Loose tiles and cracked hearths fixed in Goldenrod

A crack that runs across several tiles

A crack that jumps from tile to tile in a straight or stepped line usually follows something underneath, such as a crack in the slab, a joint between two pours or a change in support. Tile seldom breaks in a line on its own.

We trace that line to its source before choosing a repair. Replacing the tiles along it without dealing with the base produces a neat hearth that shows the same line again later. The estimate explains what we found and what each option addresses.

• A crack in the slab below
• A joint between two concrete pours
• A change in support under the hearth
• Movement at the firebox seam

Telling soot stains from real cracks

Soot and ash settle into fine surface lines, and a dirty hearth can look cracked when it is only stained. The reverse also happens, with grime hiding an open crack or a hollow tile.

We clean a test area before judging the hearth, then tap and check the finish. You get a repair list for real damage and simple cleaning advice for the marks that wash away.

• Test area cleaned first
• Tiles tapped and checked
• Real damage on the repair list
• Cleaning advice for marks that wash away

Broken corner pieces on a hearth

Corners and the ends of edge pieces take hard knocks, and they are often the first parts of a hearth to break. A broken corner can expose the setting bed and let ash and moisture into the joint.

We cut out the broken piece cleanly and replace it with a matching corner or edge unit. Where the old profile is no longer made, we suggest a replacement shape for both corners so the hearth stays symmetrical.

How heat reaches the floor through a hearth

Heat moves through solid material, so a thin or cracked hearth passes more of it toward whatever lies below. The code's thickness rules and some manuals' insulating layers exist to slow that path.

When we find scorched or darkened material at the edge of a hearth opening, we treat it as a sign that heat has been getting through. The repair restores the thickness and the layers before the finish is replaced.

• Thickness restored
• Insulating layers rebuilt where a manual calls for them
• Finish replaced last