Heat & Glo: Exclaim 42

A 42-inch wood fireplace that can burn split oak today and a gas log set later.

Quick Facts

• Heating Capacity: Designed for ambiance, not as a heat source.
• Viewing Area: 42″ wide and 28 1/2″ tall.
• Fuel: Wood.
• Fan: None

Who It’s For

Plenty of families want a wood fire for the holidays and the easy option of gas for a quick weeknight blaze. Picking one usually means giving up the other. The Exclaim 42 is for the household that wants room to change its mind: a wider opening than the 36, built for wood, with gas knockouts already in place. You get a real hearth now and a path to push-button flames later without tearing out the wall.

What Makes It Special

The six extra inches of width over the 36 let you stack a fuller fire or set a longer gas log set across the grate. That is the reason to choose this size for a bigger family room.

This size also opens up more looks for a gas conversion. Beyond cement log sets, the price book lists a cannonball set and crushed glass in copper, crystal, graphite, and smoked tones, so the fireplace can read rustic or modern.

Possible Downsides

• The refractory interior is required and sold separately. Choose a herringbone or traditional set when you order.
• As an open fireplace, it is for atmosphere more than heat. Most of the warmth goes up the chimney.

If you want a wood fireplace today that can turn into a gas fireplace later, the Exclaim 42 is the right decision. The family room gets its centerpiece now and keeps its options open.

Finish it with herringbone or traditional refractory in natural gray, masonry brown, or black onyx; add stainless or black bi-fold glass doors or Grand Vista mesh doors; and choose a gas burner with logs, cannonballs, or crushed glass, a hearth extension, and a wood or non-combustible mantel shelf.