Here is my post from a year ago:
"I recently asked for help in finding an affordable (36†x 45†minimum, R= 0.8 or greater) hearth pad, aka hearth board. My dealer had tiled ones for $539 and up. He also said his cheapest was a black metal-covered one for $150.
After a lot of online searching, the cheapest one I could find was $208 plus $150 shipping, with a 2-3 week wait. Then my wife suggested I call a local Richmond Ace Hardware dealer (Pleasants, an old-line family-owned store). They had two sizes in stock, but both were too small and neither gave an “R†rating.
I took down the name of the manufacturer and called them (a Canadian company, Imperial Group). Seems as though they have a complete line of various sizes and three finishes, all very reasonably priced and all with an R rating of 1.08, sold with the “Imperial†label. They supply many stove dealers as well as Lowes, Ace Hardware, True Value, and Tractor Supply. I checked online and found a nearby Lowes with 4 in stock in the size I need. Because this is a seasonal item for Lowes, they were all clearance priced at $43 (instead of the normal $57).
The major breakthrough I had: when looking online, searches for “hearth pads†or “hearth boards†will bring up premium products with premium prices. The way to find budget-priced items is to search for “stove boardsâ€.
Oh, by the way, the Canadian company said they ship to my stove dealer as well. That means the product he was going to charge me $150 for, I bought on clearance at Lowe’s for $43!"
The reason I reposted this is that upon getting my stove board home, I noticed that printed on the insulating material on the back was "Micore". Apparently, the stove board is a sheet of Micore covered with thin black sheet metal on the top and sides. If you need Micore, check your Imperial Group dealer to verify that "Micore" is printed on the back. The boards are available in different dimensions and can be layered to increase the "r-value".
"I recently asked for help in finding an affordable (36†x 45†minimum, R= 0.8 or greater) hearth pad, aka hearth board. My dealer had tiled ones for $539 and up. He also said his cheapest was a black metal-covered one for $150.
After a lot of online searching, the cheapest one I could find was $208 plus $150 shipping, with a 2-3 week wait. Then my wife suggested I call a local Richmond Ace Hardware dealer (Pleasants, an old-line family-owned store). They had two sizes in stock, but both were too small and neither gave an “R†rating.
I took down the name of the manufacturer and called them (a Canadian company, Imperial Group). Seems as though they have a complete line of various sizes and three finishes, all very reasonably priced and all with an R rating of 1.08, sold with the “Imperial†label. They supply many stove dealers as well as Lowes, Ace Hardware, True Value, and Tractor Supply. I checked online and found a nearby Lowes with 4 in stock in the size I need. Because this is a seasonal item for Lowes, they were all clearance priced at $43 (instead of the normal $57).
The major breakthrough I had: when looking online, searches for “hearth pads†or “hearth boards†will bring up premium products with premium prices. The way to find budget-priced items is to search for “stove boardsâ€.
Oh, by the way, the Canadian company said they ship to my stove dealer as well. That means the product he was going to charge me $150 for, I bought on clearance at Lowe’s for $43!"
The reason I reposted this is that upon getting my stove board home, I noticed that printed on the insulating material on the back was "Micore". Apparently, the stove board is a sheet of Micore covered with thin black sheet metal on the top and sides. If you need Micore, check your Imperial Group dealer to verify that "Micore" is printed on the back. The boards are available in different dimensions and can be layered to increase the "r-value".
