Hearth too short on insert

[Amin1992]

Hey guys. We had our wood stove insert installed and the sweeps noted that the hearth was too short for code. It only extends about 7.5" beyond the front of the stove insert.

I believe code is 18" right? How would you extend a hearth like mine, that is raised and brick? I don't think the hearth was 18" even without the insert...

Appreciate the advice. If it matters, this is in our lower level, on concrete slab. The floor is vinyl plank and there is only concrete under it.

 

[Amin1992]

Photo

 

[BigJ273]

Get a hearth extender. Many websites sell them. They run between $200-$500 depending on what you choose. Without one, I would think that wood flooring is gonna get awfully hot. I don’t know what kind of stove you have, but i would check the clearance on that mantel also

 

[Amin1992]

Get a hearth extender. Many websites sell them. They run between $200-$500 depending on what you choose. Without one, I would think that wood flooring is gonna get awfully hot. I don’t know what kind of stove you have, but i would check the clearance on that mantel also

Thanks for the advice bud. Just checked, the clearances for this stove say 42" from the bottom of the stove / hearth to the mantel. I've got 70" so good there.

Also, not sure if this matters but it's not wood flooring, it's vinyl. And below that is concrete slab.
Will look into the extensions but not sure if the wife will like the look of it

 

[Ctwoodtick]

The vinyl flooring would need protection.

 

[Amin1992]

Just out of curiosity, is it from embers or the heat? I've ran a few fires with this and the vinyl in front never got above 105F

 

[Ctwoodtick]

It would be for both. That is code for any combustible flooring. 105 degrees is fine, but if you’ve only run a few fires, you may find ithe increases as you run the stove more steadily.

 

[Amin1992]

Good to know thank you!
Any chance you know of what floorings would be okay? We plan to replace the vinyl planks this year so was wondering if another vinyl or engineered floor would help

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I believe only cement floor would work without hearth protection. Even with that, wood could not be directly below it. For instance, in a basement with cement floor over earth would be ok. Cement over wood subfloor- not ok.

 

[Amin1992]

OK got it. Yes this is definitely cement over earth. I know they make fire retardant laminate flooring, I wonder if that would suffice.

Will think on it. Thanks buddy

 

[Ctwoodtick]

However, if you’re replacing flooring anyway, it might be a good time to match the flooring with an attractive hearth extension that is pleasing to your eye. Remember, if you went the route of adding more bricks to the existing brick hearth, that weight would have to be tied in the existing hearth and not added to the floor itself. Also, you would need your hearth extension to meet the R- requirements of the insert ( that info should be in the stove manual).

 

[Ctwoodtick]

OK got it. Yes this is definitely cement over earth. I know they make fire retardant laminate flooring, I wonder if that would suffice.

Will think on it. Thanks buddy

Not sure about fire retardant laminate. I’ll bet others here could give you that info.

 

[Amin1992]

Hey can you explain what you mean here about the weight of the hearth extension? I was thinking I could possibly get brick veneer and lay that out as flooring for the first 12" of the floor - why wouldn't that work?

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Again, that’s a code thing. Some good pros here can give you the nitty gritty on what might work in your situation. In general though, fireplaces/chimneys are built utilizing their own foundation independent of the house. Problems can occur when weight is added to the hearth area but put on the floor support system. Again though, some very knowledgeable folks on here can give you the best info on your situation.

 

[putdownfox]

@Amin1992 Did you determine what kind of extension you were going to go with? If the stove is elevated a certain distance above the floor, then only ember protection is required. I'm in the same situation. I'm having an insert installed at the end of month, my hearth is raised 10 inches from the floor, and once the unit is installed my hearth will only stick out about 10 inches from the glass, and I need 16. I have carpet in front of the hearth. I only need ember protection as well.