| How To Select The Right Fireplace Screens For Your Living Space |
| Written by Jeff Bridges | |||
| Friday, 25 December 2009 09:01 | |||
|
If you love a roaring fire, you know that the right accessories do more than beautify your home. They keep you safe and make manipulating wood and stoking the fire itself safer and easier. Fireplace screens serve several purposes in the home and come in a wide variety of traditional and contemporary styles that can suit anyone's home perfectly.
If you love a roaring fire, you know that the right accessories do more than beautify your home. They keep you safe and make manipulating wood and stoking the fire itself safer and easier. Fireplace screens serve several purposes in the home and come in a wide variety of traditional and contemporary styles that can suit anyone's home perfectly. A fireplace screen is made up of a metal frame that holds metal mesh or screening. You may notice that a screen is normally only used with wood burning fireplaces. Other types of fireplaces, such as pellet stoves or natural gas fireplaces use fire doors or other screening methods. They do not depend as heavily on a fireplace screen to keep embers and sparks in where they will not cause any damage. You should look for a few specific features in any fireplace screen you use. The first is that you want air to be able to pass through the screen so that the fire can get the oxygen it needs in order to breathe. Fires require air in order to keep them going and a fireplace screen can help promote the proper flow of air through the fireplace and into the fire. You need to look for a fireplace screen that is made of mesh or screening rather than a solid panel. You can pick different shapes and styles of fireplace screen. The style you pick has more to do with personal preference than with how the screen functions. A three panel screen is most common. It has two legs or side screens that hold up a larger central screen. If a screen has more than three panels, it is often because the front panel has been divided up into multiple smaller panels. The individual panels may be ornamented with metal scroll work, flowers or other decorative elements. Different decorations will give different looks. Keep in mind that there is a difference between a fireplace door and a fireplace screen. A screen is generally movable and designed to be set in front of the fireplace whereas a door is often a more permanent installation. It can be hard to access the fire with some screens. They may be too heavy to move. If you plan to be making a fire that will burn for some time, remember that you will need to be able to prod the fire. You want to think about purchasing a screen that can be drawn to the side in order to let you access the flames. Or, you may need to think about a different style of fireplace screen if you find it is too difficult to get at the fire itself. Finding fireplace screens is not difficult. You can find them online or in many fireplace and home improvement stores. If you do go to purchase one, you should have an idea of the style you like and the size of your fireplace. Then, any skilled employee can give you good advice about which ones will suit you best. About the Author: Jeff Bridges has always enjoyed the warmth received in front of the fire he currently runs a website where he sells fireplace screens. There they promote many differently styles, colors, and designs of fireplace screens.
|