What are the key things to consider when buying a hearth?

Choosing a hearth can be one of the most difficult decisions when it comes to installing a new fireplace.

Do you go for limestone hearths or slate ones? Tiles or bricks? Which materials are practical and which ones are a pain to maintain?

If you’re struggling to select one that is right for your home, then look no further. In this post, we’ll take a look at the key things you need to consider to ensure that you end up with the hearth that’s right for you.

1) Consider how a material will look in your home

You can start out your search for a hearth that you like in one of two ways: looking at the material’s properties first or its visual appearance.

A range of materials are suitable, so we think it makes sense to consider the final ‘look’ you are going for.

What kind of finish have you opted for on your oak fireplace beam? Have you ordered a traditional black wood-burning stove or gone for something a little different?

Darker stained, more traditional, rustic oak beams go really well with black slate hearths, for example, whereas lighter-coloured, more modern oak fireplace beams look stunning with a more contemporary blue limestone hearth.

2) Which material would be right for your home?

It is important that whatever you use for your hearth is not flammable.

Different materials have different properties. Some will be more resistant to stains and easier to clean, others will have more rough, rustic finishes and will potentially be more difficult to keep stain-free.

Our Blue Limestone Hearth, for example, is ground flat so that it has a smooth, matt surface with little to no reflection, making it great for a more contemporary home.

It’s easy to keep clean, as it doesn’t have any of the bumps and ridges that you find in some hearth materials, that can harbour dust and dirt.

If you prefer shiny and sleek, our Brazilian Black Slate hearth is smooth with a polished finish but still with some of the natural texture that makes natural stone hearths so beautiful – making it ideal for both contemporary and more traditional homes!

3) A natural hearth can create a unique feature in your home

Opting for natural stone is a great way to add a unique feature to your home. As every piece of stone is different, with unique patterns and slight variations in colour and tone, you can be sure that no-one else will have a hearth exactly like yours.

4) Can you customise your hearth to suit your home?

Both of our natural stone hearths can be oiled to make them darker to fit with your style.

Not only does natural stone look great and can be finished to suit your taste, it’s also durable, elegant and requires very little maintenance, so you can spend your time enjoying your new hearth, rather than maintaining it.

Natural stone hearths are also known for being long-lasting, so you may not have to go through this difficult decision-making process ever again!

Still stuck on which hearth to go for? Why not give us a call – we’d be happy to help.