Hearth extension repair done right in Lake Hart

Setting materials that belong near a fireplace

Where a noncombustible facing overlaps the front of a factory-built fireplace, one maker's manual calls for noncombustible mortar or adhesive only. The same thinking guides our choice of setting materials around a hearth, where the bed under the tile should suit the heat it will see.

Construction adhesive from a hardware aisle is a poor fit here. We use setting and grouting products suited to the location, follow their makers' curing directions and tell you when the fireplace can be used again.

Protecting the room during hearth repair

Hearth work happens in the middle of a living space. Cutting tile and breaking out old setting beds makes dust, and heavy material has to cross your floors.

Our crew lays protection from the door to the fireplace, contains the work area and cleans up at the end of each visit. We tell you in advance which days will be noisy and dusty, so the household can plan around them.

• Floor protection from door to fireplace
• A contained work area
• Cleanup at the end of each visit
• Notice of the noisy and dusty days

Hearth finishes in metal or glass

Some modern hearths use sheet metal, glass tile or a solid glass panel set on a noncombustible base. They look clean and show scratches, chips and loose edges plainly.

Repairs start with identifying the product, since glass and metal finishes come in specific sizes and thicknesses. We confirm the base under them and replace damaged panels or tiles with matching material, sealed and edged to suit the fireplace.

• Product identified
• Base confirmed
• Damaged panels or tiles replaced to match
• Edges sealed and finished

Why the setting bed matters on a hearth

Under every tile is a bed that holds it, whether a mortar bed, a thin-set layer or an older adhesive. When that bed was thin, patchy or the wrong product, tiles let go even over a good base.

When we reset tiles, we remove the old bed down to a clean, sound surface and set each tile in full contact. Hollow spots under corners are what crack tiles later, and a full bed is what prevents them.

• Old bed removed to sound material
• Full contact under every tile
• Setting product suited to the location
• Curing directions followed