Our Services
Repairing tile, brick and stone hearths
Every hearth repair ends with a clean room, clear cure times and a written record of the work.
What the hearth extension is there to do
The extension keeps heat, sparks and rolling embers off the floor in front of the fire. For that reason, the code for masonry fireplaces requires a concrete or masonry extension on noncombustible supports, strong enough to carry its own weight and whatever is placed on it. It is also the place where a log that rolls forward lands, so it takes heat as well as foot traffic.
A repair has to keep all of that intact. A handsome new finish that sits on a weak or combustible base looks right and fails at the one job the extension exists for. We check the job before we talk about the finish.
When the existing extension falls short
Some hearths were built smaller than today's figures, and some were cut back when a floor was replaced. A short extension leaves flooring closer to the fire than the code intends for a masonry fireplace. It is easy to miss, because the hearth still looks finished and the floor still looks neat.
Repairing the surface and enlarging the extension are different jobs. We explain what enlarging would involve, how it would meet your floor and any approval an alteration of that kind needs, and we price it as its own option. You decide whether to do it now, with the repair, or plan it for later.
Repair or alteration
Replacing broken tiles with new ones on the same base is a repair. Changing the size, the thickness, the outline or the height of the hearth extension is an alteration of the fireplace, and it deserves more planning. The difference matters because an alteration has to meet the rules for the new size as well as match the old look.
Which one your project is gets settled first. For an alteration, we explain what it involves at the opening, how it meets the floor and whether any approval is needed for the work, before materials are ordered. Keeping the two apart in the quote also lets you compare prices fairly, since an alteration involves more work at the opening and at the floor.
Water stains around the hearth
Water that reaches the firebox during heavy rain can run forward onto the hearth, leaving stains, loosening tiles and softening grout. The hearth shows the damage, but the water comes from above. Staining that returns after every storm, or grout that stays dark long after the rain has stopped, is a sign the water is still arriving.
We repair the hearth once the source has been dealt with, since new tile over a wet base will fail. If water is still getting in, we tell you and arrange a separate chimney visit to trace it before the hearth repair is scheduled. The hearth base is checked for moisture before the new finish goes down.
