getting ready for my new Ashford install and am thinking about what to do for a hearth pad. I'm thinking I'll make it myself. I'm debating whether to make it out of tile or to make it out of a piece of cut limestone. What are some of you guys making them out of? Also are you raising them up a little or leaving them right on the floor? If you're raising them how much. Any ideas are appreciated. Pics would also be helpful if you have them.
Hearth pad, raised or on floor?
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mfetcho
Member
Nice purchase!! The last 3 hearths I have built have been a min of 12" tall. The height makes for nice sitting and easy loading. I have built 2 tile and my last was rusted metal. I love the limestone idea! I prefer the smooth surface for cleaning.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
Mine has a ceramic tile top, I built it with some R value for the stove before the one we have now. Cleans up pretty easy with a damp cloth. The limestone sounds real nice.
I can see having the stove up off the floor makes for easier loading, but having it down near the floor makes it nicer to lie on the floor in front of it.
If you are planning to burn much in the way of softwood I encourage you to go way over minimum on front clearance. I burn a LOT of spruce. I have 22" of hearth in front of the door opening, and burn marks in the carpet 11" out from the edge of the hearth.
My next hearth is going to come out at least another 22" so my wife can lay a chaise lounge pad straight on the warm hearth tiles in front of the stove (while the door is shut) and hopefully spare the carpet. I wouldn't mind having more room on the hearth for the next load of wood, mine's kinda crowded with the hearth tools and the humidifier up there already.
Tossing dry spruce onto hot coals makes jumping burning coals faster than I can get the stove loaded and the door back shut. Poplar too, though I don't seek it.
I can see having the stove up off the floor makes for easier loading, but having it down near the floor makes it nicer to lie on the floor in front of it.
If you are planning to burn much in the way of softwood I encourage you to go way over minimum on front clearance. I burn a LOT of spruce. I have 22" of hearth in front of the door opening, and burn marks in the carpet 11" out from the edge of the hearth.
My next hearth is going to come out at least another 22" so my wife can lay a chaise lounge pad straight on the warm hearth tiles in front of the stove (while the door is shut) and hopefully spare the carpet. I wouldn't mind having more room on the hearth for the next load of wood, mine's kinda crowded with the hearth tools and the humidifier up there already.
Tossing dry spruce onto hot coals makes jumping burning coals faster than I can get the stove loaded and the door back shut. Poplar too, though I don't seek it.
My brother in law works at stone city cutting limestone, they can make about anything. My only concern with this is if the limestone will be too porous making it hard to clean or keep clean. Unless they can put a shiny surface on it. I'll have to check that out later today.
MaintenanceMan
Minister of Fire
I was saving some slate from a pool table that I helped remove from a basement. Thought it might make a nice hearth, but didn't really go well with our new kitchen wall tile so we ended up just using ceramic tile. I was also going to raise the pad up about a foot to create a bit of a better ergonomic situation, but ultimately decided against that simply due to needing the extra foot to get the minimum chimney height.
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