth of 21 inches (15 + 3 + 3).

Now let’s consider the width. While the back width is 23 inches, we can ignore that measurement and instead focus on the front width (which is longer at 27 inches).

Adding 3 inches to either side of the front width (27 + 3 + 3) leaves us with a minimum required width of 33 inches.

This means that the G800-27 fireplace grate requires a minimum firebox size of 21 inches deep and 33 inches wide (demonstrated in the image above by the transparent gray square).

With that methodology in mind, here are the recommended widths and depths for each grate in the G800 Series:

G800 Series Fireplace Grate Material

When it comes to modern fireplace grates, two materials tend to be the most popular: steel and cast iron. While steel has its benefits, the G800 Series of grates is made of cast iron for a couple of reasons.

For one, cast iron is exceptionally durable. The grate needs to be able to support fire after fire without cracking or warping. Cast iron is up to the task, capable of handling repeated cycles of heating and cooling without its structural integrity being compromised.

Cast iron is also a great heat conductor. Obviously, the flames of the fire itself heat your home, but some of that heat is lost up the chimney flue. To help mitigate this, cast iron grates absorb heat and radiate it back out into your home, increasing the efficiency of your fire.

On the downside, cast iron is notoriously difficult to weld, meaning cast iron fireplace grates are often forged and cut down from one solid piece. This property winds up having an effect on the cost of the grate.

G800 Series Fireplace Grate Cost

Because they’re all made from the same material, the only thing that affects the price of a G800 Series fireplace grate is its size. The G800-20, G800-24, and G800-27 are essentially a small, medium, and large iteration of the same style, and their prices reflect that fact:

Depending on the size you need, you’ll end up paying between $110 and $135 for a G800 Series fireplace grate. Remember that these are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices. Costs may vary a bit from retailer to retailer.

Should You Get a G800 Series Fireplace Grate?

This has been a close look at the G800 Series of fireplace grates from Liberty Foundry Co. There are only three options to choose from — a fact that should make choosing one relatively easy. If you still need some help deciding, though, here are some things to consider.

Start by measuring your firebox and ensuring its dimensions can accommodate a G800 grate. If your firebox is too small, you may have trouble keeping a fire going. If it’s too large, the fire’s heat may not radiate well. Make sure yours is between 26 and 36 inches in width and about 21 inches deep.

Take material into account, too. If you prefer a steel grate, that’s not an option with the G800 line (though we do offer a steel grate in a different collection). Cast iron is the only choice with this line, so if you don’t want it, a G800 won’t be right for you.

Finally, if you want to compare different options, be sure to look at our review of our Franklin G Series of fireplace grates. You can compare and contrast the available options from each line to be able to pick the perfect grate for your fireplace.