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.
Finding a tile that matches
A matching tile is not always an invisible repair. Tile made in different batches can vary in color, and the tiles around it have years of wear and cleaning behind them. Even the same product can look different once set in grout under your room's light. Discontinued tiles are common on older hearths, and a close substitute is sometimes the only choice.
Spare tiles from the original installation are the best starting point, so tell us if any are stored in a garage or closet. If no close match exists, we explain the options, from a deliberate accent piece to replacing the whole surface, each with its own written price.
Where the hearth ends and the firebox begins
The firebox floor, lined with firebrick in many masonry fireplaces, is part of the firebox, and it is repaired as firebox work with materials made for direct flame. The hearth extension starts at the front of the opening and runs into the room.
Damage often crosses that line, for example a cracked extension that continues into the firebox floor. One visit can look at both, and the quote shows which parts are hearth repair and which are firebox repair, each priced on its own line. Seeing the two together also helps with the finish, since the line where the firebox floor meets the extension needs a clean, stable edge.
Crumbling grout between hearth tiles
Grout holds tiles in line and keeps water and debris out of the bed underneath. When it cracks, powders or falls out, the tile edges start to chip and moisture from mopping or spills can reach the setting bed.
Where the tiles are still held firmly in their bed, the old grout can be raked out and replaced without lifting the tiles. Where tiles sound hollow as well, regrouting alone will not hold, and those tiles are reset first. We tap every tile before recommending a regrout, so the repair lasts as long as the new grout does. The new grout is matched to the old as closely as the product range allows, and any visible difference is explained before the work starts.
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.
