There is some debate about wooden sconces as to whether or not they are safe to use in the home with real candles.  There are varying opinions about this, but if you are trying to decide for yourself, there are a few simple questions you need to ask yourself.  There are also a couple of factors you should consider if you do end up buying or making a wood candle sconce for your home.

With regards to fire safety, most people won’t even give things a second thought before telling you that mixing fire with wood is a bad idea.  That is a healthy, reflexive thing to do, but it isn’t always the most efficient way to go about things.  Fact is, a large portion of most people’s homes are made out of wood.  If there is going to be a fire, there is going to be a fire.  If those same people who instinctively say ‘no’ to using wooden wall sconces strictly on the principal of fire where to direct that same type of thinking to their own homes, they wouldn’t smoke, cook with fire, light candles, or do anything else within their homes due to the fact that wood is flammable.  If you wish to add candle light to your home, you don’t light a wooden sconce on fire, you light a candle that sits on a wooden sconce!

That being said, there are some legitimate considerations if you do choose to use wooden sconces.  First off, it is very important that the chemicals (which are usually quite flammable) used to treat the wood have had ample time to allow whichever solvents where used on them to completely evaporate.  If you are making your own sconce, you may consider using fire retardant wood just alleviate concerns.  Another thing to consider if you are planning to use wood to make a candle sconce is that it might be a good idea to use wood that wont crack or warp at high temperatures if the sconce is going to be structured in such a way that some of the wood is going to be near or in line of the heat that will be given off by the candle, this will not only ensure that the sconce will last longer, but it is also a safety consideration when you consider the fact that wood can often crack while warping and there is the remote chance that during that event, your wooden sconce could possibly drop a lit candle and start a fire.

Rest assured that professionally made wooden candle sconces are usually made with these considerations in mind.  If you are buying wood candle sconces online, and you have worries, simply email the manufacturer.

Using wood to make a candle sconce isn’t as much of a risk as some would make it out to be.  Simply use a little foresight when it comes time to picking the type of wood you are going to use, make sure the chemicals used to treat the wood are dry and not going to make the sconce flammable.  Above all else, make sure to place your sconce in a spot that isn’t going to make it prone to getting bumped into or knocked off the wall as this is probably the number one safety risk of using any candle or sconce.

When it comes time to selecting a candle sconce, there are going to be a few main types that you will see while you are browsing.  It doesn’t matter if you look in the online catalogs, or in the stores, the selection is going to be about the same.  Unless you go to a custom candle sconce manufacturer or producer, you probably aren’t going to get any kind of custom designs.  If you do go this route though, expect to pay a bit more for each piece than you would if you were to just go into the store and pick a few off of the shelf.  They may be the same as someone else has, but you will save yourself a lot of money over having custom candle sconces produced.

The first type you will see, and one that some people have fears about is the wood candle sconces.  They believe that the stains used on the wood during the manufacturing process will ignite from the close proximity of the candles flame.  This is a common misconception, and as long as you allow the piece to sit for a few weeks without having a candle around it, you are going to have nothing to worry about.

The second type is the iron candle sconces, and people cherish these for more rustic and antiqued themed rooms or layouts.  The reason for this is the small black pores on the metal, cause it to have a grey washed appearance giving that extremely old feel to even brand new pieces.  You don’t have to worry about polishing this type of candle sconce, maybe wipe the dust off of it every few weeks.  This is another reason so many people love iron candle sconces.

The last type that you are going to see are brass candle sconces.  These types of sconces have an incredible luster to them, and the shine that you can produce if you know how to use a buffer and rubbing compound is incredible.  If you don’t possess the skills necessary to get this kind of shine, consider taking them down to a blacksmith, or someone who can work wonders with metal.  The pieces that you get back are going to look so different that you are going to believe the blacksmith just went out and bought you some whole new candle sconces.  The shine on brass is that incredible.