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Original poster

Do you use a fire guard for your wood burner?

48 replies

MoonlightBonnet · 18/10/2019 22:21

We’ve just it a wood burner and I’ve been looking at fire guards. They seem massive and intrusive. Does anyone have anything smaller and simpler? Or not use one at all? I reckon we’d get away with one that wasn’t attached to the wall as my youngest is very cautious and wouldn’t be trying to pull over something she’d been told was dangerous. But I think she still needs a guard in case of falls/getting over excited etc. Just wondering what works for other people.

OP posts:

adaline · 19/10/2019 07:21

No, but we don't have small children in the house either!

However I'm not sure they're especially useful as they seem to just draw attention to the fire and serve as another thing the child can get distracted by!

adaline · 19/10/2019 07:24

You should not use a wood burner at all in a house with young children as you risk their lung health. Wood smoke is a known carcinogen and causes asthma. Also terrible for environment.

Depends on the wood burner.

icecreamsundae32 · 19/10/2019 07:55

We didn't get one as nowhere to attach a guard too and felt it might be more tempting to try and climb on it as opposed to getting close to the fire and realising it's hot so don't touch... also the fire guards get really hot too! My daughter is nearly 2 and she's been very good and understanding doesn't go near it. It's only ever put on of an evening so she is only in the room with the fire on and both adults present for an hour max before bed. My older boys are 8&11 and don't touch it. However if we'd had the fire when the oldest was a toddler we'd never have been able to use it as he was a climber and into everything!

Those who dry clothes do you not find they smell?

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redeyetonowheregood · 19/10/2019 08:03

We did. My children didn't go near it, it was more for accidental falls, trips when near it. It was a simple black fence like structure and actually looked ok when we got used to it.

It was great for drying washing on and we kept it up for a few years longer than was probably necessary for that reason!

redeyetonowheregood · 19/10/2019 08:05

Oh, just spotted comment above. The clothes smelled of washing powder and fabric conditioner...but our fire doesn't smell so not sure why they would? We can't smell our fire at all though so not sure if other burners are different.

Bowerbird5 · 19/10/2019 08:19

I am really surprised so many of you don’t have a fire guard.

We had a Mothercare extended one and had buy a second hand one so we fixed the two together to cover the outside of the hearth. We then drilled into the stone and secured it neatly. When all the kids were old enough and I stopped child minding we took it off and just filled the holes in.
I would have failed SS safety checks for child minding without one.

Toodeloo · 19/10/2019 09:40

It’s amazing for drying wet winter boots, jackets - all sorts! Also doesn’t matter how they look. You need one! When I had one my kids ranged from immobile baby to 15 yro and for the one week we didn’t have a gate (make sure you use one that’s safe to use close to high temps, a normal baby gate won’t do) I kept a super close eye on them. Guess who almost set the house on fire: me. I was folding up a blanket late at night, Woodburner left to go out a while ago. Walked past folding the blanket, brushed past the glass on the burner without noticing, maybe for a split second, and the blanket melted instantly. Some stuck to the door and started smoking, about to catch fire no doubt. Scraped it off quickly and burned myself in the process of checking the blanket over. Believe me, you NEED one. Burns from these things will never ever be just a scald, they will instantly be horrendous.

mogtheexcellent · 19/10/2019 12:04

Small hook for fixing fireguard. We haven't bothered removing it.

Do you use a fire guard for your wood burner?

Frith2013 · 19/10/2019 12:39

Yes, a great big square fireguard that goes all the way round.

The stove is our only heat source (no central heating), so if you fell on it, you’d be in serious trouble.

Children are late teenagers.

PickledLilly · 19/10/2019 12:41

We didn’t get one, we don’t light the log burner until the children are in bed.

ReallyRatherBlonde · 19/10/2019 12:52

I would have one - my parents had one when I was a toddler and I fell off a chair next to it, and put my hand out to catch myself, straight onto the glass while it was on. So its not necessarily just needing one for a child that won't listen, it could just be an accident.

vikkimoog · 19/10/2019 13:09

I have one.
amazing for drying clothes.
It's not just the heat that's a risk but the fact it's made out of very very hard iron. I really wouldn't want anyone to trip and whack their head on it.

mencken · 19/10/2019 13:09

Woodburners are an essential for those of us in rural areas and are acceptable risk if chimney swept and wood bone dry. It is sillycow city types buying damp wood from garages or burning any old crap that cause the problems.

a woodburner gets extremely hot (that's the idea) and kids muck about, don't listen and don't think. Put a guard up until the age of common sense is reached.

TreacherousPissFlap · 19/10/2019 15:32

At 3 I definitely would, it's excitement, silliness or trips you're planning for.

As an aside, when DS was older (about 7 or 8 I suppose) we demonstrated what would happen if he touched the burner. When it was roaring hot we slapped a rasher of very thin cut bacon on the hood - obviously it sizzled and curled up immediately.

DS was always exceptionally respectful of the burner after that

Original poster

MoonlightBonnet · 19/10/2019 17:36

Ok, I’m buying a guard! Has anyone got one they particularly recommend?

OP posts:

PeterRouseTheFleshofMankind · 19/10/2019 17:41

We have one and I don't think we will ever get rid of it tbh. But our woodburner isn't in an alcove it's just 'out' and even without kids around etc if someone tripped and fell in its vicinity it would be seriously grim! We have a black one that looks like a playpen/stair gate type thing that goes all the way around and you open the gate to put wood in etc but I don't think it looks bad.

XXcstatic · 20/10/2019 08:00

Speaking as someone who has worked on a children's burns unit ... please don't convince yourself that any small child is too sensible to get burnt. Even a couple of seconds touching a hot log burner can cause a full thickness ('3rd degree') burn that will leave lifelong scarring. That can easily happen from a trip or siblings play fighting.

Original poster

MoonlightBonnet · 20/10/2019 09:23

I think you’ve misunderstood what I was saying about her being sensible. That was in relation to free standing fire guards, ie she wouldn’t pull one over.

OP posts:

dontcallmeduck · 20/10/2019 23:59

Sorry to hijack but do you think ones needed for a 6 year old? There is a sibling with occasional wrestling however this tends to be at the other side of the room

mencken · 21/10/2019 11:44

yes, do it. 6 is not sensible and you cannot guarantee they will stay at the other side of the room.

It is simply not worth the risk.

Iggly · 21/10/2019 21:59

We’ve had our burner since our youngest was 5-6. No problems at all. But the room is big and they didn’t really wrestle about.
We teach them about fire safety and it being hot so they’re sensible.

dontcallmeduck · 27/10/2019 16:48

Ordered one. It’s just not worth the risk.

Stompythedinosaur · 27/10/2019 16:50

Our dc are 6 and 8. We still have the fireguard because of the risk of falls while they are mucking about. It is ugly, but it is only for a few years and I couldn't live with myself if something happening.

I would personally think you definitely need a fireguard for a 3yo.

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