Raised vs. flush hearth pad

[MontanaSam]

Starting to draft up a design/attack plan for the hearth pad/wall in my home.

The stove will be up against a wall in the den, and I am curious if there are any theories behind having your stove raised off the floor, say 4-6", versus having the brick (veneer) hearth flush with the floors? No matter how I build it the veneer will be higher than floor by an inch at least, but whether or not to frame a proper raised pad is what I'm considering.

Any thoughts or advice?

Stove is a Super 27, size of backwall will be 4' wide, 8' tall. Size of pad will be 4'x4'.

Thank you fellas.

And heres a shot of more firewood than this whole forum could cut in a lifetime, fire killed larch:

 

[stovelark]

Hi Sam, Have noted raised hearth pads are becoming more popular here in New England. It does raise the stove some for easier access and if watching the fire, probably easier to view. Sad to see that wood burnt like that, but hope it helps keeping you warm. Beautiful wide open spaces too.. Take care.

 

[ddahlgren]

Hope you or whoever cuts it manages rather than clear cut, that out to be a crime in all honesty.

 

[begreen]

Raising the hearth makes it easier to load the stove and it makes it visually more distinctive.

 

[DougA]

I built mine with 6" cement blocks on their side, then covered with 1.5" soapstone, so it's 6.8" high off the tile floor. If I was doing all again, I'd use 8" blocks to bring it just a bit higher yet. Your back will thank you when loading.
One benefit I was planning on and it does work is that it helps keep the grandkids away from the hot stove surface. That extra step becomes a natural stopping point for them. We still put a firescreen in front when the kids are here but it is more in case they trip and fall when near the stove. They're all at the learning to walk or learning to run stage.

 

[claydogg84]

Mine is raised about a foot and it sure does make it easier to load.

 

[MontanaSam]

Easier to load and visual relief sounds reason enough. I was thinking it would just be a toe stubbing hazard in the dark.

All that burned timber is in the wilderness, so unless your out there with axe and crosscut, it's untouchable. Great for camping though ; ) And all that new grass helps out the ungulate herds.

Thank you folks

 

[DougA]

it would just be a toe stubbing hazard

Part of the answer is to ensure that you can load the stove from floor level, so the raised hearth does not stick out too far. My solution was to have proper tile & hearth rated protection at floor level since the raised section would not be in front of the stove far enough to meet code. That way, the raised section is not interfering with any traffic patterns in the area.
Walking by a hot stove and tripping over a raised hearth is a real nightmare you do not want. This is what I did:

 

[stovelark]

very nice Doug, that dreadnought of a stove dwarfs that knight fireplace set- we sell both of these items at the store too- really like your raised platform.