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A grate is a furniture-type item. It is used as a construction material for wall grates and floor grates.

[edit] Wall Grate

A wall grate is basically a fortification, bar 2 differences:

• It is a building instead of a construction. It doesn't overwrite the tile below it, and it can be smashed by building destroyers.
• It can be linked to a lever or pressure plate. Once linked, it works like a linked door which doesn't stop fluids or arrows when closed.

[edit] Floor Grate

A floor grate blocks creature and item movement like a floor hatch, but it lets water, magma, and ranged attacks through like an open tile. It doesn't block line of sight. It can be linked. Triggered, it opens just like a hatch.

Floor grates must be attached orthogonally (i.e. not diagonally) to firm ground or some solid construction (a wall, floor, etc), not (just) other grates.

[edit] Bars vs. Grates

Vertical and horizontal bars seem to be functionally identical. The difference between grates and bars is that bars can only be made of metal but they can be constructed by any dwarf from raw metal bars and do not require an intermediate production step.

Buildings
Workshops • Furnaces
Rooms	Barracks • Bedroom • Dining room • Dormitory Jail • Meeting hall • Hospital • Office • Sculpture garden • Tomb • Zoo
Furniture	Animal trap • Anvil • Armor stand • Bed • Bin • Bucket • Cabinet • Cage • Coffin • Container • Restraint • Seat • Statue • Table • Weapon rack
Access	Door • Floodgate • Bars • Grate • Floor hatch • Bridge • Road • Window
Constructions	Fortification • Floor • Stairs • Ramp • Wall
Machine & Trap parts	Axle • Gear assembly • Millstone • Screw pump • Water wheel • Windmill • Lever Pressure plate • Trap • Support
Other Buildings	Archery target • Kennel • Shop • Siege engine • Trade depot • Wagon • Well
Related Articles	Design strategies • Bedroom design • Cave-in • Computing • Furniture Industry