Well, everything is pretty much done with the kitchen remodel, although I have not been very good at keeping you up to date on the progress. In fact I have not written anything about the project since July. So today I thought I would show you how the new hearth was made even though it was installed well before Thanksgiving.
It all began by laying out the design on a sheet of 3/4″ plywood. It is by no means square because we want the hearth to take up as little floor space as possible while still offering the protection and clearances required by codes. It will not only protect the floor from the heat of the stove, but will also have a place to stack firewood and keep it off the floor.
laying out the design
I forgot to take a picture of the next step which was gluing and screwing cement board to the top of the plywood. This will assure the tile mortar will adhere well to the plywood and will also give more stability to the base. In the next picture I have turned the base upside, applied spray-on adhesive and am now gluing down a layer of felt. This is done so that when I take the hearth inside and lay it on our newly refinished floor, it will not scratch the finish.
gluing on the felt
Here the base is ready to be turned right side up and hauled into the living room.
finished base
We were very fortunate in that my driver at the Fire Department had a tile saw that he allowed us to borrow for as long as we needed it. This saved us a lot in renting or buying one. I have done tile work in the past using a “score all” and breaking the tiles but having the proper tools makes the job much more enjoyable and I didn’t ruin any tiles either. This saw was awesome!
cutting tile
The base has been put into place and we trial fit all the tiles, labeled each as to their position and then removed them. Also, in this picture you can see the cement board that was attached earlier. Paper has been taped over the floor to protect it during this process. The mortar has been mixed and is now being spread with a 3/8″ notched trowel. Each tile will be back buttered with a thin coat of mortar to ensure strong adhesion.
mortaring
All the tiles are now in place. You can see that I used plastic spacers to ensure a uniform look. I used a rubber mallet to tap each tile to ensure it is bedded.
taking shape
At this point we let it set for 24 hours to let the mortar set before grouting. It is mixed just like the mortar and spread with a rubber trowel. Paying special attention to fill up all the grout lines. Excess is wiped off and then allowed to set before buffing any film off the tiles.
spreading grout
In finishing the hearth, edge tiles were cut and set into place. I then used a diamond bit to cut into the porcelain tile and set this heart shaped rock I had picked up several years ago. I think it gives the project the perfect personal touch!
I sure do love that girl!
Everything was allowed to set for a week and then Matthew and I set the stove into place. It was stripped of all removable parts to reduce weight and rolled onto the hearth on a piano dolly. We then were able to lift it straight up while Janis removed the dolly.
Setting the stove
All the panels were replaced, the piping hooked up and we are back in the wood burning business. There is nothing quite like the warmth of a good wood stove. Backing up to a heat register or baseboard heater just doesn’t have the same allure!
Finished Hearth
The tile used in this project is the same tile we used for a back-splash on the kitchen counters as well as behind the range tying everything together.
Well the kitchen remodel is finished and the new hearth installed. Janis an I are now in the process of refinishing our dining room table and chairs to match the new cabinets. It’s all turning out great! I’ll post a finished picture when the table is done to let you see how the new room looks, maybe a before and after picture to show the transformation.
Allen
