Cracked hearths repaired and rebuilt in South Apopka

Adding a border to reach the required size

A hearth extension that falls a few inches short can sometimes be brought up to size with a border of matching or contrasting material, built on the same kind of noncombustible support as the rest of the extension.

The border has to be part of the hearth, set in place and supported, and thick enough for the rule that applies to your fireplace. A strip of tile glued onto the wood floor is decoration only. We draw the border on the estimate with its dimensions so you can picture it before approving.

Where the hearth meets the finished floor

The edge between a hearth extension and the room's floor takes traffic and shows every mismatch in height. A new finish that is thicker or thinner than the old one changes that edge.

We plan the transition before ordering material, choosing a flush edge, a small bevel or a trim piece suited to the materials on each side. The goal is an edge that does not catch toes or collect ash, and a clear line where the protected area ends.

• A flush edge
• A small bevel
• A trim piece suited to both materials

Waiting before the first fire after a repair

Setting beds, mortar and grout need time to cure before they meet heat. Each product's maker publishes its own curing directions, and a fire lit too soon can crack fresh work.

We tell you when the fireplace can be used again, based on the materials used, and write it on your invoice. If you need the fireplace by a certain date, mention it at booking so the schedule leaves room for the cure.

• Setting bed cure
• Grout cure
• Sealer cure on natural stone
• The date written on your invoice

Checking hearth support from below

In houses with access under the floor, the support under a hearth can be seen from below, including the masonry or concrete that carries it and the framing around it. That view often explains a crack faster than any amount of looking from above.

Where access exists, we look before opening the hearth. Where it does not, we open the smallest area that will answer the question, and we tell you in advance how that opening will be closed.