Laying a hearth onto tiles

NeverTooLate

We have had porcelain tiles laid on our lounge floor. Unfortunately the builder has laid the tiles right into the fireplace area. We're going to install a log burner in the fireplace with a slate hearth.

Will the tiles have to be taken up in the fireplace in order to lay the hearth, or can the hearth go straight on top of the tiles?

grumbler

Is the hearth really needed or purely decorative?

NeverTooLate

grumbler said:

Is the hearth really needed or purely decorative?

I had assumed that a log burner couldn't go directly onto porcelain tiles - perhaps that's a wrong assumption?

But that aside, it would look better with a different material raised up for the hearth.

grumbler

NeverTooLate said:

I had assumed that a log burner couldn't go directly onto porcelain tiles - perhaps that's a wrong assumption?

IMO, it was, but I am no expert.

But that aside, it would look better with a different material raised up for the hearth.

Well, if you want raised (personally, I wouldn't), then I don't see any problems with placing it on the tiles.

Mickey666

Check the HETAS guidelines for wood burner installations.  There are specific dimensions and clearances for hearths as well as other considerations (ventilation etc).  I can't imagine any particular problems with fitting a lump of slate on top of existing tiles, but I'd take advice from your chosen stove installer before buying anything, just to be sure it meets the requirements.

NeverTooLate

I guess what I'm really asking is whether you can just put cement (or whatever you'd use for fixing the slate) straight on top of the tiles. Would any special prep be required?

In the money saving spirit, it might be better to get builder to take up the tiles now if it's going to cause further expense down the line with the hearth installation? (Builder nearing completion on work, need to get this done now if it's necessary)

Mickey666 said:

Check the HETAS guidelines for wood burner installations.  There are specific dimensions and clearances for hearths as well as other considerations (ventilation etc).  I can't imagine any particular problems with fitting a lump of slate on top of existing tiles, but I'd take advice from your chosen stove installer before buying anything, just to be sure it meets the requirements.

The installer did the flue and advised on opening size, ventilation etc a few months ago before the tiling went in, he was happy with slate I'm planning.

FreeBear

NeverTooLate said: I had assumed that a log burner couldn't go directly onto porcelain tiles - perhaps that's a wrong assumption?

But that aside, it would look better with a different material raised up for the hearth.

Some stoves can go on to a 12mm non-combustible surface, others require a full 125mm+ constructional hearth. If your floor has been tiled, I'm guessing it is a solid concrete floor ?

If so, you wouldn't need a constructional hearth, just a change in surface where the hearth is.

Ideally, your slate hearth should have been installed first, and then the tiles laid. This would have allowed the tiler to arrange grout lines to line up with the hearth in an aesthetically pleasing manner and get nice even grout lines around the join. Sitting the slate on top of the tiles either means having a thick (and ugly) mortar joint visible, or a very thin mortar bed which may not be thick enough.

My personal preference would be to remove the tiles, bed the slate down, and then cut tiles to fit neatly round the hearth - This would hide the mortar bed under the slate. anything else, and the hearth would look like an afterthought.

NeverTooLate

Thanks all for your input - will talk to builder about getting tiles taken out.