Top 5 Reasons to Install Glass Doors on your Fireplace

As a homeowner with a functional fireplace, you should have top most priority on safety and caution. According to the National Fire Protection Association, every year, thousands of people experience property damage due to mishandled fireplaces. Incidents that they could have easily prevented if they installed doors. Though many people choose glass doors for their elegant display and charming flair, they can also be extremely useful. Not only they add a protective barrier to fireplaces, but also they increase efficiency and lower utility costs as well. So, here are the top 5 reasons to install glass doors on your fireplace.

Why installing a fireplace glass door?

• Safety and protection benefits

When you have a fireplace, you need to take all the safety measures you can. Installing a fireplace glass door will ensure that the fire is contained at all times. The glass doors serve as a heat proof barrier to restrain logs, sparks, or embers from escaping into your living space. It’s a necessary precaution to prevent any objects from catching on fire and any potential injuries or accidents from occurring. 

Depending on the type of wood you use, you might notice how they emit rogue sparks and cinder. If left unsupervised, these embers can instantly start burning when in contact with a flammable object. When you add a fireplace glass door, especially one with locking handles, you’re fortifying your hearth. This will keep your children and any inquisitive pets out of harm’s way. 

In addition to that, logs tend to move and shift when the fire is burning out. This means they can easily roll out into your living room while they’re burning. Glass doors are a mandatory feature to protect your rugs, furniture, and any expensive art pieces from flames. They can even protect your home from critters like small rodents, raccoons, or even birds.

• Increase energy efficiency

Think of your fireplace like an open window, that without a protective barrier, you have no control over. This window is open at all times, which means when it’s cold outside, it lets warm air escape. Similarly, when the weather is hot, it allows cool air to slip out. As a result, you will have to make up for the poor insulation by increasing your energy consumption. 

So, if you want to maintain a comfortable enough temperature in your home, it automatically translates as outrageously expensive utility bills. Glass doors can easily fix this issue, as they will help keep your fireplace tightly locked so no air escapes. Installing this airtight seal is, without a doubt, going to increase energy efficiency, which in turn will reduce utility costs. 

• Improved heating

Besides the coziness and delightful charm a fireplace brings to one’s space, heating is another very important quality. You might be surprised to learn that 80% of the heat that your fireplace provides actually goes up the chimney. Meanwhile, your home only benefits from a measly 10% of that heat. So what happens to the remaining 10%? Well, it gets lost in the burning process. 

However, adding a fireplace glass door can improve the efficiency rate of your burning wood by a considerable amount. In fact, experts estimate that you can double, and even triple that amount of heat when you add glass doors. Glass is renowned for its ability to absorb heat but also radiate it. So, you don’t need to worry about heat being ‘trapped’ inside the fireplace. On the contrary, glass doors will help the fire burn better and even greater, producing more heat as a result.

• Reduced backdraft and smoke

If you’ve had a fireplace for quite some time, then you know how smoke can be a real problem. Even when you’ve had experts build your chimney and conduct thorough inspections yearly, you’ll still struggle with backdraft. No matter what burning agent you use, whether it’s wood or gas, smoke is going to infiltrate your living room. Even in small amounts, it tends to be frustrating. 

Through frequent exposure, the smoke from burning wood can have bad repercussions on your lungs. Not only that but it can also stain your floor, ceiling, and nearby appliances over time. And, when the smell gets on your sofas and rug, it’s very hard to get rid of, despite intensive cleaning. 

The only way to eliminate this issue is to install fireplace glass doors. This will also eliminate post-fireplace cleaning or at least part of it. Since the smoke and soot are inside the chimney, you only have to clean the glass doors. Besides, glass is very easy to clean and maintain. One swipe with a clean cloth and your fireplace will look as good as new.

• Visual appeal

A fireplace makes for an elegant display and an inviting focal point in one’s home, no matter space or configuration. It’s an efficient heat source and a stunning centerpiece for partners and family members to gather around during winter. The warmth and coziness a fireplace radiates create such an intimate setting that’s very hard to replicate. 

When you add glass doors to your fireplace, you’re instantly doubling, if not tripling that atmospheric and visual appeal. Glass is a gorgeous material that can add style and beauty to any design element. So, a fireplace glass door will not only increase functionality but also contribute a flair of elegance and luxury. 

How much heat can the fireplace glass door withstand?

A fireplace will typically generate heat with varying temperatures, ranging from 500 to 1200 degrees. While standard tempered glass can withstand anything from 400 to 500 degrees, pyro ceramic glass can tolerate up to 1400 degrees. Choosing the type of glass completely depends on the distance between the hearth and where the doors would be placed. 

If your doors reside a safe distance away from the flames, then tempered glass is a good option. On the other hand, if the fire coming is pretty close to the doors, you should opt for pyro ceramic glass. This is, of course, when the doors are closed and the fire is burning. Though keep in mind that you can still safely close tempered glass doors when the fire is dying out.