You can absolutely use tiles around the back and sides of your wood burner – and we also want to show you some inspiration on how to liven up your wood burner with fireplace tiles!

The logistics of tiles around a fireplace

We recommend using porcelain tiles, which are very heat resistant. Most wood burning stoves have insulation blocks in the back and sides to minimise the heat escaping, and there should also be a minimum of 150mm (6 inches) around the back and the side of the stove for ventilation. So the heat coming into contact with the tiles, shouldn’t be too great.

Also, a heat resistant tile adhesive such as the Palace Heat Resistant Adhesive should be applied onto a good solid surface. If for any reason the inner walls of the chimney are not in a good enough condition (e.g. crumbling or uneven), we’d advise that Calcium Silicate Heat resistant boards would be a good solution to give you a suitable surface to tile onto.

Which tiles look best behind a wood burner or fireplace?

If you’re installing a wood burner or stove in your living area, and you’d like to use tiles as a backdrop surrounding it, then we recommend choosing porcelain tiles, which are heat resistant. But there are so many porcelain tiles to choose from – so which would look best?

If you love keeping up with the latest interior design trends, then one thing we’ve spotted at-home styling shows lately is textured surfaces. It’s all about injecting a textured look into your interiors these days, which helps to add a more interesting, characterful, eye-catching finish. So our advice? Introduce textured tiles and finishes to your fireplace. Fires and wood burners tend to give off a warm glow, which would really help to accentuate the texture on your tiles; casting shadows, and highlighting certain sections.

Above: Chatham Carbon Brick Tiles

Our top five picks to amplify your fireplace:

Craqueline Glaze Tiles

These glazed tiles are perfect for creating a vintage feel to warm up your fire place even further, and accentuate timeless style. Available in seven different colours we love ash for creating a subtle backdrop to reflect warm, crimson flames. 

Scintilla Tiles

Make a statement with these fun and charming tiles. Ideal for making any fireplace a feature, these textured star-patterned tiles add the contrast you’ve been waiting for to liven-up your late night TV surroundings!

Obra Mix Tiles

Further the natural in your home with these porcelain wood effect tiles. You can have the best of both worlds as practical porcelain collides with a textured feel – a tranquil haven for a fireplace in any room. Have them either behind your fire, or on the floor leading up to it – they’re versatile!

Osby™ Charcoal Patterned Tiles

The geometric interior trend is popular amongst interiors today, and we think this futuristic style is here to stay. Our Osby™ Charcoal tiles showcase how dynamic a geometric design can look across your fireplace, with a monochrome scheme complementing the room beautifully.

We hope that we have not only explained the practical to you – but that we have also inspired you to use texture and light to its advantage!

For more helpful answers, visit our Help Centre – it’s the ‘Wikipedia’ of tiling queries!

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