Heat Resistant Tiles: Can you use tiles around your wood burner?

Heat Resistant Tiles: Can you use tiles around your wood burner?

Fireplaces and wood burners are a beautiful centrepiece in any room.

If you're lucky enough to have one in your home, you'll likely be considering options on how to decorate it to suit your style.

It's usually at this stage that people start asking us, "Can I use tiles around my wood burning fire?" and "what to put behind a wood burning stove?".

Here's everything you need to know about fire and heat resistant tiles.

A couple of simple rules to follow

  • Use porcelain tiles to keep the heat in check
  • Keep a distance of at least 150mm / 6 inches around the side of the burner

When deciding between ceramic and porcelain tiles for your fireplace, go for porcelain tiles.

Usually people will tend to use fire-resistant bricks around their burner because they're great at absorbing heat without transferring it to neighbouring areas.

Porcelain tiles work in a very similar fashion because of their density and how they're manufactured.

Although the tiles are heat-resistant, it's best to make sure the direct heat contact the tiles receive isn't too high. So it's best to keep a bit of a buffer-zone to keep your tiles looking fresh.

Do you need special heat-resistant tile adhesive?

Making sure your tiles withstand the heat is one thing, you'll also want to make sure they don't come unstuck because of the adhesive you use.

Luckily, there are tile adhesives made especially for hotter scenarios - we recommend this tile adhesive from Victas.

Going one step further, what you place your tiles on makes a difference too. 

If your chimney walls aren't in great condition you can always use heat-resistant boards to give you a stable tiling surface.

Inspiration: 3 hot looks for your home

To give you some inspiration, here are our most loved decor tips for stoves and fireplaces.

1. Use rustic, textured tiles to create a country feel


Credit: Zillow

Wood burners tend to instantly give a wholesome cottage vibe to any room; this can sometimes be a bit tricky if the rest of your room is quite contemporary.

This look boldly displays the wood burner front and centre whilst framing it with country-esque touches.

We love the combination of a base of grey slate tiles, contrasted with the rustic texture of split-face tiles on the wall.

The matching rug complements the stove nicely and draws even more attention to the centre of the room.

2. Wooden beams are an alcoves best friend


Credit: katielouise1688

Another stunning way to add rustic charm to any room is to add a wooden beam as a mantelpiece to the top of the fireplace.

The farmhouse-look the wooden beam creates helps modern decors blend with the burner while also helping to further accentuate a traditional look.

3. Display your firewood loud and proud


Credit: Pinterest

You'll need a steady supply of firewood to keep your wood burner roaring. Why not upcycle an old bookcase and place it nearby to not only add to the overall charm of the burner but keep the extra fuel to hand when you need it.

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