5 Benefits of Beautiful Glass Fireplace Doors
Do you have a masonry fireplace? If so, maybe you’ve had problems with sparks flying out of it into the room or warm air leaving your home and going up the chimney. These and several other problems are easily solved by adding a set of handsome glass doors to your fireplace.
Glass fireplace doors
Aside from decorative styles and sizes, the two main types of glass fireplace doors are tempered glass and ceramic glass. Both styles look fantastic, with the ceramic version being able to handle higher temperatures and being overall sturdier.
Masonry fireplaces are ideal for glass fireplace doors as are zero-clearance gas and wood fireplaces and fireplace inserts that burn gas or wood.
Glass Fireplace door benefits
Safety for people and pets: Popping embers and shooting sparks from the fireplace won’t pose an injury risk if you have glass doors sealing off the firebox.
Safety for your rugs and furnishings: Small embers can leave unsightly burn marks on carpets, chairs, toys and other items near the fireplace. Glass fireplace doors prevent this problem, and they also prevent ash and soot from entering the room in the case of a chimney downdraft.
Manage the exchange of air: Glass doors that seal properly are a great way to help prevent cool air from escaping the house in the summer and to decrease the amount of warm household air that goes up the chimney in the winter.
Add beauty to the room: Modern doors for fireplaces come in a wide range of colors, finishes, decorative styles and sizes. Adding a new set of doors to your fireplace is one of the easiest ways to bring more elegance to your living space.
Keep out unwanted “visitors”: Birds, squirrels, rodents, bats, snakes and other varmints are known to enjoy getting into chimneys. With secure fireplace doors, at least they won’t get into your home.
Best-use practices for all wood-burning fireplaces and inserts
A new set of tempered glass or ceramic fireplace doors will be beneficial and enjoyable for years to come. But doors are just one component of a fireplace/chimney system. To keep everything running safely and efficiently, follow these guidelines:
Have your chimney professionally cleaned once a year. Schedule annual inspections from a professional chimney expert to uncover early signs of damage and perform repairs quickly. Visually inspect your chimney and fireplace – watch for water in the firebox, crumbling bricks, a chimney that leans to one side, white staining on the masonry and black staining around the top of the chimney. Bring these to the attention of a qualified chimney repair technician. Burn only dry wood – never burn damp wood logs as they burn inefficiently and create much more smoke. Use only wood in your fireplace – don’t use cardboard, plastics, furnishings, clothing, magazines or any type of accelerant such as lighter fluid or charcoal starter.
Visit Chimney Specialists at 869 Main St. in Highland, WI, or our sister store, Dubuque Fireplace & Patio at 925 Century Drive in Dubuque, Iowa, to see an amazing selection of lovely glass fireplace doors. With questions about chimney cleaning, inspection and repair, call us at (608) 929-4887 in Highland or (563) 582-5156 in Dubuque.
