Travertine hearth

[karsmi]

Hello. Just find your site today and I'm hoping I can get some help or advice. Last weekend I decided that because we're painting and getting new carpet I should take a sledgehammer to the very outdated tile hearth in front of our fireplace and update it, too. I guess I should have thought it through beforehand, but, it's too late now. I've torn out the old hearth down to the plywood subfloor.

I've purchased a 60x22 remnant slab of travertine. It's beautiful and I'm really excited about it. My question is should I have the contractor install it or can a pretty handy DIY'er tackle it? What would a reasonable estimate be for installation if you think it's a job better left to the pros.

Thanks!

p.s. hubby says thanks, too.

 

[pen]

Is this just in front of the fireplace or will the fire be built upon it? If it is just for ember protection then you should be fine. How thick is this slab?

Welcome.

pen

 

[begreen]

Nice find. Is it green? We did a boat's head counters in travertine marble. They looked deadly.

Was the old hearth just set on the subfloor? How high was it? At the least I would want some insulation under the marble before setting it. 4 layers of cement board could be used. Or a layer of Micore, then cement board would be better.

 

[karsmi]

Thanks for the input already. It's a neutral cream color. We're getting carpeting that's multicolor and I didn't want it to compete with the hearth. The slab is 3/4" thick and will be for ember protection in front of the firebox. The old hearth had a cement and cement board base which I've already removed down to the plywood subfloor because the cement broke off in chunks when I removed the tile.

 

[pastera]

I did mine with 18" tiles - Yes you can do it. Travertine is going to need a very stable base, micor and two layers of cement board should do it unless the floor is bouncy. Use a heat resistance adhesive between the subfloor, micor and first layer of cement board and screw down with screws long enough to grab the floor joists. Thinset between cement board layers and screw again (6-8" grid).


https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/45240/

I need to grab a picture with the Hampton insert in place

 

[greythorn3]

tavertine is soft and really easy to work with, jus tbe carful because it has allot of air pockets in it that the factory fills in with a grout like filler and it makes it fairly weak, i agree on a LEVEL AND SUPPORTIVE base its installed on.

 

[madison]

tavertine is soft and really easy to work with, jus tbe carful because it has allot of air pockets in it that the factory fills in with a grout like filler and it makes it fairly weak, i agree on a LEVEL AND SUPPORTIVE base its installed on.

Just had a travertine floor put in our master bath, and they used an orange waffled membrane:: subfloor/radiant mat/ Shluter/travertine tile

http://www.schluter.com/3765.aspx may possibly help spread the stress, heat and physical, but I believe this may be for radiant heat stress, and not wood stove stress...

Just a thought.

 

[greythorn3]

deffinatly use a large notch trowel and backbutter them tavertine tiles as they usually dont fill the pockets on the rear of them, i love our tavertine kitchen floor we laid but it is allot fo maintanace filling all the filler holes that reappear int he high traffic areas each year. they do make a 2 part expoy filler for them, but i wouldnt use that on a hearth tile.