Yes!
The cave dwellers had fires, once they finally found out how they worked.
Most probably by accident…
So what was it that lead to the fireplace screen being invented?
And what was it that ancient cave dwellers experienced that they would have needed a fire screen for if only they thought of it instead of the troublesome experiences?
I could only have imagined they had to go through without them.
Let’s find out…
Firescreen History
The fire screen was developed early in the 19th century to prevent sparks from your open fireplace from flying into the room, (yes sounds like it is much needed…) and as people have different tastes.
They decided that giving the rise to the ornamental designs and also shaped to serve decorative as well as functional purposes of the fire grate and even fireplace smoke guard.
Yes…
It’s called that too…
The fire screen sheet as it was called, began as a form of furniture, yes furniture…
That acted as a shield between the occupants of the room and the fireplace itself.
Its primary function was actually to reduce the discomfort of that excessive heat coming out from the open log fire.
Now early firescreens were generally shaped as flat panels at that time, standing on attached feet to keep them upright.
Or as adjustable shield-shaped panels mounted on tripod table legs.
And as Firescreens found their way into The Modern Home
They had transformed themselves, becoming decorative shields of wire mesh, sheet metal, and even glass.
And…
Fire screens themselves were even just used to cover the fireplace when the fire was out, just to make it look more decorative.
From three-panel fireplace screens to the single panel fireplace screen.
I am sure the cavemen would have liked that…
Different Types of Firescreens:
The Pole Screen
This pole screen design began to appear in the 18th century.
Being a smaller screen than its counterparts, it was placed on a vertical pole that was mounted on a tripod…
Sounds a bit confusing…
Anyway, it was placed between a lit fireplace and the occupants or occupants in the room at the time, the screen could also be adjusted up or down to shield the person’s face from the heat (what a good idea).
The screen started to take different shapes like a rectangular design.
Even more decorative shapes that could topple over if you weren’t careful, and they were decorated with such things as lacquer even embroidery, and we cannot forget paint.
The Three-Panel Fire Screen
This panel screen has two side panels angled away from the central panel.
It was an effective way of providing not only decoration in a room.
It also covered the fireplace almost completely, adding to the safety of the surrounding floor from any flying sparks that might find their way out of the fireplace.
Well…
You never know when a sudden breeze comes flying into the room do you…
Hmm…
The Horse Screen
Or cheval screen as it is also called (cheval being the French word for horse) yes, the French also had fireplace screens too…
They were in common use from the 18th century onwards.
It was a widescreen having two feet on each side of it, the arrangement of the feet on the bottom of the screen giving the screen its name.
When this horse screen was placed in front of the unlit fireplace, it also served a double purpose being a decorated screen that improved the appearance of the room itself.
These screens were also decorated with such things as painted wood, stained glass to embroidery to paper maché.
They even went as far as carving designs in the framework and feet.
The Banner Screen
Now this banner screen was similar to a pole screen, yes it was…
But instead of a solid screen like the other screened for the fire, there was a loose piece of silk or embroidery that was weighted down with tassels on the lower edge like a banner.
It is supported from the top edge by a crossbar connected to a pole, and I am sure that is why they called it the banner screen.
What Does A Fireplace Screen Do And Are Screens Necessary
Well….
After what we have talked about with all those fire embers sparking up the fireplace and landing wherever.
I should think that a fire screen is necessary, don’t you…
As we have discovered, the primary function of a fireplace screen is to keep ash and embers from blowing into the room right.
So if you have a downdraft for instance, or if a drifting log, meaning a log that just does not want to stay still.
This disrupts the underlying embers…
Falling logs due to the disruption of logs burning away can also be a hazard to flying embers so a fireplace screen can only be functional while you have that fire burning to keep the embers where they should be.
After All… Do I Need A Fire Screen?
I think that is answered for you now when a fireplace is inside we need to tame it so that the room keeps safe and clean…
Don’t forget the clean part – it’s enough to have to clean out the ash of the fireplace without having to think about the floor of the room.
Do You Need A Fireplace Screen With Gas Logs?
You would think that this question is a bit silly, but in fact no it isn’t, and this is why…
You should know that all gas fireplaces, in fact, should have a protective screen over the glass – really!
All fireplaces are required to as of January 1, 2015, as part of the new standards issued by the American National Standards Institute.
And probably the rest of the world bar some countries that are but we’re not going into finding all those places that don’t as it’s just too much time to find out.
Oh, there’s one, and another, and I did not think that that country didn’t either.
No, we’re not!
Does The Fireplace Screen Block Heat?
A reasonable enough question…
The fireplace screen never really gets very warm and yes it does block quite a bit of the radiant heat.
Well, you can’t have one thing without the other, can you?
Not that you won’t be getting heat, yes you will, but on the bright side the fire screen is there for protection and also might keep all the heat from entering the room but safety is the important thing here.
How Do You Clean A Fireplace Screen?
Yes… it does come down to having to clean a fireplace screen sometimes, you can’t have all the good bits without some negatives when it comes to the good old open fireplace.
So This Is How You Would Clean A Mesh Fireplace Screen
- Wet a cloth with just water and use it to wipe down the front and back of the mesh screen firstly.
- After that go and rinse your cloth out and then add some dish soap to the cloth, not the screen, the cloth.
- Now go and rinse the mesh screen out by holding it under the tap either in the sink or outside.
- Dust the mesh screen in between your cleaning regime so that the soot does not build up as quickly and you don’t have to clean it so often.
How Do You Remove Rust From A Fireplace Screen?
Yes, at times the good old firescreen does tend to get some rust creeping in the crevices especially if it’s made of metal like iron.
Now to clean it, brush a small amount of a phosphoric acid-based rust remover over the entire surface of the screen, if needed only.
Leave the rust remover on the fireplace screen for about 10 minutes give or take…
Then go and rinse the screen with fresh water to remove the product so that it stops the cleaning process, then allow the screen to dry.
If at first, you have not succeeded in getting all the rust off the screen then have another go at putting some more cleaning agent on.
How To Choose A Fireplace Screen
As with anything you have choices, not only is there the style of your house, there’s your taste and what sort of style you like.
And there are different designs so let’s make some notes or you could say list here on what sort of choices you have.
And I think you will be surprised at how many choices you will have when it comes to fire screens for sale…
And they are also known as a fireguard as well, just to confuse you more.
So let’s get listing these fireplace screens…
First We Have In Sections The:-
- contemporary fireplace screens
- modern fireplace screens
- antique fireplace screen
Firescreens Styles:-
- flat fireplace screen
- curved fireplace screen
- sloping fire screen
- freestanding fireplace screen
- small fireplace screen
Mesh Fireplace screens-
Known as the:- fire screen mesh curtain, fireplace spark guard curtains and fireplace screen.
Wood Fireplace Screens-
Also, look up fire screen wooden or wood fireplace screens when looking on the internet.
- antique wooden fire screen
Metal Firescreens-
- wrought iron fireplace screens or otherwise known as ‘wrought iron fireplace screen’ and ‘fireplace screen wrought iron’.
- iron fireplace screen
- antique brass fireplace screen
- brass fireplace screen
- antique brass fireplace screen
- antique brass peacock screen
- gold fireplace screen
When it comes to fireplace ideas, they are many.
You have such screens such as the modern fireplace screen to the antique fire screen or mid-century fireplace screen of yesteryear still made today.
Decorative Fire Screen Terms:
- stained glass fireplace screen
- fireplace screen stained glass
I know there are more screens for the fireplace than you might have thought, even such screens as pilgrim fireplace screens to a style called the peacock fireplace screen.
And no, you don’t go and capture a peacock and have it sitting on top of your screen.
I doubt you could catch one less find one walking around…
There are even screens such as the fire screen with candle holders, now that sounds nice…
I can picture it now with those candles burning even when the fire is out and this still gives a lovely atmosphere.
I have found such designs on Amazon, put in fire screen Amazon and see what you come up with, sometimes you might think of firescreens near me, don’t you?
But I have found that you are limited to just how many styles you might have to choose from.
And not even know that there are so many different styles out there today around the world.
Then you go and buy one, and then regret it when you later come across a fireplace screen you really like on the net and wish you had waited.
From cheap fireplace screens to expensive fireplace screens you have a choice of your own budget, or you might even think of having a go yourself.
I mean make your own fire screen, why not…
There are choices for you to consider.
Now that we have delved into the world of fireplace screens, hopefully, you have more of an idea of what you would like to buy.
Or does the range of choices make you feel that you didn’t really know there was so much into this fireplace screen thing?
Well, sometimes it can get a bit complicated but also intriguing.
So have a look at the different sections above again and the terms for you to use when finding out what sort of screens you are more interested in and go from there.
I am sure that many a caveman would have loved to have a fire screen when warming his butt near the fire only for his furs to catch on fire and have him running around the fireplace trying to out it out to the amusement of his fellow tribe.
Your getting closer to your dream fire screen, just don’t do what the caveman had done or could have done if I had a crystal ball.
Well, it could have.
I am sure you’re not going to get too hot near your fireplace with your dream fire screen.