Hearth repair specialists for Kirkman South fireplaces

Keeping a hearth extension from sliding

A hearth built as a panel or from loose units on top of the floor can creep away from the fireplace over time. One maker's instructions call for a means to prevent the hearth extension from shifting, together with the sealed gap at the fireplace front.

Movement shows up as a widening joint at the firebox edge or a finish sitting off square. We find what lets it move, secure it and reset the edge so the extension stays tight against the fireplace.

Hearths on concrete slabs and on framed floors

A hearth resting on a concrete slab and one resting on a framed floor fail in different ways. On a slab, cracks tend to follow the concrete beneath. On a framed floor, deflection and damp in the framing are the usual suspects.

We identify which you have at the start, since it changes what the repair must include. Where a framed floor is involved, access from below, when the house has it, helps us judge the support without opening more of the hearth than necessary.

• On a slab, cracks follow the concrete
• On a framed floor, deflection and damp
• Access from below where the house has it

Fire tools and grates that chip the hearth

Pokers, shovels and log grabbers get dropped. A heavy grate slid across the opening drags on the edge where the firebox floor meets the extension. Over a few seasons those small impacts add up to chipped glaze and cracked edge pieces.

We repair the damaged pieces and suggest simple changes, such as a tool stand placed off the edge and a pad under the log carrier, that keep the new finish looking new.

Hearth tiles that have shifted out of line

Tiles that have slid, tilted or opened their joints show movement in the bed or the base. A hearth whose grout lines have wandered is telling you the tiles are no longer held firmly.

We check whether the movement is old and stable or still happening. Stable shifts can be reset during a finish repair. Active movement is traced to its cause first, because resetting tiles over a moving base only straightens them for a while.