Project #10819 - Screen for Large Rock Fireplace
Customer Comments: Please make a recommendation for our fireplace screen. I don’t think we want doors, but you could recommend some. I think we just want the standup screen. Dimensions are 6 feet wide by 34 inches high. Thanks.
Our Comments: We believe that an attached screen doors or glass doors will work best for your fireplace. A single panel screen that is 74" W x 35" H is going to be very heavy and inconvenient to move out of the way whenever tending the fire. A free standing screen with doors is an alternative, but they are not nearly as sturdy as a door attached to the fireplace. If you choose glass doors, you can burn them with the doors open or closed as there will be mesh doors behind the glass. You can also have mesh doors attached to the fireplace, but the difference in cost does not usually warrant not having glass. Read more comments at the bottom of this page regarding the benefits of glass doors and installation.
Fireplace Opening: 72" W x 34" H
Before:
Glass Doors and Screen Doors
These can be made with a wide frame to overlap the stone or a more narrow frame to fit inside. Inside fitting the door will require the gaps to be filled with mortar, which provides a better seal and more finished look. Notice how the doors
Option #1: Stiletto Aluminum Fireplace Glass Door in Rustic Black with Mesh Curtains. This door has 6 panes of glass. The left and right outer panes do not open. The center 4 panels are bifolding doors that fold back on themselves all the way out 180 degrees flat for maximum fire viewing.
Option #2: Craftsman Solid Steel Fireplace Glass Door in Forged Iron. This door has fixed end panels and bifolding doors in the center with gate mesh doors behind the glass. This is a more refined look and rugged quality than the aluminum doors. This version is shown as an outside fit with a 4" wide frame.
Option #3: Craftsman Solid Steel Fireplace Glass Door in Forged Iron. Same as above, but made as an inside fit with a 1 1/2" wide frame.
Option #4: Craftsman Solid Steel Fireplace Mesh Door in Forged Iron. Same as the above doors but with mesh instead of glass.
Free Standing Screen Door
Option #5: Carolina Free Standing Fireplace Screen with Doors in Vintage Iron. This type of screen is similar to the above option, but is made with doors. It is much more convenient because you don't have to move it out of the way all the time. The downside is that, due to the size, it is not as sturdy as the options that are mounted to the fireplace. For fireplaces this large, we must limit the size of the doors in order to prevent it from falling over when you open them. So we create fixed panels on the sides and top as shown in this illustration.
Free Standing Screens
Option #6: Carolina Single Panel Fireplace Screen in Vintage Iron. This screen is made to 74" W x 35" H to cover the entire opening and provide maximum spark protection. A screen this size will be heavy and awkward to move when tending the fire. If you use your fireplace often, you will likely grow tired of it quickly and wish you had considered a different alternative. If you just have occasional fires, it is the least expensive alternative and worth considering.
Option #7: 1P30M Single Panel Fireplace Screen in Oil Rubbed Steel. A screen made smaller than the opening is much more easier to move around and is not very heavy. The downside is, there is always the chance that a rogue spark will fly past the screen.
Bowed Screens
Option #8: WI-1P30M Bowed Fireplace Screen in Roman Bronze. Bowed screens are easy to move around and provide a little better spark protection than a flat screen. Plus, they look really cool.
Benefits of Glass Doors
Glass doors give you the ultimate control over your fireplace. Closing the doors at night when your fire is dying out and you are ready to retire will seal the warm air in and prevent cold air from coming into your home all night. Normally you would end up leaving your damper open all night, which is like leaving a window wide open in the dead of winter. When burning a fire, there may be times when you want to leave the room or home for some unplanned reason, so being able to close the doors and naturally extinguish the fire is a great benefit. If you have children or pets in the home, glass doors add an additional level of protection. When burning a fire, you can have the doors open or closed. We suggest having gate mesh doors behind the glass so you can burn it open safely.
Installing Doors on a rock fireplace: If you notice in the mockups, we show a door with a wide frame that overlaps the opening and a narrower frame that fits inside. Overlapping the opening is a much easier installation, but does not seal it of very well. Fitting the door inside requires the gaps between the stones to be filled with mortar. This provides a tight seal, but it makes for a more involved installation. The mesh doors or glass doors can be made to be installed either way. We will discuss these options with you when we talk on the phone.
Other Pictures
Fig #1 - Closeup
Fig #2 - Room Setting
Fig #3 - Top Left
Fig #4 - Bottom Left
Fig #5 - Damper