A fireplace screen is required to keep hot ashes from splattering into the room, which is especially necessary if the fireplace is placed near a wooden floor or rug. It is usually made up of a metal mesh encased in a solid frame and mounted on the fireplace’s hearth.
While no rules require no rules are requiring the use of a screen when lighting a fire in a wood-burning fireplace, it adds another layer of protection to you, your family, and your home.
In this article, I will elaborate on the importance of a fireplace screen and answer the question, “Does a wood burning fireplace need a screen?”
3 Reasons Why Your Wood-Burning Fireplace Needs A Screen
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Keep your house and your family secure
And if you’re using a controlled burn, you should still be cautious about flames. We also prescribe fireplace screens to our customers to keep their families secure. Fireplace screens shield pets and children away from the fireplace while also preventing burning coals and ash from splattering on your floor and furniture.
Freestanding fireplace screens are available, as well as screens that are positioned at the front of the fireplace. As a result, we suggest getting some permanent screens installed by a hearth specialist to prevent destroying your fireplace.
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Safety requirements for gas fireplaces
A fireplace screen is needed on all fireplaces with glass doors built after January 1, 2015. The American National Standards Institute implemented this protection requirement to limit the number of accidental burns caused by touching gas fireplace glass panels that are too hard to touch.
“While gas fireplaces, stoves, and inserts are a great asset to any home, the glass can become very hot during operation and stay hot long afterward, creating a potential burn hazard,” said Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association president Jack Goldman.
“In the past several years, there have been reports of burns involving young children and others who may not be aware of the potential risk of touching the hot glass on gas fireplaces, inserts, and stoves. While we believe these incidents are few, even one is too many. We believe the new safety standard will provide greater protection to young children and others with special needs.”
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Decoration
Although fireplace screens are essential for protecting your family, they are not just ugly and functional items. In reality, almost all fireplace screens are available in several decorative designs, enabling homeowners to pick and configure a screen that complements their home’s decor.
Fireplace displays are another simple and economical way to improve your fireplace’s appearance. A new fireplace screen may help get an outdated fireplace current without having to redesign it.
If you don’t use your fireplace too much, choose a more fragile and artistic screen. Metalwork and stained glass can be used to make these handcrafted windows, which can bring a unique style feature to your fireplace.
Fireplace Screen Buying Guide (Does A Wood Burning Fireplace Need A Screen?)
- Material: Pick a material appropriate for your style. While offering protection from sparks, metal mesh screens allow more heat to escape through and move. Glass is much more resistant to sparks than mesh, but it is less permeable to fire.
- Style: Stationary displays have a more sleek appearance, while screens with hinged sides can be adjusted more easily and have a more personalized appearance.
- Handles: If you want to change your screen often, opt for one with top handles to make moving it faster and safer.
- Size: For additional safety and security, select a panel that offers good visibility in terms of both height and width. Measure the fireplace opening and add 10 to 12 inches to the width and 3 to 5 inches to the height to decide the appropriate screen size.
Hayneedle has a convenient “buy by scale” feature to make it much easier. Single-panel displays are the most straightforward to install and produce a clean, seamless aesthetic. Multi-panel designs have a beautifully curved influence, but they’re a little more difficult to scale.
Watch this video to know more about how to choose a fireplace screen:
Fireplace Screen Vs Fireplace Door: A Detailed Comparison
Screens for the Fireplace
Colors, forms, shapes, and finishes abound when it comes to fireplace panels. They are available in various colors and styles to match almost every decor. They bring lots of style to any space, and when they’re not in use, they’re always used as a decorative point.
A fireplace screen’s versatility is considered to be incredibly significant. If you have a downdraft or if a floating log disrupts the underlying embers, the primary purpose of a fireplace screen is to prevent ash and embers from blowing into the room.
In these cases, there is a risk of a burn, which may result in significant destruction to furniture as well as injuries to persons or pets near the fire.
In conclusion, a fireplace panel is only useful when there is a fire in the fireplace. Otherwise, it serves as a conversation starter or another lovely piece of furniture by the fireplace.
Doors for Fireplaces
Colors, forms, shapes, and finishes are all available for fireplace doors. They, like screens, can be bought to match almost any furniture and add style to any space.
Since fireplace doors are used to separate the chimney from the space, their functionality differs from that of screens. Over the season, fireplace doors maintain the temperature inside the house by preventing heat from entering through the chimney.
In conclusion, the fireplace door aids in maintaining temperature rather than guarding against embers burning.
FAQs
Is it True That Fireplace Screens Get Hot?
Since fireplace screens are made of fire-resistant and non-combustible materials, they seldom get hot unless they are put too close to the fire.
Since any mixture of wood-burning fireplaces and screens is unique, it’s always a good idea to feel near the fireplace screens before hitting them and make sure they’re cool enough to manage.
Do Fireplace Screens Prevent Heat?
A small amount of the heat from the fire would be blocked by the panel, based on the size of the mesh.
Wood-burning fireplaces are unreliable, and a large portion of the heat generated by the fire escapes up the chimney. As a result, experiencing the warmth of a wood-burning fireplace necessitates sitting next to the flames. As a result, a screen is required for safety purposes, and the amount of heat that the screen blocks would be negligible.
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Conclusion
As I stated above, you should certainly get your wood burning fireplace a screen since it is beautiful to look at and protect your family from risk caused by flame. I hope my guideline will help you choose a suitable fireplace screen!
