Nothing says cozy quite as warmly as a fireplace with a deep-colored hearth rug sitting in front of it.

A flickering fire, the faint tang of wood smoke and the family gathered around to enjoy the warmth are a page straight out of our heritage.

There are some important safety considerations when using a fireplace, though, most of which are meant to keep sparks contained within the fireplace, or at least minimize the damage that they do when the natural snap and pop of a roaring fire sends sparks flying.

Your most important fireplace accessory is a screen to keep the flames inside where they belong.They can be ornate or simple, but they are vital. Just as important is the recommendation that there be at least 18 inches of non-flammable floor space between the fireplace and any rug, carpet or wood floor.

If you have a lovely carpet, though, 18 inches may not give you the protection you need to prevent damage to the rug. A good way to add an extra layer of insulation and safety to your home is a hearth rug.

Hearth rugs are made of a fireproof or fire resistant material. According to most fire prevention experts, the best material for a hearth rug is 100% wool, which is naturally flame retardant and resists igniting even without further treatment. Other material choices for a hearth rug include 100% cotton, which also resists igniting from sparks, though not to the same degree. Treated with a flame retardant chemical, though, a 100% cotton hearth rug provides safety in front of your fireplace.

While both wool and cotton may scorch, the black marks or soot is most often easily brushed away, keeping the hearth rug looking fresh and new. Finally, Olefin (polypropylene) is flame resistant, but will generally melt where a spark hits it if the spark isn’t removed quickly enough. They will provide protection for the carpet beneath, and resist igniting from sparks, but they’ll also show some damage unless they’ve been specially treated.

A hearth rug should be the full width of the fireplace hearth. For best protection, it should be at least two feet wide, and be placed at the very edge of the hearth stones. With the variety of patterns and styles available, you’ll have no trouble finding a hearth rug to coordinate with any decorating style or colors that you choose

. The right hearth rug for your room can accent the room’s decor as well as any other area or accent rug. Don’t just be safe – be beautiful!

If you have a fireplace, then you know how easy it is for sparks to fly – and how far they tend to go. Fireplace screens go a long way toward keeping your expensive rugs and wood floors safe, but they’re not 100% protection.

After all, the time that sparks are most likely to be popping is when you have the screen open to add a log to the fire or to give it a poke and stir it up. Your best protection for those times is a hearth area rug laid over the carpet or wood floor.

A hearth rug is a safety measure as much as it is a fashion or style decision. By fronting your hearth with a fire-resistant or fireproof rug, you provide an extra measure of safety – not just for your floors and carpets, but for your entire family.

To serve the purpose, the area rug that you choose to use in front of your hearth should be made of a fire-resistant or fireproof material, or be treated with fireproofing. 100% wool, for instance, is an extremely fire-resistant material, and most insurance companies recommend using a 100% virgin wool area rug in front of the hearth for added fire protection, or to protect insured carpets from damage. Sparks simply burn out on the fire retardant wool surface, and any singed areas can be brushed away. If you choose a rug that is made of dyed wool rather than a painted design, the char won’t even show.

Most hearth rugs are a semi-rounded rectangle, and should be at least a 20 inches wide to serve their purpose. With the wide variety of design choices available, you can easily find a hearth rug that fits the decor of your room, from solids in every color of the rainbow, to designs woven with hearth baskets, hearts, subtle stripes, seashells – in fact, nearly anything you can imagine.

The most important thing to remember though, as pointed out before, is that the worth of a hearth rug is dependent on it being fire retardant or fireproof. Check the label to be sure that it is – and then choose something that accents your design scheme