Good, Better Best – Flooring for Around the Fireplace

Sometimes the little things can slip our mind when we are renovating or redesigning our home. If you’re one of the lucky ones that has a natural wood burning fireplace in your home, you will want to be sure that you have the right flooring around it. Not only does the correct flooring create a well rounded aesthetic, but it can also provide safety. If you choose the wrong material it could gather soot, become scratched or damaged or even become burned from the heat.

A few things ask yourself before choosing the right flooring for around your fireplace is:
What size of a hearth extension will you have?
Will you have a grate or a cover?

Once you answer those two questions, it will help in the overall decision making when it comes to your flooring. Take a look at what we consider to be the GOOD, the BETTER and the BEST when it comes to flooring around your fireplace.

The Good - Tile

Tile falls into our GOOD category, only because tile isn’t the first go-to option for most people when it comes to floor coverings for an entire room (that isn’t considered a wet space). Tile is hard and most tiles are flame resistant. The best bonus with tile flooring is that if a single tile is chipped or damaged due to fireplace equipment, that single tile can be replaced.

The Better - Laminate

Laminate flooring gets our BETTER spot on our list. This flooring is made to look like wood flooring, but is made up from synthetic materials which makes it extremely durable. It makes a great choice for flooring by the fireplace as it can tolerate and withstand the heat that is given off from the fire. The hearth protects the laminate from absorbing too much of that heat, so the flooring maintains its shape.

The Best - Hardwood

Hardwood flooring falls into our BEST spot, and for many great reasons. The deep, rich colouring of hardwood makes a lovely companion for fireplaces that are in brick or stone. Hardwood is easy to keep clean from any soot or dirt coming off the fireplace, and even easier to keep intact if there is any damage from fireplace equipment.

Some Things To Consider

If none of the above options work for you, you can also take some things into consideration for whichever type of flooring that you have. Always be sure to have an extended fireplace hearth. If you have a small hearth that is in front of your fireplace, you will want to consider elevating and extending it. This will help to prevent any damage that can be done to the floors from the heat. Be sure to use non-combustible materials such as brick, stone or slate to help keep your peace of mind.

If installing or extending the hearth is not an option for you, you can always opt for a hearth pad or a fireplace rug. Hearth pads are made of tile or other hard materials and can often act like a hearth extension. Even a simple rug can add extra protection from the heat, just be sure that you use a rug that is flame resistant or you could end up with more problems on your hands.