3 fold screens
are designed to sit in front of the fireplace on the hearth and should
overlap the sides by at least one inch. For wood burning, your screen
should be 3 or 4 inches taller than the opening to minimize sparks
that jump over the screen.
For gas logs,
it is OK for the screen to be slightly shorter or even with the top of
the fireplace.
The width of a
3 panel screen is usually measured by the maximum width when the
screen is stretched out flat. Be sure to deduct at least 8" from this
measurement to determine the minimum width at which the screen will
fold without falling over.
