Hearth extension repair done right in Stoneybrook East

Firewood and kindling kept on the hearth

The hearth extension looks like a natural place to stack logs and kindling. Fireplace manuals warn against placing clothing and other flammable materials on or near the appliance, and a pile of dry wood beside the opening falls into that category.

Wood kept on the extension also chips its edges and scratches its finish. We suggest keeping the protected area clear, with a rack set back from the hearth, and we repair any tiles the stacking has broken.

Telling soot stains from real cracks

Soot and ash settle into fine surface lines, and a dirty hearth can look cracked when it is only stained. The reverse also happens, with grime hiding an open crack or a hollow tile.

We clean a test area before judging the hearth, then tap and check the finish. You get a repair list for real damage and simple cleaning advice for the marks that wash away.

• Test area cleaned first
• Tiles tapped and checked
• Real damage on the repair list
• Cleaning advice for marks that wash away

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

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