Pellet stove concrete hearth pad.. gonna make my own

[jeff5347]

Hey all its been since the winter i have posted and fall is upon us. So i have the pellet stove downstairs and will be moving it up to the living area soon as i did not like how it didnt get the heat upstairs. So in placing it upstairs i need a pad and wife and i decided to make our own. I have looked at countless stuff on a pad with tile and cement board but i think the cheapest way to go is to make a concrete slab. It will be 41x48 in and thats where i had some questions. Looking to build this myself so i dont know t omuch on how to work with concrete. We want to put some stones in the mix to give it a nice look and possibly have the concrete stained to get a warm look. I cant find anything on building one yourself just on cement board and tiles. Has anyone done a concrete slab and have any pointers before i begin the job.

Oh it will be housing a heatilator ps 50.

 

[CTguy9230]

a 4 by 4 slab of concrete is gonna have some weight to it....might wanna make sure you have something solid underneath the floor

 

[BaldAssCat]

I’ve used concrete boards and put brick on top. I built it in place since it would be really hard to move.

 

[begreen]

The cheapest way to go would be just a sheet of metal. It only needs ember protection in the form of a non-combustible surface. But it wouldn't cost much to lay down some inexpensive tile on some cement board. And that might be more attractive to the other half if there is one.

 

[MCPO]

I don`t think you are going to get much support for the poured concrete idea. It`s way too heavy and definitely overkill.

 

[Murphy118]

Concrete is a wonderous material, my counters in my half way done kitchen remodel will probably be made out of it. But a slab the size you suggest @ 2 in. thick would weigh about 342 pounds, (150 # / cubic foot ), so take that into consideration before you start the project.
I made my hearth (corner one as well) out of some 2/6's I had laying around, some durock, tile left over from foyer, and about a weekends worth of time. I will post pics when Iget home.
Simply frame the lumber to your dimensions, (I had to take into account 2 baseboard heaters that were in the way), then U-Tube or Google "tile installation" and you should be in business! It's really a lot easier than it looks, and after it's done and your sitting in front of the fire, you get to say "I made that" (which is what I say every time one of my kids does something good!)
Any questions, feel free to msg me.



John

 

[midfielder]

I made one out of a scrap of 3/4" cdx ply and applied oak nosing to match our floors - no cement board; didn't see any reason for that. I used left over 12" tiles from our sun porch project. It's a triangle with cut corners. I take our stove out in the summer so it's nice to be able to just pick the board up and put it in the barn.

 

[jeff5347]

that was the other idea. make a 2x4 frame with a plywood bottom. Plywood top with concrete board on top of that and then tile it. Would be around 5-6 inches tall. i think alot more attractive but wanna try to kepp the cost down.

 

[Drivr]

a concrete slab that size unless you make it 4+ inches thick it will probably crack if you try to move it, and if you only make it 2 inches thick its going to weigh close to 350 pounds

 

[TheMightyMoe]

That much concrete = permanent.

I would do the 2x4 or 2x6 frame, cover it with ply wood / crete board, then glue down your pebbles, and grout them.

My pad with tile was 91$ home made. The only difference between that and yours would be the cost of 2-3 2x4s and some plywood, screws, and 10$ worth of tile.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/p68-install-beginning-to-end.88896/#post-1155984

If you go the pebble route, your going to need a couple bags of grout, you will lay down adhesive, and set the pebbles into the adhesive, then grout them. A lot of work, especially if the pebbles are all over the place dimension wise.

You can also get a pebble mosiac http://pebbletilemosaics.com/ but thats about 10$ a SQ FT, which will make your hearth around 200-300$.

-Moe

 

[Don2222]

Hello

I have a design that I like to use for hearths. It uses 2x6s with a slot for LED rope light.
Here are a few pics
http://www.pelletstovemaster.com/1_20_Custom-Hearths.html

 

[jeff5347]

Could I use tile on top of the plywood. Just plywood, tile and grout. So maybe a inch tall total. It would be big enough for ember protection but the stove doest get hot on the bottom so I think tile would be enough for heat protection.

 

[Don2222]

Could I use tile on top of the plywood. Just plywood, tile and grout. So maybe a inch tall total. It would be big enough for ember protection but the stove doest get hot on the bottom so I think tile would be enough for heat protection.

Most recomendations are for fire proof material under the tile. Skimping on the codes can get you in trouble with inspectors and getting house insurance. I like the cement board because not only do the tiles stick better but the cement board does not flex so the tiles will not move and break. It is better to do it once and do it right.

Did you see my pics in the link above? I use 3/4" plywood and 1/2" wonderboard with hard porcalin tiles on top.
This hearth does not block the baseboard heat which is still intended for backup or long winter vacations.

 

[TheMightyMoe]

You COULD, what does your manual say for minimum fire protection? I would say use the concrete board over plywood, it's only 14$ for a piece.

I didnt even use plywood on mine, just concrete board. The downside to this is, if you want to move it, you will need to slide plywood under the hearth or the grout will crack when you move it.

 

[Don2222]

You COULD, what does your manual say for minimum fire protection? I would say use the concrete board over plywood, it's only 14$ for a piece.

I didnt even use plywood on mine, just concrete board. The downside to this is, if you want to move it, you will need to slide plywood under the hearth or the grout will crack when you move it.

Good Point Mighty Moe! There is a solid reason for each layer!

 

[midfielder]

My stove calls for 6" underneath (a little less than the leg height) to combustibles, and a layer of non-combustible between stove and floor. That could be sheet metal, etc. I think tile will do it...

 

[doublewide]

I made mine out of concrete 1 1/2 inch thick. Dyed concrete with a polyurethane finish. It looks really nice. I used masonite to make a form and two strong friends to carry it into the basement. I have some videos on youtube of my stove burning and you may be able to see the hearth in the background. Search youtube under doublewide6

 

[tjnamtiw]

A buddy of mine made one of concrete too. He made the form out of 2 x 4's and greased them for easy removal. He then got a bag of small colored rocks and spread them in the form first. Then he poured the concrete along with some rebar for strength. Once it was dry, he turned it over and voila! Kind of like a pineapple upside down cake. He also took a polisher to it and really shined it up with decreasing grits.