Commencing on January 1, 2015, new legislation went into effect that requires all glass fronted hearth appliances that exceed a 172 degree glass surface temperature to have a safety barrier screen as a standard feature. Many manufacturers redesigned their appliances ahead of this date to include a barrier screen as standard, while others made the screen a required add on. To stay in compliance while still giving our customers a choice, we do not require the purchase of a separate barrier screen in cases where the manufacturer does not make it a standard feature. However, the screen will always be presented as a purchase option and is highly recommended. An example of a unit with the screen listed as a configuration option is the Empire Tahoe Deluxe. As you will see, the screen is listed under the first configuration step for this unit. It is important to note that almost all hearth appliances allow removal of the screen after purchase, if the customer so desires.