In years past, a fireplace was used for both cooking and to provide heat for homes. Today, most homes have modern ways of cooking food and heating; however, fireplaces are still installed as a decorative appliance in many homes. Fireplaces need fireplace screens, irons and other accessories for safety and to accentuate the beauty of the fireplace.

While fireplace screens can add beauty to a fireplace, they also serve a very practical purpose. When burning natural wood, in is not uncommon for there to sparks that fly from the logs. The screen can keep these sparks from burning carpets or even starting a house fire. You should always have an appropriate fireplace screen in place before starting a fire in the fireplace.

Traditionally fireplace screens are very simple and classic in design. They are usually clean and able to work with almost any decoration. Traditional screens are made of copper or brass. The could be made with one or more panels. They are available in several sizes.

Still other fireplace screens have an antique look. These screens work very will in Victorian style rooms which rely heavily on tapestries and other elegant items in design. Antique screens feature rounded designs that include swirls, scrolls and flowers. These screens are used primarily in formal homes and should be matched to the other fireplace tools and accessories.

There are also several designer screens that are available for fireplaces. These screens are very stylish and can be a part of an overall fireplace equipment set.

To pick the correct fireplace screen you must first measure the height and width of the fireplace opening. Add twelve inches to the width and five inches to the height to get the correct size. This will give the ideal height and width of the fireplace screen for your fireplace.

The extra width and height are to give allowance for the fireplace screen to fold and prevent danger of tipping of the fireplace screen. This still allows the screen to be large enough to provide adequate coverage of the entire fireplace.

While you may find beautiful fan shaped fireplace screens, remember that they are only for decorative purposes. They do not cover enough of the opening to prevent sparks from flying into your home and causing damage. Be sure that if you use a decorative fan shaped screen, it is replaced by another screen before allowing a fire to burn in the fireplace.

Jeff Bridges has always enjoyed the warmth received in front of the fire he currently runs a website where he sells fireplace screens. There they promote many differently styles, colors, and designs of fireplace screens.