Your fireplace hearth, repaired and measured in MetroWest

When the whole hearth finish should be replaced

Replacing the whole finish makes sense when many tiles are hollow, the matching tile is gone, or the extension has to grow to meet the size rule anyway. It also gives a chance to rebuild any layers the original job left out.

Full replacement is a bigger scope and a bigger visual change, so we only suggest it with a reason. The estimate lists removal, base preparation, the new finish, the edges and trim, and any flooring that has to be adjusted around the new extension.

• Removal and disposal
• Base preparation or rebuild
• New finish and setting materials
• Edges, trim and floor transitions

Hearths that are used as a seat or a step

A raised hearth often doubles as a seat, or as a step up to the mantel shelf. That use puts concentrated weight on the edge, which is exactly where thin tops and unsupported corners crack.

The residential code expects hearths to be reinforced to carry their own weight and all imposed loads. When we rebuild a hearth the family sits on, we plan the support for that use and tell you what the finished edge is built to take.

Checking the thickness of an existing hearth

Thickness is hard to see once a hearth is finished. A chipped edge, a removed tile or a small test opening shows what lies below the surface and how deep the solid material goes.

We check depth where damage has already opened the surface before cutting anything new. The measurement goes into the estimate beside the code minimum for your fireplace, so the recommendation rests on what is actually there.

• Depth checked at existing damage
• Compared with the code minimum
• Result written into the estimate

How visible a hearth repair will be

Every repair on an older hearth shows a little. New tile is cleaner, new grout is brighter and replacement stone rarely carries the exact same veining.

We tell you before the work how visible the repair is likely to be, and offer options when you want it less noticeable, such as a wider replacement or a planned contrast. There are no surprises when the drop cloths come up.

• New tile looks cleaner
• Fresh grout looks brighter
• Stone veining seldom repeats
• A wider replacement or a planned contrast as options