Your fireplace hearth, repaired and measured in South Lake Conway Villa

A crack through a single stone hearth slab

A one-piece stone hearth can crack from a point load, a dropped log or movement under the slab. Once it cracks, the two pieces may stay flush or begin to rock against each other.

A tight crack in a well-supported slab can often be filled and left in place. A crack with movement means the slab has to be lifted and re-bedded, or replaced if the break left pieces too small to trust. We explain the choice with the slab in front of us.

• A tight, stable crack filled in place
• A moving crack lifted and re-bedded
• A badly broken slab replaced

Keeping a good base under a new surface

Not every hearth replacement needs demolition to the floor. When the concrete or masonry base is sound, thick enough and properly supported, the finish can be removed and renewed on top of it.

We confirm the base before promising that shortcut, because a new finish cannot fix what lies under it. Saving a good base usually shortens the job and reduces dust, and the estimate shows it as its own step.

• Base checked for soundness
• Thickness confirmed
• Support confirmed
• Finish renewed on top

Removing old hearth tile without harming the fireplace

Breaking out a hearth finish next to a fireplace face and a finished floor takes care. Heavy blows travel into the firebox and surround, and a slipped chisel can mark flooring you want to keep.

We cut relief lines at the edges first, remove the finish in small pieces and work away from the parts that stay. If something unexpected turns up under the finish, we stop and show you before the scope changes.

What the free hearth inspection covers

The free inspection is a real look at the hearth. We tap the finish, measure the opening and the extension, check the edges and the seam at the firebox, and look at the base wherever damage has already opened it.

You get the findings in plain words and a written estimate with upfront pricing. There is no charge for the visit, and you take 10% off if you book the repair within 72 hours after it.

• Finish tapped for hollow spots
• Opening and extension measured
• Edges and the firebox seam checked
• Base looked at where damage allows