Fire Screen

With such a wide range of fire screens available it is important to be safety conscious when choosing your fire screen. Apart from functionality and attractiveness of the fire surround it must be able to protect your home and family from the many dangers of fire. A finely meshed screen will prevent even small sparks from flying from the fireplace (fire hearth). Another important factor is the size of the screen which must be appropriately matched to the fireplace size.

The true beauty and elegance fire screens

A fire will enhance the ambiance in a room and a feeling of warmth and coziness will be evident as soon as one enters the room. Styling is important to the home ambience and an antique style fireplace will need a matching antique-like fire screen. Likewise, a classic style fireplace would necessitate a classic fire screen to complement it.

Fire screen finishes

Iron or brass fire screens (fire guards) are durable and offer the best value for money whilst still adding beautifully to the home décor. A wrought iron screen can be particularly ornate with its many grilles, curlicues and scrolls. A large screen exists (to suit a large open hearth) that has 3 folding panels, the center one of which contains a door for easy access to the fire grate when fuel has to added. The screen would be too heavy to move every time you needed to add fuel to the fire.

Try out a stained glass fire screen

A ‘stained glass fire’ screen is another variety of screen which is very beautiful and can be obtained in many different patterns and numerous colors. The fire light illuminates the room through the colored glass segments and provides a beautiful visual effect on the surrounding walls of the room. Specially commissioned fire screens will prove to be expensive (although any design or image can be obtained) but many good quality, inexpensive, stained glass patterns are available. An advantage of the glass fire screen is that it is very easy to keep clean (there are several good glass cleaning products on the market).

Stained glass screen themes

Green, environmental or nature style themes are popular as are a number of religious images. The advantage of glass is that you can see the fire without the obstruction of a solid guard. The glass fire screen is safe because a resistant tempered glass is always used. The choice of color and style is simply limitless and a style to suit every home is readily available.

Drying clothes on your fire screen

The fire guard can be a functional item when the weather is inclement and one wet day follows another. If the weather is bad and you cannot hang clothes outdoors to dry on your washing line then you have an alternative way to dry them, simply hang them over the screen and the heat of the fire will dry them in no time. Be careful, as always, if you are using an open fireplace to make sure that the clothes are away from flames and sparks. It is advisable to have a safety fire blanket nearby to quickly douse any flames should a mishap occur.

General fire awareness

A smoke detector is a must in every home (with or without an open fire grates) and costs as little as $5. More expensive and sophisticated smoke detectors feature additional carbon detection functions (monoxide and dioxide sensing) but generally smoke detectors trigger a buzzer with a loud alarm signal. It should be tested monthly (a test button is contained on the unit).

Fire safety concerns in the home

Kids do tend to be curious about fire so parents have the responsibility of explaining the dangers and of putting procedures in place in case of emergencies. Matches and other flammable items should not be left within easy reach of young children. Make sure to practice fire safety in your home and the best way to endure this is to make sure a fire doesn't happen in the first place.

An awareness of the danger is needed and everyone, including kids, will need to be familiar with the home fire evacuation drill. Make sure you practice the drill at least twice per year. Young children and babies need to be kept away from an open fire (or wood burner) and a fire screen or fire guard is a vital safety accessory.