Empire VB4H36BL Extended 36" Fireplace Hood - Matte Black

Although description says “ Used in INITIAL installation ONLY” it went on no problem. My Empire VFD36FB0L firebox was installed in 2007 and I simply held it in place an saw I had to loosen the two screws for the screen guide and slide it above them then retighten. Also had pre-drilled holes in my firebox for the side holes to screw into. Simply drilled two holes in the top and 4 screws from my parts bin and it was installed in under 5 min.

You need to bend this thing into shape to look like the pic. Not happy given how expensive this was

Context: Samsung flatscreen "Frame" TV flush-mounted to the wall directly above the fireplace with zero mantle or heat barrier. The problem was that rising heat was heating the expensive TV and would have damaged the TV if not addressed. As a result, the fireplace was never used.Resolution: This fireplace hood is made by Empire so it fit perfectly into the existing Empire 36" fireplace box with no adjustments needed. The installation was on a pre-existing fireplace box (i.e. not new construction) and the flat-black hood extends about 6" from the wall, which effectively deflects the fireplace heat away from the wall (and the TV). Excellent alternative to a mantle or to deflect heat away from the underside of a mantle.Comments: Unit is fairly expensive ($110.00 in January 2025) for what it is - a simple piece of metal shaped to fit and painted black. The unit does not include fasteners. There are probably less expensive generic brands available, but because the fireplace was made by Empire, this hood was a good match with zero tweaks. Drilled small pilot holes and mounted with 5 x 1/4" self-tapping metal screws from Home Depot. One in each side flap and three across the inside top edge. There are some pre-drilled holes and slots on the unit, but they were not used. After some reading and dry fitting, Installation took about 20 minutes.

Packaging and instructions were excellent. Item is for a GENERIC installation, that is, it may need to be customized to fit a particular stove or configuration; however, it comes fully assembled and ready to install. It is constructed of light duty stamped powder coated sheet metal; it will need sufficient support and attachment particularly to avoid distortion when exposed to high temperature from stove combustion. There are several pre-drilled holes and slots for attachment screws. The outward corners are pointed and sharp; consider traffic patterns and the height of children, especially when the stove is not being used. Suitable for intended purpose but with caveats.

Great fit and reasonably easy to install. Just place the hood in the firebox frame, hold in place, mark the holes, remove the hood and drill pilot holes (you need to purchase your own machine screws which are readily available at you hardware store) replace the hood and secure it with you hardware. Easy. Greatly reduces the heat that had been slowly destroying our mantel.

The product arrive not fully formed into the item as it appears in the picture on the site. Not all parts of the sheet metal were bent into the form as it is show in the picture. I had to bend the back of the hood 90 degrees before I could connect it to my fireplace and ended up scratching the material in the process.

Looks great, does not protrude from wall as much as I thought it would (which is great).

Fit and finish were excellent and product is just what was needed to protect mantel from heat.