Valcourt: Frontenac Wood Fireplace

An imposing wood fireplace with a large glass surface and a guillotine door.

Quick Facts

• Use: Designed mainly for ambiance, with the doors open or closed; an alternate source of heat if needed.
• Maximum Log Size: 30″
• Fuel: Wood.

Who It’s For

A wood fireplace is often about the evening, not the heating bill. You want the crackle and the look of a real fire, built into the wall. The Valcourt Frontenac is made for that. Choose a heater-first firebox and you may trade away the view you wanted.

What Makes It Special

The Frontenac pairs a minimalist, sleek faceplate with an imposing size and a large glass surface for a captivating view of the flames. Its firebox takes logs up to 30 inches.

Its signature is the guillotine-style door and firescreen: both slide smoothly and discreetly under the hearth on a removable handle, for easy, secure access to the fire.

While it is primarily designed for ambiance, the Valcourt Frontenac qualifies for Phase II of the federal voluntary emissions program and is 70% cleaner than uncertified decorative fireplaces.

Valcourt backs it with a limited lifetime warranty on the combustion chamber welds, the ceramic glass, the castings, and the plating.

Possible Downsides

• It is a wood fire. You load it, tend it, and carry out the ash.
• It is built for ambiance. For primary heat, look at Valcourt’s high-efficiency fireplaces.

If you want a real wood fire that is the centerpiece of the room, the Valcourt Frontenac is the right decision. The evening ends where it should, in front of the fire.

Choose arched or straight masonry trim or narrow overlap, and herringbone vermiculite or contemporary or classic molded brick panels.