A warm fire feels pleasant on a chilly night. But it loses its appeal when you must wait to exhaust itself before bed. Moreover, unattended wood fires are unsafe. Apart from a gas fireplace, you can turn it off; a wood fire can only be extinguished by enclosing it with safety screens.
Many modern fireplaces come with glass or metal safety screens. But, adapting an existing fireplace to include this safety element is relatively easy. Standard sizes of the screens allow them to fit into any flat firebox aperture.
A fireplace safety screen will assist in making your fireplace a secure location to burn wood. A fireplace screen can also be used to keep out animals and toddlers. Children naturally study things they don't comprehend and are curious about them. Keeping a shield between them and the flame is a good option to prevent small hands from getting burned.
Continue reading to learn how to install the fireplace safety screen to keep yourself and your family safe.
Types of Safety Screens
Many different kinds of fireplace safety screens go with any fireplace or décor. They come in various sizes, or you may have them manufactured just for your fireplace. Since most fireplace screens sit before the fireplace entrance, installation is rarely necessary.
They come with steel, bronze, and copper trim and are available as multi-panel displays. To produce a certain curve around the opening, the panels are joined by hinges. Safety screens near the fire can also be bought to provide a better view. Some screens are curved and single-panel displays.
You can get extravagant screens and other items with the logos of your favourite football clubs. To properly decorate your fireplace, even fashioned stained glass is available. The fireplace safety curtain, however, is the most fundamental, secure, and widely used screen. It is necessary to install this kind of screen, whether used with glass panels or left alone. The simple, incredibly sturdy metal drapes protect the flames from blowing out of the fireplace.
Fireplace Safety Screen Installation
Installing a fireplace screen merely needs inserting the safety screen into the firebox vent and securing it to the masonry. The process is rather simple when working with square concrete. However, suppose your firebox is constructed of a material with a rough texture, such as fieldstone. In that case, you won't be able to use a typical screen since it cannot overlap the opening border.
You should use caution while piercing an old fireplace's brick because the masonry could be brittle.
Step 1:
When working, lean the screen against your thigh or ask a friend to hold it while you prop it up on its bottom edge.
The screen's back may contain four head screws located there and attached to attach the brackets and clamps. Save them since you will need them later to assemble the brackets and clamps. Put the lintel clamps together, then fasten them to the top of the safety screen.
Step 2:
As you fasten the screws holding the clamps to the screen's top and rear frame, note how the screws nestle into a slot machine in the clamps. The clamps may be properly aligned with the bottom of the lintel that extends across the roof of the fireplace opening by moving them up or down in this gap. After that, attach the two L-shaped flooring brackets at the bottom of the screen into place.
Step 3:
Ensure not to damage the finish as you snugly fit the screen into the fireplace aperture. The unit should fit inside the opening snugly.
To light your working place, hang a drop light inside the fireplace. Mark where the bottom bolts touch the fireplace floor while holding the screen. Mark through the brackets' groves with a grave marker, such as a Permanent marker.
Step 4:
Remove the screen from the fireplace with care, then set it aside. In the locations of two bracket marks, dig a 2-inch-deep hole with a drill/driver equipped with a masonry bit of 5/16-inch diameter.
For best results, drill into the brick instead of mortar, which is brittle and won't retain the anchor. If you don't drill straight down, it could be difficult to insert the screw.
Step 5:
Dust from the hole drilling should be removed using a wet/dry vacuum. Remember to hoover the holes' nooks and crannies as well. When a lead anchor is flat with the edge of the adjacent brick, gently tap it into each hole with a hammer.
Don some gloves before unfolding the fibreglass insulation included with the screen. Cut off sections that will fit into the slots on the unit's sides and top.
Put insulation into each of the three channels. Like with wall insulation, you shouldn't worry about maintaining the fibreglass's fluff because its major purpose is to seal the screen, prevent smoke from escaping, and shield any finishes on the window frame from the heat.
Step 6:
Push the screen into the fireplace opening with caution. Ensure that there is no insulation protruding from the frame's edge.
Ensure that the screen is level with the firebox's face. Turn sheet metal bolts through the bottom mounts and lead anchors by reaching inside.
To fasten the screen to the brick, tighten the screws using a socket wrench. Avoid over tightening the screws to avoid breaking off the screw head or losing the grip on the brick.
And you're done with installing your fireplace safety screen. You can now enjoy your warm and cozy living room without worries.
Benefits of Installing Fireplace Safety Screen
The installation of fireplace screens is frequently overlooked when creating a fireplace. Yet, shortly after deciding to install a fireplace, you should consider these unique items of décor while designing your area.
Installing screens over an existing fireplace can make it stand out in each living area. This is how:
Enhanced Aesthetic of the Room
A fireplace screen offers a certain rustic modern style, even if fireplaces are lovely in and of themselves and serve as the main focal point of any room. A beautiful fireplace screen can be added to any fireplace, including constructed or electric ones.
Creates Safe Space for Children
One of the main advantages of any fireplace screen may be child protection. You'll feel safer knowing your kids are prevented from entering the area, even though you have a fireplace screen for the wood-burning fireplace or various setup versions.
Regarding children and fireplace safety, there are two risks to be mindful of. First, when the fireplace is in operation, there must be a distinct barrier between your kids and the indoor or outdoor fireplace. Naturally, this will stop crawlers or young children from coming too near the flames and getting burned. This can include adding a grate or gate to the fireplace's perimeter for some.
When not in use, the second aspect of fireplace safety comes into play. It can still include scorching coals, remaining ash, and wood, or it might be entirely clean but still pose a danger to young children living in the home.
A Clean Home
No matter how big your fireplace is, a fireplace safety screen will keep flying sparks, embers, and ash out of your room. This improves both your safety and the cleanliness of the area around your fireplace hearth. A sizable fireplace screen with doors is an excellent barrier to prevent soot and embers from entering the room. Your flooring and furnishings can get covered in dirt from even a tiny portion of ash.
You can benefit from a protective barrier using fireplace glass panels, a mesh curtain, or an iron fireplace screen.
A fireplace screen is an easy method to instantly improve the appearance of any house with a fireplace while also increasing safety for yourself and your dear ones. Installing a fireplace screen is easy and may seem like a minor alteration, but everyone who lives in your house or visits as a guest will notice.
You'll not only have a house that looks like it came from a magazine, but you'll also be encouraging your friends and neighbor's creativity. You may wonder why you didn't install one sooner when you experience this lovely component's advantages to your home.
