I've got a post going elsewhere about our hearth project, and found a lot in the archives that was helpful, but not finding much about this question. It's more about flooring than hearths, I suppose, but are there guidelines for putting an expansion gap for a hardwood floor around a hearth? And if so, and our hearth will be raised ~1/4-1/2 inch, what do you use to cover the expansion gap? All the moldings I've found so far are for a level hearth. Can I just use wall base molding or get some beveled wood crafted for our hearth, nail it to the hardwood floor? If we do that, of course, it seems like the whole reason for leaving an expansion gap just got negated because the molding would be flush with the tile and fixed to the hardwood (not subfloor)...somewhat confused about this. And very much a newbie to house repairs!
Also, if we elect to keep the hardwood flush with the hearth (concrete board and ceramic board, hopefully), can I chisel off the protruding shelf from the hardwood plank on one side of the hearth, or should I just put mortar on top of it and cross my fingers?
Also, if we elect to keep the hardwood flush with the hearth (concrete board and ceramic board, hopefully), can I chisel off the protruding shelf from the hardwood plank on one side of the hearth, or should I just put mortar on top of it and cross my fingers?