6 Benefits of Installing a Fireplace with Screen Doors

From living rooms and great rooms to master bedrooms, fireplaces are the central focus in whatever room they grace. They provide an immediate sense of comfort, warmth, hominess, and luxury. And, to hid the dark, cavernous hole when it’s not in use, screen doors are perfect for maintaining the look of luxury and feel of comfort. Many fireplace screen doors can be multipurpose and provide:

6 Benefits of Installing a Fireplace with Screen Doors

• Increased Aesthetic
• Child Safety
• Cleanliness
• Insulation
• Pet Safety
• Critter Containment

Fireplace screen doors are often seen as an afterthought to building a fireplace. However, these unique pieces of décor should be factored into your room plans as soon as you decide to put in a fireplace.

6 Benefits of Installing a Fireplace with Screen Doors

If you already have a fireplace, installing screen doors will make it pop in every living space. Here’s how:

1. Increased Aesthetic

While fireplaces in of themselves are beautiful and create a central focal point for any room, a fireplace screen with doors adds a unique rustic modern aesthetic all its own. Even manufactured fireplaces or an electric fireplace can benefit from adding a decorative fireplace screen.

At Rustica, we offer you the ability to transform your fireplace with a custom fireplace door for your gas fireplace or electric fireplace for a unique, authentic, and personalized look. Whether you enjoy the down-home look of wrought iron, the clean lines of stainless steel, or the timeless look of glass doors, Rustica has an option you’re sure to love. A fireplace screen and doors might just be the missing element that completes the room in your house.

What’s even better is that our easy-to-install options work on a wide variety of fireplaces. Whether you have a masonry fireplace made of brick or stone, a fireplace with a shiplap surround, or another option, a single panel or double barn door setup will fit perfectly over your fireplace opening.

2. Child Safety

Child safety might be one of the best benefits of any type of fireplace screen. Whether you have a fireplace screen and glass doors for your wood-burning fireplace or a different type of setup, you’ll have better peace of mind knowing your children are blocked off from entering the space.

There are two types of dangers to be aware of when it comes to fireplace safety and children. First of all, there should be a clear and defined barrier between your children and the indoor or outdoor fireplace when in use. This will naturally prevent crawlers or toddlers from getting too close to the fireplace and getting burned. For some, this might mean providing an extra grate or gate around the fireplace.

The second part of fireplace safety comes when the fireplace isn’t in use. It could still have smoldering coals, leftover ash and wood, or be completely clean and still pose a hazard for little people in the house.

When there are children in the house that could wander into the fireplace cavity out of curiosity or boredom, it’s critical to make sure the fireplace opening is covered at all times. Enter Rustica’s options for fireplace screen doors. We have a variety of options for you to choose from so your fireplace looks good while providing safety for your little ones. With these doors in front of your fireplace, you’ll lessen the chances of your children getting into the fireplace and getting burned or dirty from the leftover ash.

Whether you have a gas log set up, a wood-burning fireplace, stainless steel elements, or a custom-size fireplace opening, Rustica has options for you. We give you the comfort and security of a fire screen with the beauty and aesthetic quality our company is known for. And with our mini barn door hardware, you’ll be ready to enjoy your fireplace sliding barn door feature in no time.

3. Cleanliness

Everyone loves a roaring fire in the winter, but no one particularly enjoys the cleanup process afterward. Are you the type of person to clean the ashes and leftover charred logs right away? Or do you leave it all for a few days until you get around to it? Either way, a flat fireplace screen with doors will provide a visible barrier between leftover ash and the rest of your room. An arched fireplace screen with doors can also help contain ashes and prevent them from entering the room due to downdrafts from your chimney.

No matter the size of your fireplace, a fireplace screen will prevent ash, embers, and flying sparks from entering your room. Not only does this increase your safety, but it also keeps the area surrounding your fireplace hearth cleaner. A large fireplace screen with doors will provide an impressive barrier for soot and ashes from entering your room. Even a small amount of ash can leave your floors and furniture with a coating of dirt.

Fireplace glass doors, a tight mesh screen, or an iron fireplace screen will provide a beneficial barrier between your fireplace and the rest of your home.

4. Insulation

You might be surprised to learn that a significant amount of heat loss is due to the fireplace and chimney. When the vent is open, downdrafts can cause cold air to come in during the winter and hot air to enter during the summer. Even when the vent is closed, the fireplace is still a significant source of heat loss. No matter the season, without a closed vent and solid fireplace screen doors, you might be spending more on your electric bills than you need to.

A small fireplace screen with doors or a large fireplace with custom doors will help prevent unnecessary heat loss and provide increased insulation all year long. Should you choose fireplace doors with screen options that are mesh and see-through, be sure to keep the vent closed when the fireplace isn’t in use to reduce at least some heat loss. If heat loss is your primary concern, then solid options, such as glass, will prevent a greater amount of heat loss than fireplace screens that are mesh.

5. Pet Safety

Many pet owners don’t realize that it could become a big issue if their pet enters the fireplace—whether it’s in use or not. A curious pet could very easily get into a seemingly cold fireplace only to discover a live coal buried under the ash pile. Dogs especially are known for getting into piles of dirt or ash and rolling around. The ash could get into their eyes, nose, and mouth, and potentially cause burns due to its caustic nature. Your pet could also inadvertently move a lump of still-smoldering coal from the fireplace into the house and potentially start a house fire. While uncommon, around 1,000 house fires are started each year due to pets.

Another issue with fireplaces being left open with pets around relates specifically to cats. If you’re a cat owner, you likely know how curious and adventurous they are. Younger felines, especially, have an unquenchable thirst for adventure. The problem? They can get into your fireplace chimney and try to climb it. To a human, the idea of entering a dark and dirty chimney doesn’t sound like fun, but to a cat, that’s the stuff stories are made from.

Unfortunately, many cats get partway up and find themselves stuck. If they do make it back down, the best-case scenario is that they’ll be incredibly filthy and will have breathed in a lot of ash dust. The worst-case scenario is that they won’t be able to come down at all. In this case, you’ll likely end up calling your local fire department to dismantle your chimney to reach your cat.

How do you prevent these common issues from occurring? Fireplace doors are the perfect solution to providing a barrier between the fireplace opening and your pet. A solid fireplace screen is just as effective as glass fireplace glass in keeping pets out of a traditional fireplace. It’s important to note that a fireplace door or fireplace gate is needed whether you have a large or a small fireplace. Animals love to squeeze into small places, so it’s important to cover your fireplace no matter its size.

These safety concerns are true regardless of whether your fireplace is located in a master bedroom or a living room. A fireplace glass door is just one of many fireplace accessories you can use to make your fireplace safer for your furry friends.

The best thing about Rustica’s fireplace screens is that you can easily mount these onto an existing fireplace, making them perfect for new builds and remodels alike. Whether you have a brick or shiplap surround, these doors will enhance the look of your fireplace and your room.

6. Critter Containment

You probably think we just covered the section on critter containment, but we’re not talking about pets. We’re talking about other critters—namely birds, bats, squirrels, and raccoons. These are the four wild animals that most commonly enter houses by coming down the chimney. Unless you want the possibility of waking up to a raccoon rummaging around your trashcans inside your house, a fireplace barn door screen is essential.

A door is not only effective at keeping pets and children out of the fireplace, but it’s also helpful for keeping critters, like those mentioned above, from entering your house. If they have no outlet into your house, they’ll likely turn right around and go back the way they came. If they stay in the fireplace cavity, they’re still effectively trapped for wildlife or pest control to come remove.

No matter how you look at it, a sliding barn door, a glass door, or a wrought iron fireplace screen is beneficial for your family. At Rustica, we specialize in providing a custom fireplace screen that will perfectly fit your direct vent fireplace whether you have natural wood or a gas log set.

Enhancing Your Fireplace and Your Home

For any home with a fireplace, adding a fireplace barn door screen is a simple way to instantly enhance the overall look, in addition to providing increased safety for you and your loved ones. Though adding a fireplace screen door might seem like a small change, the impact will be felt by all who live in your home or enter as a guest.

Not only will your home look like it came straight out of a magazine, but you’re sure to inspire some creativity in your friends and neighbors. Once you enjoy the benefits this beautiful element brings to your home, you might just wonder why you didn’t install one sooner.