What is the Average Height of a Fireplace Hearth?

One of the most overlooked safety features of a fireplace is the hearth.

This simple slab of stone is often the only thing that prevents damage to your floors, or worse.

But, a hearth that’s too short won’t prove safe or effective. All hearths should be at least 50mm in height or thickness.

In this article, we’ll look at the importance of having a hearth that’s high enough.

What is a Hearth? 

The term “hearth” is probably well known to most people, but do you know what it is?

In layman’s terms, the hearth is essentially just the fireplace floor. It’s where the logs sit as they burn; hence, it should be made from a strong material that can withstand high temperatures.

Most of the time, hearths are made of stone, often whichever kind of stone is strong enough. But, you can also buy hearths made of metal.

Whatever material they’re made out of, they need to be fireproof. If the hearth burns or melts, you will not be able to control the fire, and it could result in severe damage.

Why are Hearths Raised?

When you look at a fireplace, you might notice that it’s rarely touching the floor – it’s always raised slightly.

The main reason for this raise is safety. By raising the hearth, more distance is created between the fireplace and the floor, and the chances of the floorboards catching fire are much lower. Often, hearths are made of thick material. So, no matter how hot the top of the hearth (where the fire is) is, the bottom (which touches the floor) stays cool.

What is the Average Height of a Fireplace Hearth?

The average height or thickness of a fireplace hearth is approximately 50mm.

Obviously this height or thickness can change depending on the size of the fireplace, the size of the room it sits within, and also the type of material used to create the hearth.

This thickness is designed to withstand high temperatures and protect the floor and surrounding area without cracking or chipping.

What is the Average Depth of a Fireplace Hearth?

The average depth of a fireplace hearth is between 15-16 inches. At this depth, most hearths can provide the safety and aesthetic appeal they are intended for.

15 inches of stone is large enough to safely hold an average fire and ensure nothing unexpectedly escapes.

However, please keep in mind that this is just an average. And, if you’re building a hearth, it may need to be larger or smaller depending on your fire size and expected heat output.

Why Might you Want a Higher Hearth?

If your fireplace is (or will be) larger than average, it would be worthwhile considering a higher hearth. Larger fires will spit out more embers and emit more heat. Therefore, keeping a greater distance between the fire and the floor is wise.

Our general advice would be to keep flammable objects away from fires. This could be carpet, books, furniture or electronics. But, if you must keep flammable objects close to a fire (for whatever reason), ensure the hearth is high enough that any embers will cool on their journey down.

If you have small children and/or animals who like to run around, having a higher hearth than average could help improve their safety. The further away the fire is from them, the less likely they are to get hurt.

What Happens if your Hearth isn’t High Enough?

If your hearth isn’t high enough, several things could go wrong.

Firstly, it could break. No matter how strong a material is, it can break if it’s too thin and the fire gets too hot. If your hearth breaks because it cannot hold the heat your fire produces, you will have to spend more in the long term, as you will need to replace it more often.

Secondly, if there is not enough distance between the hearth and the floor, it can spit embers onto said floor. If one or two embers hit the floor, nothing much will happen. But, if the floor keeps getting exposed to embers, the best-case scenario is that the floor will become damaged. And in the worst case, you could become exposed to live flames.

How Far should a Hearth Extend? 

As well as high enough, the hearth should also be wide enough.

The width of the hearth serves the same purpose as the height. If embers spit out, instead of landing on the carpet, they will just land on the outer hearth.

If your fireplace opening is less than 6ft², the hearth should extend 16 inches in front and 8 inches to the side of the fireplace opening.

If your fireplace opening is more than 6ft², the hearth should extend 20 inches to the front, and 12 to the side.

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Fireplaces add so much to a home in terms of aesthetics, character and warmth.

But, as with anything introducing live flames into the home, it’s important to do it in the right way.

We hope this helps. For everything else home heating, stick with CosyWarmer.com