Fireplace Screens

Fireplace screens are both an important decorative piece, as well as a crucial safety item in any home with a fireplace or heater.  The safety of toddlers who do not know or understand the danger of heat and heaters can be protected to some degree by a fireplace screen.  While there is never any substitute for close supervision for children of any age around heaters, a screen of this type is the first defence against any burning injury.  When choosing a fire place screen as a safety barrier it is important to consider a number of factors.  Firstly, is it stable.  Many fireplace screens are made purely for decoration and are easily toppled over with the slightest touch.  This kind of screen will of course not be suitable for toddlers and small children. A fireplace screen which has been sitting close to a heater and may be hot itself and then falls on a small child may pose just as great a risk as the heater or fireplace itself.  A screen that is stable and difficult to push over is therefore essential.

A stable screen that a small child can put their hands through would also be an ineffective barrier against burns and injury. Many screens that are designed for decorative purposes have iron filigry designs that leave large gaps between the metal that are big enough for small hands to get through. When a child puts their hand into or through any object their first instinct is to pull it out again. Many times children will change the angle of the hand and not be able to withdraw their hand. Immediately a child will become distressed and try to force their hand out causing the screen to fall onto them. Screens that are best for children are those with a firm wire background, with any design work attached to the wire screen itself. This prevents any curious hands from getting stuck or getting too close to the source of heat.

Custom Fireplace Screens

If money is no object then a custom fireplace screen may be the safest option if you have small children.  A custom made glass fireplace screen is a modern decorator screen and can be designed to fix securely to the base of your hearth a safe distance from the actual fireplace or heater.  A fireplace screen with doors custom built into the screen allow for easy access to the fire or heater.  The beauty of glass fireplace screens is that they do not obstruct your view of the actual fire.  The reason why most people choose an open fire or gas fire which mimics an open fire, is that they want to see the flames.  Having large fireplace screens enables your fire to be totally safe, but you can also enjoy the ambiance that the fire creates.  If you are budget conscious and are primarily concerned about safety then a cheap fireplace screen can be picked up at heater stores at a relatively inexpensive cost.

Flat fireplace screens are not really recommended for safety.  These are close to the actual fire itself, and the close distance means that the screen itself may heat up.  If a small child was to touch or lean on the screen they could be burned or even get a fright.  While they afford some protection against spitting embers, they are not suitable for creating a child friendly protection barrier suitable to promote a safe distance zone away from a fire or source of heat.

Safety aside, fire place screens come in a huge range of styles and are made from a large range of materials.  Stained glass fireplace screens, iron, wrought iron fireplace screens, copper and brass screens create an antique look.  These more traditional materials are still used today if you wish to purchase a reproduction of an antique style, or if you are an antique shop hunter, you can pick up authentic pilgrim fireplace screens for a few hundred dollars.  Again these traditional materials can be used to make a rustic screen specifically to suit your home.

Contemporary screens can also use a range of traditional materials, but are designed to create a modern look.  Again they can be made to custom fit a small space to create a small fireplace screen.  A Fleur de lis fireplace screen definitely does not fit into the modern or contemporary design genre but a black screen is very fashionable so the key to the contemporary look is to keep decorative fireplace screens to a minimum as these denote a more traditional decore and should therefore be avoided.

Cleaning your fireplace screen is essential to get the most from your screen.  Glass and brass screens do particularly need regular cleaning to ensure that they are looking their best day and night.