Designed to add both style and functionality to your space, our beautiful collection of fire guards and screens offers something unique for (almost) all home styles. With the rise in popularity of free-standing log burners and the recent resurgence of love for old fashioned fireplaces, a sturdy guard is an absolute must when it comes to safely enjoying the warmth and glow of a roaring fire. Here are some frequently asked questions to help you make the right choice for your home.
THE LOWDOWN
WHAT IS A FIRE GUARD OR SCREEN USED FOR?
Predominantly created to protect young children and pets from hot surfaces or open fires, guards and screens also help to keep embers, sparks and debris at bay throughout fire use. Plus, they add an extra touch of style to any living space.
HOW DOES A FIRE GUARD WORK?
Fire guards are crafted from heat resistant materials - metals in our case - designed to enclose or cover your log burner or stove. They usually include a fine mesh material which helps to keep sparks and ash away from your carpets or flooring.
DOES A FIRE GUARD STOP THE HEAT?
No, fire guards don’t stop heat from entering your living space. Guards with limited detailing and mesh inserts will direct heat upwards into the room, whilst more detailed guards will still distribute heat outwards through gaps in the design.
INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE
HOW DO I SECURE MY FIRE GUARD?
If you have children or pets, your fire guard should always be secured and attached to a structurally sound wall. Some of our designs, where specified, come complete with fixing kits. For those that don’t, you can add one of our specialised fixing kits to your order here.
DO I NEED TO MAINTAIN MY FIRE GUARD OR SCREEN?
It’s always best to regularly check the mesh and structural integrity of your fire guard once in place. All our guards are pre-treated depending on the metal material used to fabricate them.
In black, our fire screens are crafted using high quality steel and then powder coated to provide a tough durable finish. For most other finishes, we use pure brass which is shaped by hand then coated in a tough stove lacquer to prevent the brass from tarnishing. To read more about how to maintain specific materials, please refer to our General Care & Maintenance Guide.
HOW DO I CHOOSE THE BEST FIRE GUARD FOR MY HOME?
In short, it’s completely up to you and the style of your home décor. However budget, size and safety requirements can also be taken into consideration when making the best choice. To help with this, we’ve created a useful checklist over here.
CHILD SAFETY
WHICH FIRE GUARD IS BEST FOR CHILDREN OR PETS?
Guards which fix directly to the back walls of the hearth offer the greatest level of protection. We stock our own collection of baby fire guards, BabyPro, as well as a range of BabyDan fire guards which are specifically designed for child safety. We always recommend that these are installed by a qualified tradesperson to ensure maximum safety.
These fire guards usually feature baby gate-style bars and come complete with a front opening door and safety latch. Please ensure that all bars are no more than 6.5cm apart so that your children can’t reach through to your hot burner or open fire.
HOW DO I FIND A CHILD SAFE GUARD?
We supply a collection of EN1930:2011 certified fire guards here. Published by the European Committee of Standardisation (CEN), this regulation specifies the safety requirements and testing methods for child safety barriers for indoor use, and should be adhered to when buying a fire guard specifically for child or baby safety. Please refer to our Nursery Guards & Child Safety FAQs page for more information.
ARE THERE ANY SAFETY REGULATIONS I NEED TO ADHERE TO IF I HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN?
Yes, you’ll need to adhere to EN1930:2011. Published by the European Committee of Standardisation (CEN), this regulation specifies the safety requirements and testing methods for child safety barriers for indoor use, which are designed to be fitted across openings to limit access, and to prevent children up to the age of 24-months from passing through.
NHS Guidance recommends that, if you have an open fireplace, you should always use a fire guard which encloses the whole fireplace and attaches to the wall. You should also not put anything on top of the fire guard or hang anything from it.
However, it is always recommended that children of any age should be accompanied and supervised around fires and hot surfaces, whether or not a fire guard is in place. You can find our selection of child-friendly and EN1930:2011 compliant fire guards and screens here.
AT WHAT DISTANCE SHOULD I PLACE MY FIRE GUARD?
There are no set regulations or rules around fire guard placement. But a general rule of thumb is to place your fire guard a minimum distance of 75cm (29.6") away from any heat source to ensure maximum safety. As every fireplace is different, we’d always recommend taking due care to test how hot your fire guard gets at the suggested distance. If it’s still hot to the touch after use, we’d suggest moving it further away from the heat source.
As previously mentioned, any guard placed specifically for child safety should also be adhered to your wall so your fireplace is fully enclosed throughout use.
WHAT FEATURES DOES A NURSERY GUARD HAVE?
All baby guards are different, but most EN1930:2011 compliant designs will include the following features; a pressure mount design that’s easy to install, extra wide gate panel for easy adult access, child-safe gate locks which can be opened by adults with just one hand, and quick release fittings for removal from walls without tools. Find out more about our nusery guards here.
WHAT ARE CHILD SAFETY GUARDS MADE FROM?
Our range of EN1930:2011 certified guards are crafted from robust steel and finished in a non-toxic, heat resistant coating. Our collection of BabyDan guards are made from powder coated steel.
OTHER QUESTIONS
DO I NEED A FIRE GUARD WITH A LOG BURNER?
As log burners are usually enclosed with a glass front, there won’t be any spitting embers or sparks during use. However, it’s always beneficial to have some sort of fire guard or screen to keep you and your family from getting too close to the hot burner.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FIRE SCREEN & GUARD?
As log burners are usually enclosed with a glass front, there won’t be any spitting embers or sparks during use. However, it’s always beneficial to have some sort of fire guard or screen to keep you and your family from getting too close to the hot burner.
IS IT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO HAVE A FIRE GUARD?
For residential spaces, no. Within your own home, it’s entirely your choice whether you want to install a fire guard or not. However, for commercial settings such as restaurants or other workplaces, fire guards are a requirement for any kind of fireplace.
DO YOU STOCK EN1930:2011 COMPLIANT FIRE GUARDS?
Yes, we do! We stock a range of EN1930:2011 certified fire guards which adhere to the regulations in full. We also offer a range of Baby Dan guards, gates and panels. You can browse the full collection of certified nursery guards here.
We hope the above answers have helped! However, if your question still goes unanswered after having a browse through, always feel free to contact us for more information. You can browse our full collection of fire guards and screens by clicking the below button.
