What is the Best Fireplace Flooring?
Fireplace Flooring: Carpet
The Good – Carpet is an excellent choice when your really looking for comfort. It actually looks incredible with a fireplace. The options and choices available in both texture and color are practically infinite. The warming properties of carpet go very well with a fireplace’s aesthetic and feel.
The Bad – Carpet is very flammable compared to other floors, although you can find certain fibers that are flame retardant. Beside the obvious safety concern, carpet has issues when smoke is involved. It shows soot, dirt and wood particles easily. This is especially true when your building a fire, because of the amount of wood that splinters off. A good way to have you carpet without a ton of worry is to have a frame around your fireplace of tile, which is out next flooring option.
Fireplace Flooring: Tile
The Good – Tile is probably the best option you can find for a fireplace. Damage due to the fire is minimal compared to any other floor. There are a ton of options when it comes to the design of the tile. Stone, porcelain, and ceramic tiles can create an authentic hearth for your home.
The Bad – No floor is perfect for any particular application, and while it may have only a few bad points, they are notable. Tile breaks, and overtime if not taken care of properly can begin to breakdown, especially when using slate and stone. If you drop a log, your flooring has a huge potential of cracking and it isn’t an easy fix. Tile can also get downright cold which is a little jarring when you expect warmth from a fireplace.
Fireplace Flooring: Hardwood
The Good – Hardwood is stunning next to a fireplace, in fact this is the most traditional flooring type. Flickering flame light takes on its own dazzling display on these floors. It’s warmth level is okay, falling between tire and carpet, but the rich earthy tones that you can get from hardwood is unmatched. All in all an excellent choice.
The Bad – Hardwood is wood, so it burns easily. Scratching is easy when around a fire, especially when the tools of the trade are involves as they are mostly heavy iron. Discoloration can also be an issue if your fireplace has any ventilation issues, especially around the edges.
