Shop online for the best deals on a glass fireplace screen and other fireplace accessories. If you’re shopping for a fireplace screen, you’ll have two choices. The first type is a mesh curtain screen, which opens and closes either with sliding chains embedded in the frame like a set of drapes, or manually with a wand attached to each panel. The second type is a glass screen, which usually has a pair of bisected panels that open like a set of bi-fold closet doors.

Glass screens have some real advantages. The high quality ones are a beautiful addition to your home. Unlike mesh curtain models, which interfere with your view of the flames, the glass doors let you see the fire clearly while it’s burning. They also make your fireplace more efficient by blocking the flow of air up the chimney while the fire is burning. They’re not as efficient as an airtight woodstove, but they’re a step in that direction from an open fire. When the fire isn’t burning, they’ll stop heat from leaking up the chimney too. Either way, you’ll save money on your heating bill.

Ceramic glass is your best choice when choosing fireplace doors. While tempered glass is stronger than ordinary glass, it doesn’t approach the heat resistance of ceramic. Ceramic costs more than tempered, but it actually radiates heat back into the room, much like a cast iron woodstove. Tempered glass actually blocks heat from the fire from entering the room, instead funneling it up the chimney. Although tempered glass increases efficiency over a mesh curtain screen, ceramic glass will result in even more energy savings for you.

Glass fireplace doors are vented, and you need to keep the vent clean and free of ash. You should inspect the vent often and make sure it’s clear. This is very important for keeping the unit burning efficiently. You should also make sure the seam where the doors join the fireplace is sealed and insulated. The less air that enters from the surrounding room, the more efficiently the fire will burn.

Glass doors do collect soot if they’re well sealed, and while this won’t make the fire burn any differently, it’s not very aesthetically pleasing. If you like a clear view of your fire, then you’ll either have to clean the doors every few weeks (a dirty job), or install a special system that cleans the doors automatically while the fire burns, called an airwash system.

Small children are a major concern if you have glass fireplace doors, and so are pets. The glass can get very hot, up to 400 degrees, and severe burns can result. If your kids are too young to understand fireplace safety, consider installing a safety gate in front of your fireplace if you’re going to use it while your children are awake.

Mesh curtain fireplace screens with pull chains make a great choice when picking out fireplace accessories. Unlike free-standing fireplace screens, they take up almost no room, so they let the beauty of your hearth shine through.

You can buy a standard size fireplace screen, or you can custom order one for an exact fit. A standard screen should overlap the opening by a minimum of one-half inch or so on all three sides. You might need to tolerate more overlap with a standard size screen, but don’t buy one that leaves a gap between the frame and the opening. You can also order a custom fireplace screen that’s sized to fit exactly in the opening, with a precise half-inch overlap. A few screens types are designed to fit inside the opening with no overlap. Keep in mind that you’ll still see a few gaps between the frame and the mortar joints of the brick or stone if you buy an inside mount unit. This might look OK during the day, but you should consider how it will look in a dark room with the firelight shining through the gaps before you make the decision to go with an inside mount.

Freestanding fireplace screens have small legs at the bottom that support the unit. An attached fireplace screen bolts directly to the sides of the opening, so it doesn’t need legs. Either type will work, but the attached variety tends to be more attractive.

A good fireplace screen lets you open and close it with an easy pull of a chain. The better units have a pulley system with pull chains attached that open and close by pulling one chain to open and the other one to close, just like window drapes. The cheaper type have batons or wands attached to the top inside corners of the screens and are opened and closed manually by pulling each wand toward the center opening. Look for fireplace screen pull chains with a lifetime warranty.

Brass fireplace screens are the most widely available, followed by black enamel, antique copper, polished nickel, brushed nickel, pewter, and cast iron. The mesh fireplace curtain is usually black, but brass screens are an option. A high-end unit will save you a lot of maintenance costs. Look for finishes that don’t need polishing, and heavy-duty construction that will hold up under exposure to heat and occasional dings from firewood.

When you order a screen online, give the exact width and height of the opening, and specify whether you want an outside overlap or inside mount.