Loose tiles and cracked hearths fixed in Summerlake

When the front edge of the hearth drops

A hearth extension whose front edge has sunk below the floor, or tipped away from the fireplace, has lost support somewhere. The finish often cracks along the line where the slab bends.

Our specialists check whether the drop is still moving, how far it reaches and what carries the slab. Depending on the answer, the fix may be to re-support and reset the existing extension or to remove it and build a new one on proper noncombustible support.

• Whether the drop is still moving
• How far along the edge it runs
• What carries the slab underneath
• Whether re-support or a rebuild fits

Permits for hearth work

Whether hearth work needs a permit depends on the scope and on the building department that covers the address. Replacing a few tiles is one thing, and rebuilding an extension or changing its size can be another.

We check the requirement for your address when the scope calls for it and build any permit step into the plan. You know before work starts whether a building department inspection is part of the job.

What a written hearth estimate should list

A useful hearth estimate reads like a plan. It names the fireplace type, the opening size and the extension size, then separates finish work from any base or support work.

Ours also lists removal and disposal, protection of the room, setting materials, edges and transitions, and when the fireplace can be used again. With upfront pricing on each line, you can compare options and approve exactly the work you want.

• Fireplace type and opening size
• Extension size against the rule that applies
• Finish work and base work as separate lines
• Date the fireplace can be used again

Damage that only shows once the finish is off

Some hearth problems stay hidden until the tile comes up, such as a cracked slab, an old patch, wood left under the base or a void where support has washed out.

We tell you before starting which findings would change the job, and we stop to show you if one appears. Nothing is added to the work without your approval, and the revised scope and price are written down first.

• A cracked slab under sound tile
• An old patch in the base
• Wood left under the hearth
• A void where support washed out