
Buying Guide for Fireplace Doors

Why buy a fireplace door?
Fireplace doors help keep curious little hands away from big, hot fires, and they can prevent embers and sparks from escaping and potentially landing on soft materials, sparking a house fire. They also help to keep heat inside, saving you money on your heating costs during cooler months.
What should you consider in a fireplace door?
- Type of Fireplace: Considering the variety of fireplaces, it makes sense that each requires a compatible door or screen. For example, some fireplace doors will only work with brick-and-mortar fireplaces, while others are built for pre-fabricated, modern fireplaces. Check that the make of your ideal door matches your home’s fireplace.
- Dimensions: Measuring your fireplace is essential, as you’ll need to ensure you get the perfect fit. An improper fit makes a fire hazard. As with any home project, measure twice, just in case.
- Design: You’ll find fireplace doors with aesthetically pleasing designs and decorative scrollwork that can add to your home’s decor. Some screens feature simple cross-mesh patterns, while others are intricate hand-made designs. Fireplace doors come in various finishes, too, boosting the look of your hearth. Also, to maintain the crisp light of your fires, clean the doors regularly.
Should glass fireplace doors be open or closed during a fire?
If you have glass fireplace doors, they should be open when starting your fire. They should also remain unobstructed while your fire is burning strong. Once your fire dies down a bit and you’d like to enjoy the remaining heat of the embers, close the glass fireplace doors to keep the heat inside and your fire from dying too quickly. Leaving glass fireplace doors closed while your fire is roaring may cause the glass to crack and break.
Our Picks for the Best Fireplace Doors
This beautifully understated fireplace door adds a touch of class to most fireplaces.Pleasant Hearth Alpine Fireplace Glass Door
Pros: One of the best things about these fireplace doors is that they’re very easy to install, even if you’re not super handy. The instruction manual comes with a video to guide you through the process. It’s made out of heavy-duty alloy steel with a black finish and clear glass doors, giving you a classic look that can match most home decor.
Cons: The door handle is quite small, making it difficult for some people to get a good grip on it. Also, the Pleasant Hearth doors are exclusive to masonry fireplaces.
Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a lovely set of hybrid fireplace doors, these may be an excellent fit for you. Overall, these fireplace doors are impressively made and very energy efficient.
This arched prairie-style fireplace glass door comes with impressive safety features and three-step installation. Pleasant Hearth Fenwick Fireplace Glass Door
Pros: Enhance the façade of your masonry fireplace with this stately glass fireplace door. The easy-to-install door features thick, tempered, smoked glass and rigid premium mesh panels for safety. We should clarify that the Fenwick is two prairie-style cabinet doors. The panels’ 5-inch easy-grip safety handles, premium-quality hinges, and easy-catch magnets ensure the doors open and shut seamlessly and keep the fire inside. With an oil-rubbed bronze finish, the Fenwick glass fireplace door adds a handsome look that creates a cozy ambiance.
Cons: Some were disappointed that the color is darker than depicted.
Bottom Line: It’s stylish, made of premium materials, and designed for the safest experience possible. Yet, there’s more; the Fenwick glass door fireplace increases the efficiency of your fireplace, so you reduce energy bills over time.
These simple yet stylish hand-crafted iron mesh fireplace doors provide quality safety at an affordable price.Best Choice Products Two-Door Fireplace Screen
Pros: These fireplace doors are less than 15 pounds and are easy for one person to install. Use the flush-mounted legs and feet that extend behind the screen to sturdy the doors, or apply heat-safe silicone caulking for a more permanent mount. They have small magnets that ensure a tight closure to keep sparks or embers from escaping while also making it easy for you to open when needed. These doors are beautiful and made of solid black iron, adding an edge to your room.
Cons: Because these Best Choice Products fireplace doors are lightweightand and can move if easily pushed, they’re unsuitable for homes with small children.
Bottom Line: These are great fireplace doors to keep curious pets out and hot embers in. They’re a fantastic affordable option for people on a budget who still want a quality product.
This heavy-duty steel fireplace door features an intricate Tree of Life design.Plow & Hearth Small Tree of Life Metal Fireplace Screen
Pros: This beautiful fireplace door has a convenient magnetic closure to keep the fire inside secure. It is arched with an intricate Tree of Life design on the front, bringing more meaning into the home. Setup for this piece is quick and easy, taking less than five minutes if you’re handy. Though it’s lighter than it looks, this door is very sturdy.
Cons: It may block a lot of heat because of the design.
Bottom Line: This may be the one for you if you’re looking for a lovely, unique fireplace door. You can add or remove wood without worrying about the door slipping out of place or falling.
This is a heavy-gauge spark guard screen featuring wrought iron scroll design decoration. Plow & Hearth Metal Fireplace Screen
Pros: You may have a handsome fireplace, or it could use a tasteful accessory that also serves an important safety function. The scroll design rendered from wrought iron gives this fireplace screen a stylish edge, though its function as a fire guard may offer at least as much value. Adjust the feet of the free-standing guard so that it sits flush against your hearth and keeps embers and sparks safely inside.
Cons: Unfortunately, the screen lacks handles, making it difficult to maneuver.
Bottom Line: It just feels good to happen upon a useful, if not necessary, home furnishing that looks as nice as this fireplace screen. The scrollwork design gives the screen a rustic look, which suits many interior decorative themes.
Final Thoughts
If you have a fireplace, adding a door for extra protection is always a good idea, especially if you have a family and pets. Plenty of options come in beautiful, unique styles or simple designs that you can pick from to suit your decor. Enhance the look and space around your fireplace with an excellent quality fireplace door.