Hearth Is Done............Mostly

Here it is y'all. Go ahead and pick it apart.........but be gentle I still need to get the baseboard cut and fit either side of it, and I also plan on "casing" around the wall section of the hearth. The dogs love it because the tile is cool

Considering it's the first time I've ever attempted tiling and grouting; overall, I'm quite pleased with the results. Now I need to get a Bud here to get the stove in place so I can start in on the ceiling support etc. Not looking forward to that with how hot this summer has been Here's the pix......

Hearth looks great, nice mounts.

Looks great Dorkweed. The taxidermy work really adds to it. Congratulations.

looks great, whats going to happen to the overgrown jackalope mount in the middle, will that need to go?

That's actually a caribou I killed in Alaska back in the late '90's. Gotta get back up there for sure!! Yeah, it'll have to be moved............don't know where yet though!!

Thanks guys..........you too Fossil!!

Sure does - those Labs look so lifelike!

Seriuosly, congrats on ther fine job and cool pups!

Those dogs know what's coming

Nice work...and the dogs agree and are already jockeying for position...

I was going to ask what the clearance reqs are to Jackalope antlers.

That's too funny...I have them also...seems as tho alot of people don't believe in them!

"I have them also"
You should see someone about getting them removed. Might get painful as you enter old age.

Great job Dork your hearth looks professional! My hearth was my 1st effort too and lots of research and advice here it went pretty well.. Look forward to seeing your stove and pipe all together on your new hearth!

Ray

Looks good . . . the dogs look they are as eager for the stove to go in as you are.

Looks really good dork weed ! Any idea how much weight it will hold ? Mine is similar but without the back I ended up putting supports under the floor but then my house is really old.

Pete

I like that you laid it out to have full tiles on the left and right sides, good work.

You say that as if it's a bad thing! I just pulled 420 six-pound bricks out of my fireplace, along with 27 thirty-five pound concrete blocks on which the old insert sat. That's about 3500 lb., by my rough reconing. I'd like to see what that weight piled into 15 sq.ft. of floor space would do to any new house!

PP, I have no idea the maximum weight it could hold. IMHO, the total weight of the hearth itself isn't that much......maybe 300lbs. I framed out 2x4's around 12" on center............essentially there's a 2x4 under each grout joint coming outward from the wall. Over that went 1/2" plywood, then a 1" layer of micore and on top of that a 1/2" layer of durock next gen. Then the mortar, tile and grout.

2x4's are fairly light as well as the 1/2 plywood and micore. Most of the weight from the hearth itself comes from the durock, tile, mortar and grout. The porcelain tiles weigh in at 34lbs. per 11 tiles. The 2x4's of the hearth run perpendicular to the floor joists, so there's plenty of support. I believe I'm on 4 of them.

The stove that I'm installing only goes about 300lbs. (Englander 13NC) so I think my house framing can handle it. Built in 1975. The weight will be spread over the entire hearth..........unlike a refrigerator or water heater that concentrates weight in a small area! I'm keeping the pedestal base on the stove also, so that weight isn't concentrated on only 4 small points.

Those dogs are just trying to figure out where they will be laying at, near the fire place. In about 4 or 5 months from now.