[TheForge] fireplace doors

[Roger Olsen]

I have a question for those of you who have built fireplace doors.
This may be of interest only to those who build doors and I will have to
go into some detail regarding specific applications so please bear with
me.

First off I live in a county where solid doors are required on all new
construction.  The doors do not have to be air tight but do have to be
closeable solid doors.  I live in a small high mountain tourist valley
with a lot of vacation home building so have built quite a few door sets
through the years.  There are two masons in the valley and both usually
build what they call Rumford fireplaces.  For those of you who are not
familiar with the Rumford design it is a taller and shallower than the
conventional 'western fireplace'.  The back wall also has a dramatic
forward lean to it.  They are designed to throw the heat out the opening
and cannot be burned with the doors shut like the more familiar western
fireplace which more often than not had some vent holes above the fire
box to send heat into the room.

Because Rumfords cannot be burned with the doors shut the majority of my
clients have chosen to have metal panels with a patina finish slide into
a framework on the back of the doors instead of glass.  I tend to offer
my clients a choice of a metal curtain or drape which is affixed behind
the top horizontal of the sub frame or fixed screen panels that can be
slid into the back of the doors when the glass or metal panels are
removed.  When a screen is chosen the fire is burned with the doors
closed and the heat comes out thru the screens mounted on the doors.  If
a drape or curtain is chosen then the fire is burned with the doors open
or some folks choose to lift the doors off the hinges and have only the
sub frame and curtain in place.

So I am now getting to my question,  as I said the masons in my valley
usually build what they refer to as Rumfords,  they are a shallow fire
box with a sloping back wall but they have all been of a western shape,
in other words a rectangle laying horizontal along the long side.
Generally around 30 to 32 inches tall by 38 to 40 inches wide.  I have
built quite a few door sets for this style of Rumford where the clients
have chosen screens for the doors.  The heat from the fire against the
closed doors has never caused a problem with warping.  Sooooooooo,  I am
now starting some doors for a TRUE Rumford,  It is 54 inches tall,  and
38 inches wide with an arched top.  This is a true  and traditional
Rumford shape.  The building crew has been building fires in it during
house construction and the talk is all about how hot and efficient this
fireplace is,  everyone is impressed by it.  The client would like metal
panels with a patina for their code requirement,  these will be in place
spring summer and fall, but during the burning season they want to take
out the panels and slide in the screen replacements.  Therefore the
doors will be closed while the fire is burning,  the screens will be in
place to allow for air flow and spark arresting.

I am worried about the amount of heat on the backside causing warpage
and distortion.  By any chance has anyone on the list built fire doors
for a TRUE Rumford where they have installed screens on the doors?  Any
comments regarding warpage?  Yes,  I can install a curtain and eliminate
this concern but the clients want screen panels for the doors.  It is
also problematic although solvable to mount a metal drape or curtain on
an arched subframe.  I do know my system works on other fireplaces but I
have never built doors for a fireplace shaped like this.  54" tall and
38" wide is quite dramatic and different.  I must admit I really like
the looks of it in this building situation.

OK______there you have it,  any comments or input from those of you who
sometimes build firedoor sets?

Roger Olsen