Superior WRT8000 48" Wood Burning Fireplace with Mosaic Masonry Firebrick Liners
A 48" wood-burning fireplace with a 42" tall opening and a flush, 1-1/2" low-profile hearth — the scale and stance of a site-built masonry fireplace in a UL 127 factory-built box. The Superior WRT8048 ships as the box only: the interior is a Mosaic Masonry liner of true kiln-fired firebrick with mortared joints, in Ivory, Midnight, Slate Grey or Warm Red split herringbone, and one liner is required, chosen on this page. It vents on IHP 12" double-wall snap-lock chimney, and the screens, grate and andirons are standard. from $4,849.
Choose the WRT8048 if you want the look of a grand open masonry fireplace — a 42" tall firebrick interior you pick by color — without laying block: it frames into wood construction with 1-1/2" of airspace, and the fully insulated box keeps performance up in cold climates.
It is not right if there is no route for 16 feet of vertical chimney to the roof, or if you are counting on it to heat the whole house — this is a natural-draft wood firebox rated for supplemental heat. For a room with no chimney path, look at a sealed direct-vent gas fireplace such as Superior's DRT4000 series, or the vent-free VRT6000 masonry firebox, instead.
Specifications
Frame an opening 60-7/8" wide and 31-5/8" deep, 76-3/8" high with the hearth spacer or 71-1/2" without; a corner installation sets a 60-7/8" opening between two 78-7/8" angled walls, 107-3/8" across the corner. Hold 1-1/2" of airspace at the back and sides — not required at the nailing flanges — and 18" from a perpendicular wall to the opening. The chimney runs 12" IHP snap-lock double-wall pipe, 16 to 50 feet of system height with up to two offsets, terminated with a listed round or square chase-top cap. In front, a noncombustible hearth extension at least 20" deep and 12" past each side — the drawings print 72" x 20" — protects a combustible floor, and on anything but a concrete slab the fireplace mounts on its hearth spacer. Listed to UL 127 / CAN/ULC-S610.
WRT8048 vs. Superior's other large wood-burning fireplaces
The WRT8048 is the tall one — a 42" opening height against the 30" opening of the WRT6000 and WRT4500 fireboxes — and the only one with the flush low-profile hearth. Box plus liner starts at from $4,849 here, against the 50" WRT6050 at from $4,139 and the 50" WRT4550, which ships with its white refractory interior included, at from $4,359. All three share the IHP 12" snap-lock chimney system.
Features
- 48" wide, 42" tall opening — a masonry-scale view of a real wood fire
- Mosaic Masonry firebrick liner in true kiln-fired brick with mortared joints — four split-herringbone colors, one required and ordered on this page
- Flush 1-1/2" low-profile hearth design, so the firebrick floor sits nearly level with the room
- Fully insulated firebox with a massive smoke dome and no visible smoke shelf
- Factory barometric damper feeds the fire outside air automatically; dual AK4 kits available
- Ships with mesh fire screens and the heavy-duty steel grate with forged andirons
Answers to common questions
What’s included, what’s required, and what’s optional?
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Included in the box: 48" x 42" fireplace opening; Mesh fire screens, heavy-duty steel grate with forged andirons, and ember protector; Barometric damper and easy-access damper control; Gas-line knockouts; UL 127 / CAN/ULC-S610 listed (PFS); IHP 20-year limited warranty.
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Required to complete the installation, purchased separately: Interior Panel - one Mosaic Masonry firebrick liner; the box ships without an interior, and the four split-herringbone colors on this page are the options (grout and a touch-up kit ship with the liner); Hearth Spacer - Superior's 48" combustible-floor hearth spacer (HS48), required on any floor other than a concrete slab; the fireplace straps to it with the straps provided; Venting - IHP 12DM double-wall snap-lock chimney with firestop spacers, flashing and a listed termination, 16 feet of system height minimum (12HT stainless and the cold-air kit in Canada); Floor Protection - a site-built noncombustible hearth extension at least 20" in front and 12" beyond each side of the opening; the drawings print 72" x 20".
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Optional: The 48" ceramic-glass bi-fold masonry door in ebony trim, outside air kits (AK4 sidewall / AK4F floor — two recommended), and a gas line with a vented or vent-free gas log set — the fireplace burns wood fully without them.
What chimney does it need, and is it in the box?
No — the chimney is sold separately. It runs IHP 12" snap-lock double-wall wood-burning pipe (12DM; the stainless 12HT is required in Canada along with the cold-air kit): 16 feet of system height minimum for a straight flue or one elbow set, 22 feet with two, 50 feet maximum, capped with a listed round or square chase-top termination at least 3 feet above the roof. Send us your ceiling heights and roof pitch and we will lay out the run with you.
Do I need the hearth spacer?
Only a concrete-slab installation goes without it — on any other floor the manual requires IHP's 48" combustible-floor hearth spacer, and the fireplace straps to it with the straps provided. Either way, a noncombustible hearth extension at least 20" deep and 12" past each side of the opening — the drawings print 72" x 20" — is built in front, with the provided ember protector under the front edge.
Can I burn gas logs in it instead of wood?
Yes — the fireplace is approved for a vented gas log set (ANSI Z21.60 or Z21.84) with the damper removed or locked fully open and the doors fully open, or for a vent-free set listed to ANSI Z21.11.2. A 1/2" black iron gas line runs in through knockouts in the firebrick. Superior's own Dual-Burner vented sets come in 24", 30" and 36" sizes; the brochure's selection guide matches the set to this model.
How close can a mantel sit above it?
Combustible trim or a mantel projecting from the front face must stay clear of the opening by the distance the manual sets, and anything projecting further must sit higher still; mantel legs must fall inside the manual's safe-zone chart — see Figures 4 and 4a on page 6 of the installation manual. Noncombustible material may not overlap the front face except in mantel applications. You can also send us your mantel depth. We're here to help!
How does the warranty work if something goes wrong?
Superior warrants the fireplace, and The Torch Guys handles it for you — we register the appliance and, if you ever need to claim, we deal with the manufacturer on your behalf rather than handing you a phone number. The body, firebox and ceramic glass carry a 20-year limited warranty. Keep your invoice and the model number; we hold the rest on file.
