I'd like to add more "river stones" any alternatives?

[Mike/MASS]

We've got a Mendota full view insert, natural gas with direct vent up the chimney. Works great... the heat it puts out is amazing. We chose the driftwood "look" which included a bunch of smooth river stones interspersed with the "wood". I never thought there was enough coverage but I was told that was the normal "look".

I've seen other fireplaces with more river stone and so I set out trying to call the dealer/installer where we bought this unit and found out he retired and sold the building. I located another Mendota dealer who told me that river stone comes in a bag of 60-63 stones and it costs $300! She said a bag is included in every install AFASK... so the installer just used what he thought was appropriate? Anyway, the bottom line is I'm not paying $300 for a bag of rocks LOL. I know they are special rocks, but I only want 10-15 at the most. The lady I spoke with suggested that perhaps there are other fireplace-rocks that could possibly be used, so what I'd like to know is if anyone has any experience in putting different aftermarket "rocks" like lava rocks in their fireplace arrangement. I know you can't use real river rocks because they might shatter or "explode" with the heat. So I'm open to suggestions; lava rocks, glass beads whatever. TIA on the advice.

Mike/Mass

 

[DAKSY]

$300 is a lot for those river stones, but you're getting 60+.
I've seen them for $107, but the quantity is 10.
Check with another hearth shop. They may have
some leftovers that they're willing to part with at a lower price...

 

[Mike/MASS]

I found a bag of Stanbroil lava stones on Amazon for $32 bucks that were designated as safe for fireplaces or fire pits, and several purchasers had verified they worked fine in their gas direct vent fireplaces. Easy enough to carefully use the original river stones under the driftwood and surround everything with the lava stones. The river stones do get red hot, but the lava stones don't unless they are right in the flame and even then they don't glow anywhere near as much as the river stones. But I think it looks 10 times better now and there's a lot more going on under the wood. I'm happy.