|
|
|
|
Fireplace Door FAQ
Fireplace Doors - Common Questions & Answers
We have a compiled a short list of the most frequently asked questions about Fireplace Doors.
For anyone who has a fireplace in their house - then it is strongly recommended that you protect your home with a fireplace door.
These doors can be purchased and fitted to your existing fireplace - making it look more attractive, and safer.
Which Doors are Right for Me?
There are a few questions that you need to answer to find the perfect doors for you. First, you must find out if you have a masonry or factory-built fireplace. Next, determine a style that will reflect your décor. Finally determine what options you would like on the door including mesh and beveled glass.
•Masonry vs. Factory-built. Factory built fireplaces are easy to spot. If your outside chimney is faced with the same siding material as your house, you have a factory built fireplace. Masonry fireplaces require brick or stone chimneys. You must also check the fireplace itself. If there is any metal around the fireplace, you have a factory-built fireplace.
Factory-built fireplaces, also called "Zero Clearance" or ZC fireplaces, are designed to be built with very little clearance to combustible components of your home. They can do this because they have designed the fireplace so that cooling air insulates the hot firebox from the structure of the home. The glass doors must be designed to allow that cooling air to flow the way the firebox manufacturer designed it to flow. Gaps between the glass and frame vents exist on ZC doors to allow for this airflow. Fireplace Doors Online features doors in both aluminum and steel that allow for the proper airflow for factory built fireplaces.
Masonry fireplaces can accommodate a variety of fireplace doors. Aluminum and steel doors are available in many styles and finishes to accommodate nearly every décor and price range. From classic to contemporary, the possibilities are endless. Fireplace Doors Online features aluminum doors for masonry fireplaces in several different styles and finishes. Fireplace Doors Online features steel doors for masonry fireplaces. Steel allows unlimited customization including arches and laser cut designs.
Why a Glass Door
Glass doors provide safety. Doors keep small children and pets away from the fire. They also keep a smoldering fire safely contained when your go to bed for the night.
Doors are economical. An open fireplace is like an open window. When left open in winter, warm air goes up the chimney - in summer, air conditioned air is lost. In both cases glass fireplace doors minimize the air loss and saves you money!
Glass doors are a fashion statement! The fireplace is the focal point of any room. Glass doors dress up a fireplace and a room like nothing else! The style and color choices are nearly limitless!
Safety - Fireplace doors can be one of the most important safety features that you add to your house. These doors will prevent hot embers from your fireplace, reaching the surrounding carpet and rugs. Embers can also reach as far as furniture & people - so you can see the importance of a fireplace door in preventing household fires.
Efficiency - A Fireplace Door can also increase the energy efficiency of your fire - helping both the environment and your wallet. Fireplace doors act as a barrier separating your home from your chimney, creating an air tight seal that keeps heat within your house. Likewise - in the summer months, a fireplace door can keep air-conditioning from being lost into the chimney.
Fireplace Doors - Maintenance
You should clean the air vent after every use, when using a a fire with the doors closed. Instead of burning the air in your home, this air-vent allows you to burn outside air.
Glass Fireplace Doors - Tempered or Ceramic Glass
When choosing a set of fireplace doors it is recomended that you select glass that can withstand high temperatures. Tempered glass doors are less expensive than ceramic doors, although they are not as strong.
Measuring & Fitting Fireplace Doors
An important point to consider when choosing your fireplace door is making sure it fits properly. An incorrect fitting door will lose its efficiency - allowing heat to escape through your chimney. The best way to avoid this is by correctly measuring for your fireplace height & width with a tape measure. Learn more about
Is a fireplace glass door more efficient?
A fireplace leaks air up the chimney. A glass door fitted onto your fireplace will insulate with a snug fit and eliminate up to 92% of the leakage of air-conditioned or warm air out of the chimney.
Can I close the fireplace doors when not using my fire?
If the fire is not burning then you can close the doors. Usually a damper must stay open allowing smoke & heat from remaining smoldering embers to escape.
Care and Maintenance
The rods of the mesh curtain should be sprayed with silicone occasionally to keep their operation smooth.
CAUTION: Never use oven cleaner or products containing caustic agents to clean the enclosure. Clean and lubricate appropriate areas only when their surface is at room temperature and no fire is present.
Glass Breakage Prevention:
To obtain the maximum efficiency from your fuel, you may leave the doors open while you are in the room. Upon retiring or leaving the room, however, make sure the doors are closed and the fire has died down. This will reduce heat loss and prevent fires caused by sparks escaping into the living area. Before closing the doors, even when you remain in the room, make sure that the fire is burning at a stable level. Close doors half-way to "warm them up" before closing completely when a fire is burning.
Fire Safety Information:
For maximum safety, burning logs should be kept as least 6 inches from the glass at all times. Do not sit close to the glass. Also, never burn trash, construction scraps, railroad ties, or any other highly flammable material in the fireplace. Intense heat caused by these items can cause the glass to lose strength and resilience, which will result in glass breakage.
|
|
|
|
