There are literally thousands of pine fireplace surrounds on the market. Pine is the wood most commonly used for such purposes, as it is the most commercially viable of all woods in terms of price and rapid growth. There are over 115 species of pine tree and these grow all over the world, in places such as Europe, Africa, Asia, America, and Canada. The pine tree is relatively fast growing, and there are many plantations where pines are commercially grown for various purposes, including Christmas trees, furniture, carpentry and, of course, fireplaces.

Pine is an excellent choice for fireplaces: it is a very dense, hardwearing wood, and is also extremely versatile. Pine fireplace surrounds may be varnished, either clear or in various ‘wood colours’, waxed, or painted. This is handy because a plain pine fire surround may be bought cheaply, before it has been waxed, etc, and a homeowner can then paint/varnish it, in accordance with the décor and colour of the room it is to be placed in.

OER manufacture quality hand-made fire surrounds in all types of wood, and they have an excellent range of pine mantels on their website. All these are very similar in terms of style, with subtle differences, and feature a beautiful classic- style decoration. As a result, such fireplaces will look at home in the modern and traditional home alike. OER are manufacturers, and so surrounds cannot be bought on their website, but they do have details of their showrooms and retailers listed.

Luna Home Store also sells a good range of beautiful solid pine fireplaces. The Barrel features lovely intricate carvings, and is available waxed or unwaxed. The company offers a 100% secure shopping experience and all major credit and debit cards are accepted. Best of all, delivery is free – see the website for details.

Pine fireplace surrounds are an excellent choice, in terms of availability, affordability, versatility and quality. Although relatively cheap, pine is a solid, expensive-looking wood, and will make a positive contribution to any home it graces.

Teak furniture, including teak fireplace surrounds, was popular in the 1950s and ‘60s, and such furniture is enjoying a surge in popularity at the moment  – vintage teak fireplaces and other furniture items are in big demand today. However, teak is mainly used today in the manufacture of garden furniture and boat decks – teak hardwood is strong, easily worked, and possesses natural oils, which all make it suitable for outdoor use and exposure to the elements.

Teak comes from the hardwood teak tree, native to the tropical south Asia. Here, it is mainly used to make outdoor furniture for export, but in India teak is widely used to make doors, window frames, and a whole range of furniture.

Teak fireplace surrounds were never mass-produced, so they are not as easy to come by as marble or pine fire surrounds. However, there are some around, and a good place to locate these is with the help of an Internet search engine. Focus Fireplaces sell a range of traditional fireplaces in teak veneer and Wisdom Fireplaces sell a beautiful reproduction solid teak fireplace in the Arts and Crafts design.

Oliff’s Architectural Antiques are offering a solid teak fireplace from the turn of the twentieth century, and AW Fireplaces, based in Manchester, offer a range of traditional surrounds in a teak finish. Leorec (Leominster Reclamation) are offering beautiful Rhodesian teak fireplaces, hand-made in Zimbabwe. These are a lovely warm red-orange colour and feature attractive natural wood markings.

So, although teak surrounds as well as other wood fireplace surrounds are not commonplace, they are available at excellent prices, whether they be solid wood, veneered, or simply a teak finish. Teak is a beautiful coloured wood with lovely markings, and a teak fireplace will bring character and warmth to any home.