Hearth Requirements

A stove must stand on a non-combustible hearth extending a minimum of 225mm in front & 150mm out from the stove at the sides. If the hearth is on a combustible floor it must be at least 250mm thick. Some stove manufactures have models that have been designed and tested to have a hearth temperature not exceeding 100 degrees centigrade, in this case a 12mm hearth can be used.

Please Note that if you using an appliance that is designed to run with the doors open then you must have at least 300mm in front of the stove.

We previously mentioned that the hearth must be at least 250mm thick (unless the stove is approved for 12mm hearth) if you are installing the hearth onto a non combustible floor e.g concrete floor then the overall thickness can be 250mm. for example if the non combustible floor is made from 100mm of concreate then you have have a slate hearth of 150mm to make up the 250mm required.

Hearths For Freestanding Stoves
If you are planning to install a stove into a room with no standard chimney then you must ensure that your hearth is an minimum of 840mm x 840mm. While this is a minimum if your have a large stove you must still follow the rules we stated at the start of the page e.g 150mm each side of stove and 225 in front.

Advice:
"When laying a slate hearth etc never install the hearth as one piece! Always create a hearth out of at least 2 sections due to the heat produced by the stove. If you create a hearth out of a single piece of hearth it is possible that it can crack as there is movement available."