Wood burning stoves can be a fantastic and highly efficient way to provide long lasting heat to a room. The fire is contained within the chamber of the stove and the heat radiates out through the metal body of the stove giving a steady supply of warmth into a room. Wood for fuel is widely available .e.g. bagged logs, and can actually be an environmentally sound thing to use as a main heating source. This is because trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide during their lifetime, and when they die and break down they release it back into the atmosphere anyway – no more carbon dioxide is produced form the burning process.
Less ash is produced than form burning wood than from burning coal (there is no grate in a wood burning stove), so it’s easier to clean up after a fire than e.g. a fireplace coal fire.
As the fire is contained within the stove, there is less need to tend the stove as regularly as you would a fire in the fireplace, and there is also no need to have a guard to specifically stop sparks or debris flying into the room.
The Danger
As well as radiating a great deal of heat into the air in close proximity to wood burning stove, the actual skin of the stove itself can get incredibly hot. This risk, and the danger therefore is that somebody could burn themselves by going too close to the wood burning stove, or that things could be damaged, destroyed, or even pose a fire risk (depending on what material they’re made of) if they fall onto the surface of the stove during operation.
Children are particularly at risk e.g. through accidents near the stove or through inquisitive play and exploration near it e.g. trying to touch it.
The Solution
A safety guard around a wood burning stove can be the solution to the dangers mentioned above. It should be installed at just the right distance form the surface of the stove itself as not to be too obtrusive in the room, and to be significantly cooler than the surface of the stove itself – often this is governed by the hearth.
The safety guard does not need to have as fine mesh as a fireguard / spark guard, although it is an advantage if e.g. children can’t poke their finger / objects through towards the stove. It is also good if the mesh is wide enough to allow the stove to be easily visible. Wood burning stove safety guards can have hinged tops, or doors can be added so there is some access to the stove while it is in operation.
They can be fixed to the wall using hooks and eyes. They can be trimmed in a number of different finishes including brass, and silver. If the guard is installed around the edge of the outer hearth, it can also allow enough room to put the maintenance / cleaning tools inside this ‘perimeter’, or attach them to / hang them from the guard. Useful tools and accessories to accompany the guard could be log baskets, stove fireproof gloves, and maybe even a companion set.
For more information about a safety guards for wood burning stoves, call 0191 268 0027, or contact The Fireside Shop online.
