Fireplace screen: variations and features of choice

No one considers fireplaces as a luxury and a sign of aristocracy. Now everyone can afford a fireplace in the house and even in the apartment. However, this element of the decor can be a source of great danger, yet it is open fire. Therefore, it is important to install a protective screen in time, having correctly selected it.

The correct fireplace screen is a multifunctional design.

It should perform the following functions:

• Security - This is the most important item that should be considered first. Open fire can do a lot of harm, put the safety of the room and the lives of people at risk. Moreover, the fireplace is of increased interest in children and pets.Any careless action can cause irreversible effects. Protective fireplace screen serves as a barrier for flames and sparks, which emanate in different directions. The probability of a dangerous situation in this case is significantly reduced or even reduced to zero.

• Efficiency use of heat energy increases significantly. This is facilitated by the heating of the metal / cast iron screen and the further transfer of this heat into the room. This state of affairs turns the protective element into an effective heater.
• Aesthetic beauty - an integral function of the fireplace screens. Now they are made from a huge range of materials, decorated in various ways and presented in the most unusual forms. The varieties of these structures will be discussed in the article below. Often it is the screen that is the determining factor for choosing the design and shape of the entire chimney composition.

Modern craftsmen have adapted a large amount of materials to create fire screens.

When choosing a design, first of all you need to decide on the material:

• Bronze has a natural elegance, gives the screens sophistication and makes it easy to fit into any interior. Such material will never lose its relevance.
• Profile iron is an affordable option that looks good in different interiors, provides decent protection, has durability and flexibility.
• "Superisol" is produced in Denmark. This is a modern material that can withstand high temperatures, has low weight and good strength.

• Small-mesh metal mesh is a simple, affordable option that is often chosen for home-made screens. This material is resistant to high temperatures, excellently tolerates strong heat, does not prevent the circulation of heat.
• Heat-resistant tiles can revive the interior and give the right mood. Heat resistant glue must be used to fix it.

• The combination of several materials in one element allows you to give the construction of high cost and unusual. If you still realize a complex composition, then it will be difficult to take your eyes off the screen and the fireplace as a whole.
• Heat-resistant glass provides a high level of protection and allows you to admire the dance of fire without creating obstacles for this. Stained glass elements look magically, from them the room is filled with multi-colored living colors.This beauty hides a significant drawback - the delay of thermal radiation.

Fireplace screens can be made in various ways, which also determines their classification and affects the user's choice.

There are three main options:

• Welding allows wire or rods, curved in accordance with the sketch, to turn into a high-quality, reliable grill for the fireplace. The components are intertwined and welded together at the points of contact. This method is often chosen for self-production.

• Casting usually involves the use of cast iron. This process is more complicated than the previous one, but it can be quite realized at home. Finished products are not costly, although practicality and reliability are at a high level.
• Forging - the most difficult way, such products are more expensive. Forging can be hot and cold. The first option is chosen to create bulk orders. The cold method is better suited for individual order. It provides more freedom for the master.

Materials are not the only factor that determines the classification of fireplace screens.

These elements may also have different designs and vary in size:

• Built-in stationary elements are one with the fireplace. They are not removable, but can be equipped with a collapsible screen, which is more convenient during operation. When the fireplace is not used, for example, in the summer period, the screen can be removed, and a beautiful base will remain around the fireplace.

• Composite screens are several local panels and reliable supports that hold them. There is no single surface. A semicircle is created from the panels around the fireplace, thus providing reliable protection.
• For the combined options can be used a different number of valves. They are fixed on the hinges. Such structures are mobile, quickly and easily folded, do not require a lot of storage space.

On the grids should be mentioned separately. These designs are one of the varieties of composite integrated protective fire screens. There are enough models on sale, but still they are often custom-made.

The most relevant are multifunctional models. with height adjustment function. This advantage makes the design universal.The special design of the blinds makes it easy to close / open the screen, depending on the situation.

The slightest flaw will stand out and spoil the whole picture, regardless of its location and grid area.

The range of protective designs for fireplaces is huge, which allows you to choose a model in many ways, including in accordance with the chosen style and interior.

Fireplace screens are created in the following stylistic directions:

• Models with ornaments, plot elements and bas-reliefs in the interior take on a distinctive look and set corresponding accents. Such elements need to be chosen with care, not in every interior they will be harmoniously entered.
• Classic screens and elements in the Rococo style, created from brass and bronze, stand out among the other models. These materials are particularly relevant in these stylistic directions.Depending on the design and design of the screens can be original or restrained, expressive or concise.

• Stained glass screens in almost any interior look gorgeous. If the room has mirrored, polished surfaces and metal objects, then the reflections of fire will be reflected in them and create a magical effect.
• The high-tech style will best be conveyed in a glass composite screen. Hinges will be appropriate the most inconspicuous, and even better hidden or disguised. Minimalism in a kind of performance - the main condition that must be met in every detail.

• Modern is best transmitted in flat pieces. This means that the screen must be selected with flat panels, vertical-type posts and horizontal hinges. Light tones - a prerequisite for the screen in the modern style.

To make the right choice of the fireplace screen, you must be guided by simple rules.

• The design is selected in accordance with the dimensions of the furnace. An overly large screen will look bulky, ruin the look of the fireplace and the room as a whole.A small design will take an absurd appearance, besides it will not be able to provide the desired protective effect.
• Now we are determined with the material. It should fit harmoniously into the interior of the room and correspond to the chosen style of the fireplace. You also need to decide whether the heat comes from the fireplace. If this item is not important for you, then you can stop at the heat-resistant glass. Otherwise, it is better to choose a metal screen-grid.

• If wood logs / briquettes with high heat transfer are used as fuel, a very reliable screen is needed, which must be installed in strict accordance with safety requirements.

The range of protective screens is huge, it is very difficult to study it fully. But there are several worthy manufacturers and the most attractive models who don’t mind spending time and attention.

• Ragar Company Originally from Italy, it produces a large number of accessories that are necessary for owners of fireplaces. The company has earned the sympathy of users from many countries.Due to the high quality, wide assortment, excellent performance, a variety of style decisions. For example, the model RGR C31206AGK is made in the best traditions of the classics, and the screen RGR C01914AGK will successfully fit into the Baroque style.

• Alex Bauman - This is a Chinese company that demonstrates surprisingly high quality. These products are affordable, have rich functionality, characterized by high reliability. It is not for nothing that we singled out this company from all Chinese manufacturers.

On how to clean the glass of the fireplace from soot and soot, see the next video.