Thinking about a new fireplace screen for your hearth? There are more options available now than just a few years ago. Dont be overwhelmed by the possibilities, though. Heres a quick guide to fireplace screen shapes.

Fireplace screens vary by the number of panels they have, by whether the panels are straight or curved, by the shape of the top of the screen, and by whether they have access doors. There is also a distinction between fireplace screens and fireplace spark guards.

One panel screens are very popular now. Flat one panel screens fit up flat against your fireplace and are visually integral to the fireplace opening. They usually sit on adjustable feet. Curved single panel fireplace screens have a gentle bow in them that allows them to stand without feet. Placed in front of the fireplace, each side edge of a bowed screen is against your fireplace wall, but the middle of the screen bows out a bit from the fireplace opening.

Three-panel and four-panel fireplace screens are piano hinged between each panel. This allows you to position the side panels to fit the width of your fireplace.

Three panel screens are probably the most familiar style. The middle panel is typically about twice as wide as each of the side panels. Three-panel screens are often favored for traditional settings. Some have bowed panels; each panel is gently bowed so the entire screen forms one, continuous bow when placed on your hearth.

Four panel screens, although less common, have a unique appeal. They stand easily and can be adjusted to fireplaces of different widths. In addition, it is easy to fold just two of the panels to tend your fire.

Single panel, three-panel, and four-panel screens all can be had with arched tops or flat tops. Arched fireplace screens are popular not only with homeowners with arched fireplaces, but also with those who want a break from all the horizontal lines of most fireplace setting. The arched screenswhether each panel is individually arched or the screen as a whole has a single archcan add visual interest and drama to your hearth.

Access doors are a relatively new feature on fireplace screens. Most screens must be moved to tend a fire or add logs. Not so with fireplace screens with doors built into them. Access doors are most common on single panel screens and on the center panel of three-panel screens.

A separate category of screen is the spark guard. Spark guards are screens that not only protect sparks from coming straight out from your fire into your room but also protect you from sparks that might shoot up-and-out into your room. Typically, they look much like a three-panel screen with two important differences: First, an additional top section of screening goes from the top of the three panels up to the fireplace wall. Often this top section of screening is shaped like the curved section of an old fashioned roll-front desk. Second, none of the panels is hinged. The entire spark guard is rigid. To tend a fire, handles on the spark guard allow the rigid unit to be picked up and moved away from the fire.