Your fireplace hearth, repaired and measured in Crown Point

Trim and mantels close to the opening

Hearth work often brings the surround into view. Another exception in section R1001.11 lets combustible mantels or trim sit on a masonry fireplace front only 6 inches or more from the opening, and inside the first 12 inches each inch of distance allows just 1/8 inch of projection.

Mantel rebuilding sits outside a hearth repair, yet we point out trim that sits closer than those numbers so you can decide how to handle it while the room is already under work.

Hearths in front of factory-built fireplaces follow the listing

A factory-built fireplace plays by different rules. Section R1004.2 says its hearth extension is installed in accordance with the listing of the fireplace, so the manual that came with the unit sets the size and the materials.

One maker's wood-burning model, for example, calls for an extension reaching at least 20 inches in front of the opening and 12 inches beyond each side, and another model can differ. We find the model on its rating plate before measuring, so the repair follows the right document.

• Model found on the rating plate
• Manual read for hearth size and layers
• Repair matched to that document

Where the hearth meets the finished floor

The edge between a hearth extension and the room's floor takes traffic and shows every mismatch in height. A new finish that is thicker or thinner than the old one changes that edge.

We plan the transition before ordering material, choosing a flush edge, a small bevel or a trim piece suited to the materials on each side. The goal is an edge that does not catch toes or collect ash, and a clear line where the protected area ends.

• A flush edge
• A small bevel
• A trim piece suited to both materials

Refreshing a dated hearth without rebuilding it

Some hearths are structurally fine and simply look tired, with stained grout, dull tile or a color that clashes with a new floor. Refreshing the surface can be a smaller job than homeowners expect.

Depending on the finish, the options include deep cleaning, regrouting, replacing a band of tiles or renewing the finish on the existing base. Any change stays noncombustible and within the extension's required size, and the estimate says so.

• Deep cleaning
• Regrouting
• A band of new tile
• A renewed finish on the existing base