Well, as things usually go my planned project of putting veneer on my fireplace and building a raised hearth has to be put on hold. I only have 15" from the glass to wood flooring, minimum clearance is 18". I ran it like this the last few years but have just been getting more and more nervous about it, the wood gets really hot. So I've been looking for a temporary somewhat inexpensive fix. I found this and am thinking it will work if I just lay it in front of the stove, thoughts? Looking for any input you guys have. Thanks. HY-C Woodgrain Type 2 Hearth Pad | WoodlandDirect.com: Hearth Pads
Do you have the manual? Does it call for ember protection or an "R" rated shield on the floor. I only find the 1400 manual online and it requires ember protection only. This means that the manufacturer tested and the floor will not get hot enough to cause a problem. The board you picked has an R rating of 1.56 which is pretty good for most stoves. The only thing I do not like is a seam in front of the stove where an ember could get caught and cause problems before it is noticed. A picture of you layout may help with answers... KaptJaq
I just looked through the manual and I can't really find anything except it says don't put combustibles less than 36" in front. Now I'm not sure if they just mean furniture and rugs or a wood floor? Here's a picture. From the glass to wood is 15". I was thinking of just sliding the mat under the ash lip if it fits or butting it up to it if it doesn't slide under. I don't know if I need to go with thermal and ember or just ember? Obviously there was no ember protection there when some cherry popped out.
IMO There is no harm in using the R=1.56 thermal board instead of the ember board. With it starting under the ash lip you should have no further problems with popping embers and should not have to worry about the floor boards getting hot. Just be careful about tripping on the edge. For most stoves the 36" clearance in front is usually for furniture, drapes, curtains, etc... Read the manual carefully. The information is usually in there just sometimes it is a little hard to find... KaptJaq
Hmmm. Looked through it again and can't find anything. There are clearances for the freestanding model and also shows clearances for the insert but only from the top and sides. Can't find anything about front other than that 36", which seems totally unrealistic for a floor, has to mean furniture and what not. I'm just gonna get that pad, I'll feel better till I can get the raised hearth constructed in the spring.
Never would have thought look in the 1402. The 1401 and 1101 manuals are combined. Thanks! So, 18", maybe I saw that diagram somewhere because I thought it was 18. I've got 15, im getting the pad for piece of mind. Thanks again.
Yeah, put a pad down for now, they come in all different sizes and don't cost that much, I have one, they will protect from coals popping out.
So, this is what I ended up with. Doesn't look too bad, R value of 1.56 and gives me an extra 10" of protection. Thought it would be more of a pad than what it is. It's a rigid board. Went from 15" to 25" from front of stove to the wood floor. Cheap piece of mind if you ask me. Can't wait to stone the fireplace and build my raised hearth but for know this will do. Makes me feel better about the wood floor and how hot it would get. I should have got a laser thermometer and seen just how hot it was but I never did. Maybe it wasn't even close to hot enough to cause a problem but it sure felt hot with the hand thermometer.
If curiosity is killing the cat, find yourself a junk piece of wood flooring, paint it black, rage a fire with the piece set as far away as the flooring that was previously exposed, and shoot it with an IR handheld thermometer. Was your floor charring from the heat, or did a big ember jump out and sit for a moment?
It was from a big ember popping out and the wife not grabbing it quick enough. If it was just from heat I would have done something much much sooner, like immediately.
