Do I Need A Fireplace Screen With Gas Logs

Do i need a screen in front of my pre fab fireplace while using the logs.

Do i need a fireplace screen with gas logs. My husband is quite handy around the house and he refaced the inside of the fireplace and is planning to install a vented gas log set. It has a wood burning fireplace but no box or anything. Gas fireplaces need less care maintenance and cleaning than the traditional wood fire. All gas fireplaces and stoves with glass fronts manufactured after january 1 2015 are required to have a fireplace screen.

This safety standard was put into effect by the american national standards institute in order to reduce the number of accidental burns associated with touching the hot glass panels of gas fireplaces. He bought just the log set not a kit of any kind and with the help of a contractor he rigged up the gas line chimney was inspected etc. Now this might seem like a good idea and perhaps even a viable idea but the problem is you simply cannot do it. The primary function of a fireplace screen is to keep ash and embers from blowing into the room if you have a down draft or if a drifting log disrupts the underlying embers.

The use of a fireplace screen is also sensible for a gas fireplace. With this problem many people feel that adding a blower to their gas logs is the best solution as that will help circulate the warm air put out by the gas logs throughout the room. A gas fireplace is really convenient especially to busy people who have no time to manually do everything just to feel that relaxing warmth a fireplace can offer. If you have a stone floor or a wide stone or metal surface in front of the fire it is always necessary to put a fireplace screen in front of the fire if there is no one supervising the fire.

The former owners took it out. We bought a fixer upper. New gas fireplaces manufactured after january 1 2015 must come with mesh safety screens that fit over the glass according to mandatory industry standards developed with the consumer product. The screen is a requirement not because of sparks but to keep kids dogs newspaper etc away from the fire.