Hearth Sizes

The last major component of the fireplace is the hearth.

Building Regulations state that the hearth should be

• 18 inches deep for an open fire

• 12 inches for a front loading wood burner

• 9 inches for a top loader with no ‘front door’

A hearth that is too short won’t be able to ‘catch’ a hot coal falling out of the fire before it has rolled onto the carpet. Having the correct hearth size is imperative.

Hearth Problems

Hearths must be well made, solid and fireproof. The top surface is a matter of choice, but you should bear in mind the following points:

1) All surfaces will suffer damage, and some more than others

2) A fireplace is a battle zone. The coal scuttle will be dragged over it, things will be dropped onto it, sometimes from a height, and coal, ash and soot will be spilled onto it, all of which are very prone to staining.

Hearth Staining

Natural stone, like limestone will look stunning, but the risk of staining is huge, and it is effectively guaranteed to be badly stained within a short space of time. Marble too is prone to staining.

It is vitally important that you do not use coatings on porous hearths to protect against staining, unless you can be assured 100% by the vendor that these coatings will in no way discolour or degrade with heat. I have seen some coatings leave the hearth stained and disfigured far worse than normal use could ever have achieved.

Hearth Scratches

Other surfaces like granite, slate and so on risk scratching, slate especially so. Slate can be resurfaced with wet and dry paper, as long as you don’t mind a matt surface, but a scratch on a virginal polished surface is a constant irritant.

The same is true of tiled surfaces. We always suggest that customers look at old Victorian floor tiles. These are made of clay, so have natural, warm earth patterns and colours, and blend in well with modern or traditional furniture. Best of all, they have a matt, distressed finish, so, should they become scratched, this will hardly be noticed, if at all. They are also difficult, if not impossible to stain, making them the most reliable choice.