Raised hearth worthwhile?

[pgmr]

We've recently redone our great room and in the process, eliminated the fireplace where our old insert used to reside. It had a raised hearth of about 18" and the protection in front of the insert was tile on slab. Because I could get right up to the front of the stove, it was quite easy to check on the fire and add wood.

The Jotul Castine we're planning on doesn't need a lot of floor protection (slab is gone - it's now a crawl space), so I wanted the opinion of those with a 6"-8" raised hearth: Does it actually help during operation of the stove? Do you need to get up on the hearth anyway and then squat down to tend to the stove?

Thanks.

 

[webbie]

I think a raised hearth WILL help in terms of loading the stove, but as you mention you may sometimes be reaching forwards. As of right now, my monitor is about 18" in front of me and I don't think that would be too far to put wood into.

Of course, you could do the ultimate setup and have the stove raised and maybe 6" in front of it, then drop down and have flush floor protection.

If you do raise it, the height of one step (7") is good, because you can put "one leg up" if you want ans still remain comfortable.

Loading height is not something everyone thinks about, but it is important ergonomics.

 

[Hogwildz]

Mine is raised on a row of brick with a 2-1/2" slab of blue stone on top of the brick. I extended the hearth pretty much at floor level. I like that the insert is set a lil higher. I have a chitty back and it helps alot. I kneel on the lower hearth extension, or sit on my butt and its a nice height to load the splits right in without having to reach up or down. Craig makes some very good points.

 

[colsmith]

Our hearth is raised WAY up, the top of the hearth is about 28" above the floor. We are really keen on that arrangement. There is never a need or even desire to get up on the hearth to tend to the fire at all. (Think how long your arms are. If the stove is higher, that is more conveniently located as you are reaching straight ahead, not at an angle up or down which makes the distance you are reaching longer. I sometimes perch carefully right in front of the stove to get really warm, but that's about it. The height of the hearth and hence stove allow for better viewing of the fire from a variety of locations, easier loading and poking at and cleaning out of the stove. We store a few days worth of wood under the hearth, which is also handy.

 

[wg_bent]

I raised mine, and I love it. I sit on it to load the stove and to be in front of it to warm myself. You just need to be careful, grandmothers may sit there and spontaneously combust.

 

[WarmGuy]

Ours is raised and I do not like it that way. If I'm sitting in a chair close to the fire (early morning before the room is warm), I feel like much of the heat is going over my head. My legs don't get any heat at all.

 

[mayhem]

My hearth is raised about 6-7" above the floor and I have 19" offsets to the trim boards from the front and side doors. Personally I like it that way as it gives the room a bit of character and do not find it at all inconvenient to load or maintin the stove. I find its actualyl fairly comfortable to squat down on the floor, open the door and toss in some logs.