If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, you know that it makes a beautiful addition, and looks fantastic with those hardwood floors!
If you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, you know that it makes a beautiful addition, and looks fantastic with those hardwood floors! But you should also know that you need to be careful if your fireplace shares a room with your hardwood. Here are some ways that you can keep your hardwood flooring protected from your fireplace.
Add a Hearth Extension
As the name would suggest, a hearth extension extends your hearth beyond the front of the fireplace. Many fireplace owners also choose a hearth extension because of their aesthetic value, as well as the added safety that they provide. Often made of brick, slate, or some other type of stone, a hearth extension will help to ensure your hardwood doesn’t get marred by a spark of some soot. If you don’t want to have an extension built onto your fireplace, you can always just purchase a hearth extension pad. These pads are made of non-combustible materials and will also protect your hardwood but are far less invasive than another construction project.
Working Grate or Cover
There are all kinds of decorative fireplace grates on the market that will of course look nice in front of your fireplace, but may not offer much protection. You will want your grate to have openings large enough so that smoke can escape, but not so large that sparks can also come through.
Only Burn Wood
Whether you’re using a fireplace or a wood stove, you shouldn’t be burning anything but wood indoors. Other materials such as paper and plant matter can cause fires to burn hotter, or to flare or spit, which can cause some damage to your hearth over time. You should also NEVER use grease, oil, lighter fluid, or any other highly combustible material to start the fire in your fireplace, as these can pose many threats not only to your hardwood, but to you and your home as well.
Hardwood Flooring Installation and Maintenance from Jason Brown Wood Floors
At Jason Brown Wood Floors, our commitment to quality installation is clear in all that we do, which is why our customers consistently rate us as one of the top contractors in the region. We have been awarded Baltimore Magazine’s Best of Baltimore Award 4 times and have been proudly serving the Baltimore Area for over 16 years. If you’re ready to speak with someone about your hardwood flooring project, we want to hear from you! Contact us at 410-668-9131 or send us a message here.
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