brick hearth build and one inch air space ?s

[Elle]

Hi all. Floor is going to be done on wednesday then I start building the hearth and air space. I have a few questions that maybe you can point me in the right direction.....

1. building the brick hearth. I've laid brick before (go ahead and laugh) so I'm familiar with doing that but I just can't wrap my head around how to do it on the floor. I"m guessing I will build a frame of sorts, then put a layer of mortar down and sort of lay it like tile? I guess leaving about a 1/2 space beside each brick to fill in with mortar. So will I need to clamp it all together or anything to have a better bonding? I have some strap clamps or whatever they are called that I got for some picture frames so I can clamp it all together for a few days, but I'm not sure if that is the right thing to do. I've searched you tube and didn't really find anything that I thought was useful. Thoughts?

2. The air space. I'm guessing that I will build this one inch air space after I build the hearth and let the bottom open an inch or so (above the hearth) and then the top open at the wall. I was going to build the air space before the hearth, but I think the hearth should come first then I can measure for the air space off of that.

So any thoughts, advice, direction, lemme at it!

thanks

 

[mywaynow]

I used metal stud track to create an open space behind the hardiboard on the wall. Very simple and easy to work with. Like you said, gaps at top and bottom.

 

[webby3650]

There would be no reason to strap the bricks together. Just imagine its a brick wall on its side. Bed the bricks in mortar and then tuck point between them, just be careful not to get it all over the face of the bricks. If the mortar is mixed right, they'll bind together just fine.
So what's with the air gap? Are you putting an old stove?

 

[begreen]

For a strong bond, first I would put a layer of 1/2" cement board (like Durock NexGen or Wonderboard) down, then mortar the back of the brick with a (1/4?) notched trowel. The stove is a new Oslo. Sounds like Elle is going for max clearance reduction. (Don't forget the Jotul rear heat shield for the stove.)

 

[tekguy]

I have seen gaps between the bottom row of bricks for the air flow

 

[begreen]

The easiest way to create the air gap is to use 1/2 cement board. Just snap off some 3' x 3" strips. Double up the strips on each stud, then attach the cement board backer with long screws, 1" off the brick hearth, to these firring strips.

 

[Elle]

So what's with the air gap? Are you putting an old stove?

no, just trying to be extra/overly careful. The house is very old, well over 100 years. I took the lathe out so there isn't much in the walls to burn, but why not put the air space. I think it will look nice to break up the brick wall anyway....a high relief sort of thing.

thanks for the other info...

 

[Elle]

I have seen gaps between the bottom row of bricks for the air flow

well...it is brick facing going on the wall... I guess I know what my house looks like, but I forget you guys don't lol. The wall will have brick facing so the durok is already on that (brick facing is in next years budget) so the air space will be an inch out from the wall proper, but I guess I pictured the hearth as blocking that if it goes right back to the wall...which is why I guess I will put the air space an inch sort of on top of the hearth.

I'll take pics while I'm doing it...then it will all come together

 

[tekguy]

well...it is brick facing going on the wall... I guess I know what my house looks like, but I forget you guys don't lol. The wall will have brick facing so the durok is already on that (brick facing is in next years budget) so the air space will be an inch out from the wall proper, but I guess I pictured the hearth as blocking that if it goes right back to the wall...which is why I guess I will put the air space an inch sort of on top of the hearth.

I'll take pics while I'm doing it...then it will all come together

i meant for airflow, if you dont want to see a gap on the sides of hearth -brick sides in, then on bottom row of bricks mortar is left out between some of the bricks to get airflow through space, so air can flow out bottom and top -not usre what actually code is but i have seen a couple hearths like this

if any of that makes sense

 

[begreen]

To meet NFPA spec I think the gap needs to be between 1 and 3 inches.

 

[Elle]

i meant for airflow, if you dont want to see a gap on the sides of hearth -brick sides in, then on bottom row of bricks mortar is left out between some of the bricks to get airflow through space, so air can flow out bottom and top -not usre what actually code is but i have seen a couple hearths like this

if any of that makes sense

AH....gotcha.