I have a 20 inch hearth extension in front of my came with the built-in masonry fireplace. The insert I've chosen is the VC Merrimack which extends about 7.5 inches into the extension. That puts me about 3.5 inches over the 16 inches I need for clearance. I'd like to add to my existing extension rather than tear out the old and replace. Is it reasonable to add another 4 inches of appropriate materials in front of my existing extension? I expect I can remove the carpeting, add the right amount of materials, and then cover it with either more white marble or some matching tile but not sure if that will suffice--please help. Thanks.
Hearth Extension depth
- Thread starter jlau
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
Where does the front of the door or the glass fall in that calculation?
That's where the 16" is from. NOT the front of the insert.
The thing you have to worry about is at the seam between
your existing marble & what you add to it, to get the extension
to be at the 16" requirement from the glass.
That will be the area where a hot ember can potentially get to the subfloor.
You will need Micore under your extension material, but you will need to
ensure that the gap is non-existent. You may have to see if you can get a thin
"Spark-Strip" of metal under the old & the new. They are generally 4" wide,
with 2" under the material on each side of the seam. More under each side will be better,
but less may not meet code.
That's where the 16" is from. NOT the front of the insert.
The thing you have to worry about is at the seam between
your existing marble & what you add to it, to get the extension
to be at the 16" requirement from the glass.
That will be the area where a hot ember can potentially get to the subfloor.
You will need Micore under your extension material, but you will need to
ensure that the gap is non-existent. You may have to see if you can get a thin
"Spark-Strip" of metal under the old & the new. They are generally 4" wide,
with 2" under the material on each side of the seam. More under each side will be better,
but less may not meet code.
There is a bit of overhang on the top so let's say the distance from the glass to the edge of the extension is 13 inches which I means I'll need to add at least 3 inches to the front.
Thanks, Bob--I expect I'll know more when I pull up the carpet but I should be able to add the spark strip to ensure no gap and then place the Durock or hardibacker cover and then put marble or another layer on top of that--is that sound right? Will I need to cut the subfloor as well or can I place these materials on top of the plywood subfloor?
One more question--how is the 20" marble extension most likely attached to the existing concrete base? Will getting that removed be a huge issue for me? Seems if that can be easily detached from the base then I can either replace it with a deeper slab or even move the new 5" extension marble piece inside next to the wall rather than on the edge, where the seam will be covered mostly by the insert. Is it too much to expect that the existing marble extension will be easy to remove without damage? Thanks.
- Status
Similar threads
