Local hearth repair for Bithlo homes

The insulating layer some manuals require

Some factory-built fireplace manuals ask for more than a noncombustible surface. One maker specifies a layer of noncombustible, inorganic material with a stated thermal conductivity under the finish, and shows how to work out the thickness needed from the rating of the material chosen.

That layer is easy to lose in a remodel because it hides under the tile. When we replace the finish on a hearth like this, we confirm what the manual requires underneath and rebuild the layers in order, so the new surface keeps the protection the original design had.

• A noncombustible, inorganic insulating layer
• Thickness worked out from its rating
• The finish laid over it in order

Replacing one cracked tile on a sound hearth

A single cracked tile over a solid base is the simplest hearth repair. The tile is cut out without disturbing its neighbors, the old setting bed is scraped back, and a replacement is set flush and grouted to match.

Everything depends on that base being sound. Before promising a one-tile repair, we check the tiles around it and the base under it. If the crack came from movement below, a new tile would only crack again, and we tell you that before you pay for it.

Hearth repairs for rental properties

Owners and managers of rental homes often see a hearth only between tenants. By then a small crack may have grown, and a new tenant is due to move in.

We work to a clear written scope that separates safety items from cosmetic ones, so owners can decide what must be done now and what can wait. Access arranged through a manager works well, as long as someone can confirm the scope before work starts.

When the firebox floor needs work too

Cracked firebrick in the floor of the firebox, loose units at the back of the opening or open joints in the firebox walls often appear alongside hearth damage.

Those items belong with firebox repair and are written as their own lines. Doing both in one visit can save time, and keeping them separate on the estimate lets you see what each part of the fireplace needs.

• Cracked firebrick in the firebox floor
• Loose units at the back of the opening
• Open joints in the firebox walls