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Putting in a hearth which I want to be flush level with existing floor height. There is an existing solid concrete construction hearth under the floor.
Can I make the hearth flush with floor level and pass building regs or HEATAS regs?
Answers I have looked up are conflicting?
My understanding is not - but I did anyway and when I come to sell I will just say it was an existing one.
I have no hearth. The limestone floor extends into the chimney recess and under the woodburner. It’s signed of by a HETAS accredited company.
It used to be a distance from the stove minimum of 300mm of non-combustible material, I don’t remember there being any conditions as to whether this non-combustible surface (ie hearth) be flush or raised. It’s been a few years since I last fitted stoves.
If it were in my home, I’d just ensure I had that 300mm before the carpet or wood floor.
Mine is a 20mm slate tile hearth practically flush with an engineered oak floor. The way I understood it, as long as it was 12mm thick none combustible, extended 300mm from front of burner and was clearly defined, you’re in.
From memory when I did ours a few years ago I thought the hearth had to be a certain height above floor level, 25-30mm maybe...?
It can be flush.
The full document J can be downloaded here. Document J
Page 38 Para 2.26 - Indicates that a change of level is a way of indicating the boundary of the hearth but doesn't actually stipulate that it must be done.
Yeah, can be flush.
Some people just have a large piece of glass sat on the carpet!
300mm minimum from the opening of the stove (not necessarily the front if the stove) to the edge of the hearth though.
Yes, it can be flush, but they like some sort of mark to create a sort of boundary.
Could be different coloured tiles, a strip set into the floor, that sort of thing.