Hearth repair in Wadeview Park

Setting materials that belong near a fireplace

Where a noncombustible facing overlaps the front of a factory-built fireplace, one maker's manual calls for noncombustible mortar or adhesive only. The same thinking guides our choice of setting materials around a hearth, where the bed under the tile should suit the heat it will see.

Construction adhesive from a hardware aisle is a poor fit here. We use setting and grouting products suited to the location, follow their makers' curing directions and tell you when the fireplace can be used again.

Finding tile that matches an older hearth

The hardest part of many hearth repairs is the match. Tile lines are discontinued, glazes change and even the same product shifts shade between batches.

We start by asking whether spare tiles were left from the original job, since leftovers in an attic or garage often solve the problem. Without them, we show you the closest available options, or suggest a deliberate contrast such as a border that makes the repair look planned.

• Leftover tiles from the original job
• The closest tile available today
• A planned border or contrast band
• A full new finish when nothing fits

Hot ashes and the hearth finish

Ash shoveled out of the firebox can hold hot cinders after the fire looks finished. One maker's manual has owners carry ashes out in a lidded metal container that closes tightly, and set it down on the ground or a noncombustible floor, far from anything that can burn.

A bucket on the hearth sits on a noncombustible surface, though its heat can still mark some finishes. If an ash container has left rings or cracks, we include those tiles in the repair and suggest a spot for the bucket that the finish can take.

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.