Hey everyone! My wife and I recently renovated our fireplaces and chimneys, and now we're eager to finish the look ourselves. We're especially drawn to the wooden panel aesthetic, but due to local building codes, we can't use actual wood materials in front of or above the fireplace since they're flammable. Our fireplace is enclosed in fiber cement boards, and we want to use a ceramic panel that mimics wood for safety reasons. Here's a picture for reference: https://imgur.com/a/DGNodaK.
We've searched online and checked local stores specializing in tiles and ceramics, but no luck so far. I'm curious how others manage to achieve the wood look in their renovations, especially those beautiful Pinterest designs. Are people actually using real wood above their fireplaces and just ignoring the safety codes? Thanks for your help!
2 Answers
Check out stores like Floor and Decor! They have a ton of gorgeous tiles that look like various wood types. My wife and I found one that had something to do with 'whiskey barrel', and it looked stunning! Using tiles means you won't run into future issues with your local codes. Just be sure to plan it out properly to avoid any headaches later!
It really depends on your fireplace type! If you have a gas fireplace, I wouldn’t be surprised if many people are bending the rules a bit regarding building codes. However, if it's a traditional wood-burning fireplace, that can be quite dangerous to use real wood without proper precautions. Just be cautious with those aesthetics!
Yeah, ours is a wooden fireplace too, and I share your concern about safety.
That sounds awesome! We did spot some ceramic tiles that mimic wood, but we’re really hoping for longer sections without joints. Any tips on proper layout?