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Fire Guards & Child Safety FAQs

Designed to add both style and functionality to your space, our varied range of fire guards and screens offer something unique for all home styles and tastes. With a growing trend for installing free standing log burners into renovated and new build properties, it is an example of our continued love of the natural warmth and glow only an open fire can provide.  Although log burners or open hearths are a wonderful and pleasing aesthetic to your home, there are of course risks with the unpredictability of flames and hot embers on surfaces.  Therefore, it is important to take into consideration the safety of young children and pets when using or installing a log burner or open fireplace and the correct accompanying fire guard or screen. We always recommend seeking the assistance of a qualified professional for installation instructions and advise regarding the structural or weight bearing capability of our guards.

We have created this helpful guide of frequently asked questions to help give you peace of mind, that the right guard or screen can be enjoyed by the whole family. 

WHAT IS A FIRE GUARD OR SCREEN USED FOR?

Designed to protect young children and pets from getting too close to open fires, a fire guard also protects surroundings from ember damage whilst also providing a stylish addition to any living space.

DO I NEED A FIRE GUARD WITH A LOG BURNER? 

As a log burner is enclosed and often has a glass front, it is not as necessary to have fire guard with a log burner as it would an open fire since there are no spitting embers. However, it is always beneficial to have a type of fire guard when young children or pets are present to ensure they do not get too close to the hot burner.

DOES A FIRE GUARD STOP THE HEAT?

In short, no.  Guards with limited detailing, predominately mesh will direct heat upwards into the room.

ARE THERE ANY SAFETY REGULATIONS I NEED TO ADHERE TO IF I HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN?

Yes, EN1930:2011. Published by the European Committee of Standardisation (CEN), it 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 fireguard 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.

It is always advisable that children of any age, however, must be accompanied and supervised around fires and hot surfaces, regardless of whether the appropriate precautions, including a fire guard or screen, is in place.  To find out more about our child friendly and EN1930:2011 compliant fire guards and screens, click here.

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 a range of Baby Dan fire guards which are specifically designed for child safety. We recommend that these are installed by a qualified tradesperson to ensure maximum safety. These guards are essentially a baby gate to which additional panels can be added if required.

Please bear in mind that any fire guard which has bars, to ensure that the bars are close enough together that your children cannot reach through, to avoid risk of injury. The recommendation is that bars should be no more than 65mm apart.

Children & Pets Fire Guards

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE BEST FIRE GUARD FOR MY HOME? 

Generally, it is completely up to personal preference based on budget, size, requirements and style of home décor. Although we believe that every one of our fire guards is great, it may not suit your requirements. As a result, we have compiled this handy checklist to consider before making a purchase.

1. Size of Hearth
It is essential that your fire guard is situated sufficiently far enough away from your heat source, not only from a safety point of view but one that is also aesthetically pleasing. By understanding the size of your hearth, you can then see if the width and height of our fire guards would be too small or overpowering in the space.

2. Style
Depending on your home décor, you may want a specific style which matches, that can be anything from modern with square corners to more ornate with filigree detailing. You may want to think about a single panel, three-fold or four fold fire guard. Typically, three- fold fire guards are more stable as they feature a central panel and one less hinge.  This type of fire guard is best for when the hearth tis made using uneven stone rather than smooth granite.  Four-fold fire guards are often preferred as they can be folded and stored away with ease, when not in use.  Alternatively, you may wish to think about protective steel mesh, fire guards with enclosed domed tops or fire guards which feature doors.  If you want a fire guard for completely aesthetic reasons, have a look through our bespoke range or get in touch to see what we can offer.

3.  Dimensions:
Once you’ve decided on the style and finish of your fire guard, it is time to measure up and decided which size is best for your requirements. There are no specific regulations on what distance the fire guard or screen should be away from the heat source, however it is suggested between 40-70cm to ensure a pleasing aesthetic whilst also providing safety.

For an open fire hearth, a fire screen may be sufficient. Once you establish the distance away from the fire, look for a screen with a matching projection and decide whether you feel you need a screen panel or a closed top. 

For a log burner, that stands away from the back wall, you will need to measure from the back wall to the front of your burner and then to the adjacent wall. This will give you an idea of the minimum length of the fire guard that you need, it is always best to add a couple of centimetres on for good measure.

Many of our fire guards and screens can be made to measure to suit your exact requirements, so please do get in touch for a bespoke quote. Please always provide us with your internal measurements of the space intended. When supplying the dimensions for your bespoke fireguard please allow for a small manufacturing tolerance. Fireguards are made to a approxiately 90-degree angle, however not all hearth are made to a 90-degree angle.

Suitable Fireguards

HOW DO I SECURE MY FIRE GUARD?

If you have children or pets, the fire guard should always be secured and attached to a structurally sound wall. We have specialised fixing kits for various fireguards, please click here for more information.

Due to the inherent nature of metal, cast iron offers the heaviest option for free standing fire guards. Most of our fire guard and screen range are crafted from robust steel, unless otherwise stated. Please check the weight aspect within the fire guards dimensions and specifications. 

DO I NEED TO MAINTAIN MY FIRE GUARD OR SCREEN? 

It is always best to regularly check the mesh and structural integrity of the fire guard once in place. All our guards are pre-treated depending on the metal material used to fabricate them. In black, the guards are crafted using high quality steel and then powder coated to provide a tough durable finish. For the brass finishes, we only use pure brass which is shaped by hand then coated in a tough stove lacquer to prevent the brass from tarnishing. This lacquer can be removed using a product like Brasso and then hand polished to a high shine. To read more about how to maintain specific materials, please refer to our General Care & Maintenance Guide.

 

 

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