Hello - I just joined this forum to ask opinions of those who know alot more than us on the subject of hearths. We have a 1929 house with a basement incinerator. We lined the chimney a year or so ago. It drafts very well so we are using a Harman insert and converting it to a proper fireplace. Because it's in the basement and because we have alot of other projects going on, we are going to just paint the brick facing and add a mantel for now. The problem is the hearth. We want to do a tiled granite or remnant granite slab but the insert, which weighs about 400 lbs, could scratch up the granite. How do you avoid this? Also, is granite able to handle the heat? Would slate be more durable than granite? Is there a beautiful stone that is thick enough and durable enough to handle not only the heat but the moving out of the hearth each year for chimney cleaning without getting all scratched up?