Hearth extension repair done right in Killarney

Missing or crumbling grout on a tiled hearth

Grout locks tiles together and keeps ash and debris out of the bed. Once it cracks and falls out, tiles move independently, edges chip and the hollow spots spread.

If the tiles are still firmly set, the fix is to rake out the damaged grout and regrout with a product suited to the location, matched to the existing color as closely as practical. If tiles are loose too, we reset those first. You see the difference between the two scopes in writing.

• Damaged grout raked out
• Loose tiles reset first
• Grout color matched as closely as practical
• Sealer applied where the material calls for it

A hearth rug is an extra layer on top of the hearth

Fire-resistant hearth rugs sit on a hearth or on the floor in front of it. They catch ash and small sparks, yet the code's size rule is written for the hearth extension itself, built of noncombustible material on noncombustible support.

If a rug is covering a short or damaged extension, we recommend repairing the extension and treating the rug as an extra. We point out, too, when a rug is hiding cracks that belong on the repair list.

Damage that only shows once the finish is off

Some hearth problems stay hidden until the tile comes up, such as a cracked slab, an old patch, wood left under the base or a void where support has washed out.

We tell you before starting which findings would change the job, and we stop to show you if one appears. Nothing is added to the work without your approval, and the revised scope and price are written down first.

• A cracked slab under sound tile
• An old patch in the base
• Wood left under the hearth
• A void where support washed out

Why a flush hearth needs its full extension

A fireplace whose firebox floor sits at the height of the room floor has nothing to stop a rolling log or a spray of embers. The hearth extension in front of it is the only barrier between the fire and the floor.

That is why the code keeps the full thickness rule for flush fireplaces, and why we measure their extensions closely. If a flush hearth is short or thin, we treat it as a priority item on the estimate.