Cracked hearths repaired and rebuilt in Lake Richmond

Listed hearth extensions and floor protectors

Section R1004.2 also names a product standard. Listed and labeled hearth extensions shall comply with UL 1618, the standard that covers wall protectors, floor protectors and hearth extensions. A listed hearth product carries a label naming what it was tested for.

If your hearth is a manufactured pad, we look for that label before recommending a repair or replacement. A decorative mat sold for hearth use without that listing is a different product, and the estimate says so plainly.

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

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

Choosing between a patch and a rebuild

A patch is quick and keeps most of the existing hearth. A rebuild takes longer and costs more, and it resets the base, the size and the finish together.

The right choice depends on what failed. We put both options side by side when both are reasonable, with what each one fixes and what each one leaves as it is. You decide with the facts on paper.

• What each option fixes
• What each option leaves as it is
• How long each one takes
• How each will look when finished