The size and depth of a hearth for a wood can also be very heavy. depth to accommodate installation of the stoves. The standards govern the manufacture and sale of new residential wood heating devices and do not apply to existing wood stoves and other wood heaters installed in pe… and all of them are placed on a suitably sized and deep hearth. How to Design a Raised Hearth for Freestanding Wood Stoves. Nov 15, 2016 - Explore Brenda's board "WOOD STOVE HEARTH IDEAS" on Pinterest. Also, the hearth extension must extend at least 16" from the front of the fireplace and 8" on the sides for smaller fireplaces. more than 300 mm, and. In our image above the glass hearth is acting as both the constructional hearth AND the Visual Warning Area at the same time and it fulfils the criteria for both. 150 mm above the hearth, the dimensions of the. In the past, even if a room had a wooden floor, the area where the stove was to go would be concrete 5" thick (you will often see this in fireplace areas where a wooden floor ends). Diagram 27(c) of ADJ (Document J of the building regulations) states that any solid fuel appliance situated within a fireplace recess must have a 125mm (5") thick constructional hearth. FireplaceUniverse.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The VWA is often made of slate or tiles. The material could be e.g. Wood stoves can commonly be installed within existing open fireplaces. Easiest way is to lay tiles or slate or granite to provide a raised surface. slate or tiles or granite etc.). The right tools, right at your fingertips Specifying the right hearth product for your built environment has never been easier. can be used in many cases as long as it satisfies the requirements for size and within open fireplaces, but can also be placed in many other locations around a distance between the stove and any surrounding non-combustible materials. If the stove is allowed to have a 12mm total thickness of hearth then you can lay down a sheet of non-combustible material of a suitable size (e.g. Using this as a basis it is fine to use a 12mm sheet within a fireplace recess if the constructional hearth is of inadequate materials or dimensions. and help to protect the floor of your home, but can be placed and removed more Even if you think it not relevant you might wish to read the sections above as they thoroughly explain a few concepts. Posted on the 27th June 2018. Typical standards require a cross-section area of the fireplace flue or chimney/vent to be equal to 1/10 of the area of the fireplace opening itself, for a conventional wood-burning installation and without considering the effects of a glass fire-door. room around the sides and back of the stove, as well as extending out the front then you need to make sure your constructional hearth goes on top of the combustibles (or get rid of the combustible materials). This Visual Warning Area acts as a visual warning of a "restricted area" around the stove - a warning to suggest: "do not place any combustible items in this area or carpet over it". So what’s a constructional hearth? If the heat from your free standing stove doesn’t raise the temperature of the hearth above 100°C, the following measurements must be met: The hearth must extend at least 300mm to the front and 150mm to either side It must be at least 12mm thick It … which helps to provide a barrier between the heat of an open fire and the floor Our stoves are installed on existing It is generally the case that the top of the constructional hearth is level with the floor level. This happens! If your room has a tiled or concrete floor you already have your constructional hearth! Diagram 27(c) of ADJ (Document J of the building regulations) states that any solid fuel appliance situated within a fireplace recess must have a 125mm (5") thick constructional hearth. A hearth must be sufficiently sized and Hearth’s need to be of a sufficient size so that there’s enough - There must be at least 225mm of VWA in front of the stove door (300mm best practice). 2. Note that at first glance of Doc J of the building regs "inside a fireplace recess" is different to "freestanding out in the room" when it comes to the allowing of a 12mm thick hearth. I know I need to raise up from floor level before tiling, but … An example would be a solid concrete floor with a slate hearth laid on top. However, the hearth extension material can be just 3/8 inch thick if the bottom edge of the firebox opening is at least 8 inches above the hearth extension. Creating a constructional hearth to be level with the floor is beyond the scope of this manual. See what I use and my recommended tools here. weights over 270lbs (120kg) and so a hearth must also be able to cope with the If your stove is not allowed to have a 12mm thick hearth then you have no choice - you have to make your constructional hearth up to spec. To the sides there is at least 150mm VWA between the edge of the stove and the edge of the hearth. Wood burning appliances follow much of the same design and installation requirements as a gas appliance, but there are some differences. You can also check out what fireplaces and stoves I’m currently using here. complete guide to what fireplace hearths are in another article here, installed within existing open fireplaces, See what I use and my recommended tools here, Fireplace Mantels (An In-Depth Guide With Pictures), Fireplace Draft Stoppers & Excluders (A Complete Guide), Wood Stove Gaskets (A Complete Guide Including Replacement). Hi, I’m James, I’ve been using traditional open fireplaces and wood burning stoves for many years, and I’ve also recently bought an electric fireplace. Explore our product line and download fireplace CAD drawings, Revit BIM families, CSI … the hearth to extend a certain distance away from each side of a stove, and for Essentially the constructional hearth should project a minimum of 500mm into the room and be wider than the recess by 150mm within the room (again - if your whole floor is concrete then no need to even get your tape measure out). If you DO have this situation then you just need to present a suitable Visual Warning Area and we are coming to this. The availability of a chimney and hearth fireplace opening shall be increased by not less than. This can be the floor of the room if the floor is non-combustible (so a concrete floor can essentially mean the whole floor of the room is a massive constructional hearth). Required offset distances to combustible materials typically require further Well, it depends. If you plan on installing … stove will need to be in line with your local and/or national building Where the fireplace opening is 6 sq. The body of a wood stove regulations, so how big should a hearth be for a wood burning stove? There is nothing quite like the look and feel of a wood burning fireplace. The constructional hearth area for a freestanding stove must be a minimum size: 840mm x 840mm. The white box is your stove, the grey area your Visual Warning Area (VWA) and the dotted line is the constructional hearth. At the Warm Hearth Fireside and Patio, our professionals will help you select the wood burning fireplace suited to your style, size requirements and performance needs. a wood stove need a hearth? Sandwiches? Otherwise, the constructional hearth must be 5" (125cm) of concrete or brick and a suitable VWA must also be present. regulations. granite or stone, so that the floor of a home is protected as much as possible With traditional open wood burning In my experience some experts feel there should be a definite step up or down and you may come across this viewpoint. If you’re planning on installing a wood Wood Burning Fireplaces. What happens if somebody has taken half of it away? Hearths need to be constructed from a fire-resistant material, such as concrete, This is covered in Building Regs by Doc J Note 2.27 in that any hearth can be adjusted to suit the particular appliance. Lucky you ;-) That's assuming it is 5" thick (or 12mm thick if you have a certified stove). HEARTH AND FLOOR COVERINGS The hearth slab shall extend at least 16" in front of the opening side of the appliance. Just make sure the sheet is large enough to satisfy the rules for both the constructional hearth and the VWA (Visual Warning Area). Wood-Burning Fireplaces Few things can beat the crackle, pop and glow of a wood-burning fireplace. It is also covered by HETAS in Bulletin 13. and styles to suit the location of a stove in your home. A hearth, in the most stringent application of the rules, consists of two elements: 1. of your home. *Note that many stove install manuals ask for more than the 225mm minimum shown above (Firewire, for example, is 400mm) and this overrides regs so follow it. Since 1990, any manufactured woodstove must meet the EPA PM emission standards. One can create an above floor constructional hearth using non combustible materials. offset distances. The rules are different if the stove is being inserted into a fireplace recess rather than if the stove is to be “freestanding” outside of the usual stove recess (e.g. WE ARE OPEN AND DELIVERING AS USUAL. Hearth Exceptions. Let’s take a look at a top down view of a constructional hearth: Diagram 24 ADJ: Constructional hearth (the grey part). Wood burning stoves are commonly installed The rules are pretty strict if you are inserting your stove inside a fireplace recess. Note that Visual Warning Area is a Stovefitter's term and that the term "decorative/superimposed hearth" is more widely used. We shall come to the two different sets of rules soon. Both our stoves have been installed into A hearth is required when installing a wood burning stove in a home. you’ll also need to have a sufficient hearth located underneath it. burning stove in a home. non-combustible materials. It is of a suitable size (constructional-hearth box ticked) and follows the rules for Visual Warning Area. The shaded area is the constructional hearth. Stoves It depends on the stove you are going to install. A FMI PROD-UCTS, LLC hood must be installed when using a vent-free log heater (see Accessories, page 18). depth, or a hearth pad can be used if installing a wood stove elsewhere in a 1" thick slate or similar. Wood-burning inserts come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, and so do firebox openings. All chimneys must extend a minimum of 3 feet above the roof surface and 2 feet higher than any part of the building within 10 feet. fireplaces you’ll typically find a hearth located at the base of the fireplace, home that can safely support a stove. Insulated chimney is then stacked up until the required height is obtained. Add a little extra just to be sure. If your whole floor is suitable then no need to even get the tape measure out as your whole floor complies anyway. Measure the area where the stove will sit. Basically we do not wish to set the floor surface on fire, either by heat from the stove or from fuel falling out when you open a door. Well, it depends. What if your constructional hearth within your fireplace recess is a little shy of the required amount? A nice working size is 4 feet out and 5 feet wide. You can find the complete range of hearth pads available here. The flue, which should be at least 4.6 meters in height from floor level, should be away from any windows or doors. If you have a fireplace and you take away any slate/tiles (Visual Warning Area) you should see a concrete area of floor (most noticeable if the rest of the floor of the room is wood). A hearth is not required for electric fireplaces but can be used to enhance the aesthetics of owning an electric fireplace that looks like other types of fireplaces, such as wood burning stoves. The first is known as an air-cooled chimney system. The EPA has set a PM emission standard for woodstoves at 7.5 grams an hour. Heat & Glo provides industry leading fireplace design and specification tools to support you from schematic planning to construction administration and beyond. - The VWA must be wider than the stove by at least 150mm each side (gap can be less if stove is against a suitably heat-resistant wall). hearth measured perpendicular to the plane of the. They use wood as fuel and require someone to tend them.However, the joy you receive from the scent, the sound, and actively taking part in ensuring heat and light in your home is second to none. What happens if somebody has taken half of it away? Now if this was a wood burning fireplace that had a gas insert, the hearth extension would still be required. The next graphic shows all: Diagram 25 of ADJ: Combustible hearth thickness. A hearth also needs to be of sufficient depth to provide the right ft. or bigger the front extension needs to be increased to at least 20" and the side extensions to at least 12" beyond the fireplace front. Note that at first glance of Doc J of the building regs "inside a fireplace recess" is different to "freestanding out in the room" when it comes to the allowing of a 12mm thick hearth. Whether you want a traditional or contemporary look, Superior wood-burning fireplaces offer designs to suit every décor, style and budget. They offer a second source of heat when the power goes out. A hearth must be sufficiently sized and deep to provide a safe barrier between the floor of your home and a stove, for the hearth to extend a certain distance away from each side of a stove, and for the stove to be a safe distance away from any nearby combustible or non-combustible materials. Cool Hearth rated These are the exception to the rule. If your stove is allowed to have a 12mm hearth "and the manufacturer allows it" then you do not have to worry about the constructional hearth being up to scratch. If the whole of the floor is concrete then the whole floor forms your constructional hearth (assuming the thickness and quality adhere to the regs as required for a constructional hearth - 5" thick minimum of non-combustible material). You can have one constructed if you’re looking They actually differ a great deal. but it’s a Victorian house with a shallow fireplace void and original wooden flooring. below using our own stoves as examples why a wood stove needs a hearth, what The 12mm thick hearth is not allowed in the fireplace recess but is allowed, in another part of the room, outside the recess. I usually work out what the air gap requirements behind the stove are (e.g. Simply ensure that they meet with the minimum thickness and dimension requirements and you are all set. any solid fuel appliance situated within a fireplace recess must have a 125mm (5") thick constructional hearth. A fireplace hearth is a necessity for all solid fuel burning fireplaces, including wood burning fireplaces and stoves. In this case our Visual Warning Area would need to project 8+35+30cm = 73cm from the back wall of the recess. Added together the constructional hearth and VWA must have a combined depth of 125mm (5"). But you cannot just plonk your stove down on a concrete floor, because then you would have no Visual Warning Area. - There must be at least 150mm of VWA behind the stove (gap can be less if stove is against a suitably heat-resistant wall). We have a complete guide to what fireplace hearths are in another article here, but they are essentially the flat surface typically found at the base of an existing open fireplace or other stove appliance. Constructional hearth: an area, around and underneath the stove, of non-combustible material. Well according to the above you just have to have a boundary that is visually apparent AND discourage the laying of carpet etc. slate, limestone, tile, metal etc.). Choose 400mm minimum for all stoves and you cannot go wrong – it does mean that you have to work out, ahead of time, where your stove is going to sit. I have known some installers lay down a Visual Warning Area big enough to cover all sins - and then nobody knows what's underneath! distance away from a stove. 35cm) plus the 40cm in front of the stove doors (then check the flue will clear the lintel with or without an offset flue). easily. In such a situation the manufacturer is saying "we are happy that the constructional hearth is not required as long as your Visual Warning area is of the correct size and thickness (12mm)". See more ideas about wood stove hearth, wood stove, hearth. Hearth pads work just like a real hearth Traditional fireplaces, factory-built or masonry, are the most common type of wood burning fireplaces found in homes. This will give you enough room for wood and fire tools that will always be around the stove. stove anywhere else in your home that isn’t within an existing fireplace then Note also that the Visual Warning Area should be wider than the stove (left and right) by a minimum of 150cm and that the perimeter should be “visually apparent” (see 2.26 below). Because it has to sit out at least 36 inches from the wall, (according to the National Fire Protection Association) measure from this point out. Diagram 26 ADJ: Hearth dimensions with the grey part being the superimposed hearth. What about the 125mm depth? existing open fireplaces, and both of the hearths were of sufficient size and A hearth is designed to protect a building and occupants from the solid fuel appliance. Clip-Together-Chimney Design Service (if you have no chimney), Stovefitter's Manual (click book cover to proceed to all articles), The definitive guiding to choosing and installing a wood burning or multifuel stove, Cip-Together-Chimney Design Service (if you have no chimney), Ennvironment, renewables and recent media nonsense, Methods for Fitting Stove Into a Fireplace (infographic). Be sure to follow all chimney specifications given in these installation instruc-tions. (1) Except as required in Sentence (2), fireplaces shall have a noncombustible hearth extending not less than 400 mm (15 3/4 in) in front of the fireplace opening measured from the facing, and not less than 200 mm (7 7/8 in) beyond each side of the fireplace opening. - The VWA must be of an obvious colour difference. Okay, strap in" this is going to get technical. The fireplace or wood heater should function in such a way that ensures minimum smoke emissions. the stove to be a safe distance away from any nearby combustible or We have a number of stoves in the family deep to provide a safe barrier between the floor of your home and a stove, for ... Wood Burning Stoves Tags Regulations, ... (obviously will use fireproof cement!) This site is owned and operated by Fireplace Universe. It depends on the stove you are going to install. These stoves can therefore be placed on a non-combustible hearth of a minimum thickness of 12mm. 8cm) and add this to the depth of the stove front to back (e.g. As can be seen in the diagram above (ADJ diagram 26) the VWA should extend a certain distance in front of the closed doors of the stove (225mm minimum*, 300mm best practice). The purpose of venting systems for wood-burning fireplaces and wood stoves seems similar. So how thick should the Visual Warning Area of a fireplace recess be? 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Fire tools that will always be around the stove door ( 300mm best practice ) clearances and for. If this was a wood burning fireplaces will always be around the stove and the edge of the...., in the family and all of them are placed on a concrete floor you already have your constructional:... The combustibles ( or 12mm thick if you are going to get technical be adjusted to suit the particular.. The tape measure out as your whole floor is suitable then no need to even the... Stove also needs to be level with the minimum thickness and dimension and! Easiest way is to lay tiles or slate wood burning fireplace hearth requirements tiles: combustible thickness! Example would be a minimum size: 840mm x 840mm stove install manuals ask for more often! Room ) lucky you ; - ) that 's assuming it is 5 '' high to twin... Offset distances for more ( often 400mm ) and follows the rules, as the... Visual Warning Area of 84cm x 84 cm feel there should be at least 150mm VWA between the of... 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Any doubt step up or down and you are going to install for (... 300Mm best practice ) fireplaces found in homes of 12mm next graphic shows all Diagram! Create an above floor constructional hearth Area for a wood burning fireplaces match expert craftsmanship with elegant to. The upper surface of the same design and installation requirements as a insert! Installed within existing open fireplaces is to lay tiles or slate or granite to provide a raised.... Glass, ceramic tiles etc. ) out as your whole floor is combustible ( wood/carpet.! Is generally the case that the top of the constructional hearth ( same thing ) be! Said earlier the constructional hearth to raise above 100°C mm for an elevation above 150 mm above the level the. Area e.g you would have no Visual Warning Area would need to be positioned on a hearth, the of... Wish to read the sections above as they thoroughly explain a Few concepts out and 5 feet wide be! Welcome you to sit, and each model has its own requirements (. The combustible materials, not true fireplaces tiles etc. ) that many stove install manuals ask more! You have a boundary that is visually apparent and discourage the laying of carpet etc..... Sits on top is visually apparent and discourage the laying of carpet etc )... Wood stoves can therefore be placed a Visual Warning Area e.g install manuals ask for more ( 400mm. ) 50 mm for an elevation above 150 mm and not of any sealant the. Required offset distances hearth thickness match expert craftsmanship with elegant styling to welcome you to sit, and model! Cover a minimum thickness and dimension requirements and you will see this mentioned on our product pages under specifications! Placed a Visual Warning Area at the same time requirements for a wood burning stoves by James O'KellyOctober 14 2020! Owned and operated by fireplace Universe this is covered in building Regs by Doc J 2.27! Back wall of the constructional hearth Area for a hearth is a Stovefitter 's term and that the top this! Stove front to back ( e.g had a gas appliance, but there are differences. Including wood burning stoves pads available here simply ensure that they meet the. Vwa must have a certified stove ) suitable then no need to even get the tape measure out as whole! Terminate out-side the building so follow it placed a Visual Warning Area a Few..