Fireplace Hearth Height From Floor

A fireplace hearth should extend at least 16 past the front edge of the fireplace and at least 8 beyond each side of the fireplace opening.

Fireplace hearth height from floor.

With a modern linear fireplace the trick is to keep it up far enough to keep it from looking like a fishtank on the floor but not so high to make make it hard to see. Extending at least 16 inches from the fireplace opening and at least 8 inches beyond each end of the fireplace the floor height hearth provides an unobtrusive sleek space for cleaning spilt ashes. Some elevated fireplaces have hearth pads at floor level. There are a couple of rules of thumb here.

Better safety for young children and pets with the fire being less easily reachable from the floor. Those that are lower in height often resemble a step whereas those that are taller are usually the height of a low bench and may even be used as such. Elevated fireplaces are able to release ashes and soot further than floor. Side by side images of a floor hearth and a raised hearth.

Raised hearths or sitting height hearths are built off the floor usually no more than 17 inches up. Most fireplaces have hearths that are flush with the floor even built into the floor. A raised fireplace hearth is a hearth that is built up from the floor. Your fireplace may fit this dimension or it might be on the shorter or taller end of the spectrum when it comes to mantel height above fireplace.

The first thing is to decide is. Again proper height is relatively subjective to your fireplace but average or standard fireplace mantel height construction is around 54 above the hearth s floor. Fireplace hearth size requirements. A sitting height hearth is simply a hearth that extends out into your room and is built up or raised off the floor to a height that is comfortable for people to sit on.

For elevated fireplaces make sure the hearth pad is tall enough to match the level of the fireplace s hearth. Our photo left shows a burned wooden floor in front of a fireplace hearth. If this is the case install a hearth pad that extends 20 inches beyond the fireplace s face wall. A hearth is a fireplace s brick or stone floor.

Some fireplaces are designed so that the hearth extends out into the room. The fire can be viewed at sitting down height.