What Is the Definition of a Fireplace Surround?

Surrounds for Gas Insert and Made-From-Scratch Fireplaces

• Many of today's new homes have gas fireplace inserts instead of the made-from-scratch complete wood burning fireplaces with flue and all. Insert or constructed, a fireplace just cries to be surrounded and not left plain and unadorned. For your fireplace surround, you can either have it built as part of your new home construction, hire someone to do your remodeling, order a prefabricated one, use a facing kit from a fireplace company, or create something yourself.

Make Fireplace Decisions Before You Build

• When you're building your home, you need to determine how many fireplaces you want, where you want them and what the total effect is that you want to convey. You can decide if you want your surround and mantel to match or coordinate. For example, you might choose a natural stone surround and put a thick wood plank style mantel on top for a rustic look.

The Beauty of Prefabricated Surrounds

• If you are renovating your home and want to update the look of your fireplace, you may hire a contractor to do the work, which might get costly. Or you can do it yourself, utilizing any number of prefabricated kits that are available on the market. These kits offer as many possibilities as you can imagine. The cost per kit can cost from around $1,500 to more than $3,000 as of July 2011. Whatever style of kit you select, your surround must be proportional to the opening.

DIY Fireplace Surround Facing KIts

• Your other DIY options are facing kits, which are available in the same finishes as the prefabricated surrounds. These are more like veneers that you buy to install around your fireplace opening. To choose this route, you can save a lot of money. Instead of costing in the thousands, you'll pay in the hundreds of dollars. In either case, with prefabricated or facing kits, almost any fireplace supplier you deal with will give you good advice and specific instructions. Also, the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association provides more consumer information.