Hearth Pads for Wood-Burning Stoves

A hearth pad is “heat protection for your floor”. It’s a specific, dedicated, non-combustible surface that’s installed under and around all four sides of a wood-burning stove. Its purpose is two-fold. First, any hot sparks or burning embers that may pop out the appliance will fall harmlessly on the hearth pad and burn out. And secondly, a hearth pad can protect the wood subfloor from excessive heat.

A hearth pad can be an interesting feature in your living room décor. It can blend with the color and style of your stove and will accent your appliance, but it must be made from something that cannot burn. Most popular materials are tile, slate, natural stone or brick.

Today’s EPA certified stoves burn cleaner than ever. Based on individual stove models, safety standards and building codes require the hearth pad to provide sufficient thermal protection. Because of the extremely high temperatures, a homemade hearth pad might not adequately protect the subfloor beneath your stove.

There are two types or levels of protection, based on the stove manufacturer’s requirements. A Type 1 hearth pad requires only protection from burning embers. Any non-combustible material will comply. It would probably look quite tacky, but even a large piece of thick sheet metal will fulfill this requirement!

Ember protection will not stop heat from burning the floor beneath the stove. The heat coming off the bottom and the sides of the stove can actually pass through a Type 1 pad and overheat the subfloor. A Type 2 hearth pad will prevent that heat from reaching the subfloor.

Type 2 hearth pads need a minimum protection of an R-value of 1.0 or more. Pads built with a material such as a micore mineral fiber board can provide a specific R-value to the hearth. Raising a Type 1 pad off the floor with a pedestal base built from metal studs is another way to get a higher R-value. The dead air space between the pedestal and the floor will offer an effective R-value. If you’re interested, the UL Standard for this information is UL 1618.

Hearth Pads for stoves - Wood stove Napoleon (1)

Wood Stove S Series by Napoleon

Final Considerations

It is critical to check the hearth or flooring requirements in the owner’s manual of your stove to ensure the proper protection is in place. The stove’s manual will state the type of floor protection that’s necessary. The manual will also specify the minimum size of the hearth pad and the minimum clearance requirements for the stove.

Remember that “more is always better” when it comes to clearance requirements and the size of the hearth underneath your stove. And, if you have “more” hearth, you’ll have plenty of room for a tool set, a wood rack, gloves and kindling. A larger hearth will protect more floor space and will make clean-up much easier, too.

To make things much easier and to take the work out of all of this, your WE LOVE FIRE® dealers offer various sizes of Type 1 and Type 2 hearth protection pads. There are loads of colors to suit your decorating scheme and still comply with the requirements from the stove manufacturer.

What about the space in front of your fireplace, does that need floor protection, too? Yes, they do and Type 2 hearth extensions for fireplace applications are readily available.

Most pellet stoves require a Type 1 hearth. Details for the size of the hearth for your model will be spelled out in the owner’s manual.

Since we’re on the subject, it’s also worth mentioning that many of today’s gas stoves do not require a hearth pad. It’s perfectly safe for them to be installed on a hardwood or laminate floor. But again, always check the owner’s manual for the requirements for your specific model.

Below is a list of fireplace and grill stores that service ()

Auburn, AL

Top Hat Chimney Sweeps
1280 Financial Ct.
Auburn, AL 36830

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Elk Grove, CA

Custom Fireside Shops
9097 Elk Grove Blvd.
Elk Grove, CA 95624

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Sacramento, CA

Custom Fireside Shops
5455 Auburn Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95841

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Durango, CO

Durango Outdoor Living
140 Rock Point Drive
Durango, CO 81301

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Durango, CO

Four Corner Stoves & Spas
3001 Main Avenue
Durango, CO 81301

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Grand Junction, CO

Stove Depot and Chimney Works
330 North Ave.
Grand Junction, CO 81501

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New London, CT

Family Hearth and Patio LLC
571 Broad Street
New London, CT 06320

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Ridgefield, CT

Yankee Doodle, Inc.
71 Ethan Allen Highway
Ridgefield, CT 06877

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Dover, DE

Byler's Stove Shoppe Inc.
1368b Rose Valley School Rd.
Dover, DE 19904

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Destin, FL

Doodlebuggers Service Network
36054 Emerald Coast Parkway
Destin, FL 32541

Bettendorf, IA

Fireplaces Plus, Inc.
1745 State Street
Bettendorf, IA 52722

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Post Falls, ID

Quality Stoves & Home Furnishings
569 N Syringa St
Post Falls, ID 83854

Rockford, IL

Advanced Chimney Systems, Inc.
3486 Lonergan Drive
Rockford, IL 61109

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Wauconda, IL

Grass Roots Energy, Inc.
28751 N Route 12
Wauconda, IL 60084

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Evansville, IN

Firemaster, Inc.
5300 E Morgan Avenue
Evansville, IN 47715

Jeffersonville, IN

Olde Towne Chimney & Fireplace Sales
915 Nachand Ln
Jeffersonville, IN 47130

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Overland Park, KS

Kansas City Fireplace Center
10470 Metcalf Avenue
Overland Park, KS 66212

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Erlanger, KY

TateBuilder's Supply, LLC
3511 Dixie Highway
Erlanger, KY 41018

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Littleton, MA

Woodstove, Fireplace and Patio Shop, Inc.
60 White Street
Littleton, MA 01460

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Seekonk, MA

The Fireplace Showcase
775 Fall River Ave
Seekonk, MA 02771

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Sudbury, MA

Woodstove, Fireplace and Patio Shop, Inc.
348 Boston Post Road
Sudbury, MA 01776

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Duluth, MN

Duluth Stove & Fireplace
2431 W Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55806

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Minneapolis, MN

Woodland Stoves & Fireplaces
2901 Franklin Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55406

Oakdale, MN

Energy Savers of Minnesota
6298 Highway 36 Blvd N
Oakdale, MN 55128

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Rochester, MN

Brekke Fireplace Shoppe
1904 S. Broadway
Rochester, MN 55904

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Walker, MN

Wilkening Fireplace Company
9608 State 371 NW
Walker, MN 56484

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Fargo, ND

Home Heating, Plumbing & A/C Inc.
701 28th Street South
Fargo, ND 58103

Omaha, NE

Fireplace By Design
13913 R Plaza
Omaha, NE 68137

Epping, NH

The Stove Shoppe
285, Calef Highway Rte. 125
Epping, NH 03042

Windham, NH

The Stove Shoppe
25 Indian Rock Road
Windham, NH 03087

Hamilton, NJ

Bowden's Fireside - Hearth & Home
1731 Nottingham Way
Hamilton, NJ 08619

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Voorhees, NJ

Rettinger Fireplace Systems, Inc.
476 Centennial Blvd
Voorhees, NJ 08043

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St. Henry, OH

Buschur's Refrigeration, Inc.
541 N Eastern Avenue
St. Henry, OH 45883

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Media, PA

Chimney Cricket
101 State Road
Media, PA 19063

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Rapid City, SD

Hebron Brick Company
1543 Deadwood Ave
Rapid City, SD 57709

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Sioux Falls, SD

Hebron Brick Company
2211 W. 50th Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57105-6525

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Vermillion, SD

Kalin's Indoor Comfort Inc.
710 Cottage Avenue
Vermillion, SD 57069

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Manassas, VA

Winston's Chimney Service
11301 Industrial Road
Manassas, VA 20109

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Barre, VT

Chimney Sweep Fireplace Shop
1284 US Rte, 302 Ste 10
Barre, VT 05641-2317

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Bennington, VT

Friends of The Sun
126 Hicks Avenue
Bennington, VT 05201

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Manchester, VT

Friends of The Sun
159 Depot Street
Manchester, VT 05255

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Shelburne, VT

Chimney Sweep Fireplace Shop
3113 Shelburne Road
Shelburne, VT 05482

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White River Jnct, VT

Home Comfort of New England
1255 VA Cut Off Road
White River Jnct, VT 05001

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Burlington, WI

Burlington Fireplace & Heating LLC
857 Milwaukee Ave.
Burlington, WI 53105

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Madison, WI

Top Hat
5117 Verona Rd
Madison, WI 53711

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Morgantown, WV

Rustic By Design
709 Beechurst Ave. Suite 15
Morgantown, WV 26505

Laramie, WY

High Country Stoves & Fireplaces
860 N. 3rd Street
Laramie, WY 82072


For more information, contact your local fireplace and grill store.

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