Fireplace or Floor First?

amihohu

Hi all,

We are looking at getting one of our fireplaces opened up and a log burner fitted. We are also fitting engineered wood floor (it's a concrete floor base). The problem we are having is that the floor fitter is saying the fireplace needs to be in first and the fireplace people are saying the floor needs to be in first..... does anyone have any experience/advise?! Thanks!

smcqis

floor to be done first, as you dont want your floor just to end at the hearth but infact go under it.

edwink

Hi

We have had 2 log burners fitted and both times the fire went in first.

If you are going to open up an old fireplace there maybe be a fair amount of soot left up the chimney. Imagine having your nice new floor down and having to deal with this soot. If you are not having a flue liner you will need to sweep the chimney before lighting the stove anyway. If you are having a flue liner if the chimney is not swept first there will be a fair amount of soot coming down whilst the lining is being fitted. Hope that makes sense.

Once the stove is fitted and the hearth etc.. the floor fitter will be able to cut the floor in accordingly around the hearth.

Definitely stove in first.

Edwink

amihohu

Hi both,

Thanks for the replies, this is the problem, we do seem to be getting conflicting advise! I would hate to think that our brand new expensive wood floor gets damaged by the fireplace masonry work, but it seems like we may be waiting a long time for the fireplace. Wooden floor needs an expansion gap, so I'm guessing there would need to be some sort of edging around the hearth that would allow for this, but I suppose if the floor goes under it, this isn't a problem. However, I don't know if you can even put combustible material under a hearth? I suppose there must be some sort of regulations about the depth.

saverbuyer

Fireplace first.


I'm in the process of doing this myself. I raised the granite hearth so the solid wooden floor can fit under.

rustyboy21

I sell Fireplaces and fires and You fit the Fireplace FIRST.

Get your installer to raise the hearth up just enough to slide the flooring underneath just a bit and leave a little room for the flooring to expand and contract without it being noticed.

The hearth should be on a slabbed base, but if the hearth is back filled first, then the enigineer wil only need to dot and dab cement to level it up. Just make sure he also makes it level with the chamber part of the hearth.

The flooring can then be installed slightly under it and if necessary you can use some mitred edging strips to make it look a bit neater and to cover any slight gap.

If the flooring is installed first, you have the risk of moisture getting into it and spreading from the cement used to bed the base in, you also do not get a good level base for the hearth to sit on.

Been doing it this way for over 20 yeras and no issues. You will also not have the trauma of worrying that the floor getting knackered during the fire fit.

phill99

Fireplace first

kilroy

amihohu wrote: »

Hi all,

We are looking at getting one of our fireplaces opened up and a log burner fitted. We are also fitting engineered wood floor (it's a concrete floor base). The problem we are having is that the floor fitter is saying the fireplace needs to be in first and the fireplace people are saying the floor needs to be in first..... does anyone have any experience/advise?! Thanks!

Thank you for posting this thread. I had the same situation and I was perplexed about choosing whether the floor or the stove first. I didn't know much about this stuff and had to follow the floor fitter to go first. It ended up in an great mess. I should have heard my fireplace installer, Stylish fireplace. I then had to fit an electric fireplace so as not to waste the room space.

It is always the fireplace first.

woodbutcher_2

Definitely fireplace first. Did one for my nephew last year, which meant taking up his laminate flooring, building his fireplace and hearth, then refitting the laminate around said hearth, finished off with a trim for the expansion gap in the flooring. Can't think why they are saying different.

mttylad

Nah, fit the floor first - it will look great covered in dents from dropped stones, black soot marks that get into the joints et all