What Is A Fireplace Hearth?

A fireplace hearth is the area located at the base of the fireplace on which a fire is built, or a fireplace insert or stove is placed.  The hearth is made from a non-combustible material and typically extends out into the room and to the sides from the fireplace opening.

A fireplace hearth was traditionally used for both heating and cooking for many centuries. Nowadays, fireplaces are typically only used for heating or decoration purposes.

Fireplace hearths are made out of a non-combustible material such as granite, stone, marble, ceramic, cement or slate. These non-combustible materials help to keep the heat of the fire away from your house, while also providing an aesthetically pleasing platform for your fireplace that can be designed to suit the décor of your home.

What Part Of The Fireplace Is The Hearth?

The hearth is found at the very bottom of a fireplace. It’s the slab of non-combustible material that sits flat at the base of the fireplace on which a fire or fireplace unit sits.

It can be found surrounded by the walls of the fireplace inside the firebox, and extends out into the room past the fireplace opening.

A hearth is sometimes referred to as the ‘inner hearth’ and ‘outer hearth’, located inside and outside of the firebox respectively. In some cases the hearth is the floor located outside of the firebox, while the inner floor of the fireplace can sometimes be known as the ‘firebox floor’. The extension of the hearth into the room from the fireplace opening is also referred to as the ‘hearth extension’.

For the purposes of this article the hearth will refer to the entire floor area of a fireplace.

What Is The Purpose Of A Fireplace Hearth?

A hearth serves as both cosmetic and functional features of a fireplace.

The purpose of a fireplace hearth is to provide a barrier between the floor of a building and the heat of a fire inside the fireplace or stove. A fireplace hearth also provides a decorative stand on which a fireplace stove, insert or standalone unit can be placed alongside fireplace accessories and fuel such as wood logs.