Tile question

[TomTom21]

Hello everyone

I'm about to have a stove installed (a Charnwood C-Five) and I'd like to tile the walls of the new inglenook that will be created to house it. However, I'm feeling confused as I am getting some mixed advice about how to do this.The stove installer has said that this should be fine, but that I should check with the tile supplier that the tiles are suitable for a fireplace. I went to my local tile shop, where the owner said that he wouldn't recommend using any wall tiles - but that contradicts advice that I have read online (including here). To complicate matters further, the tiles I like are small porcelain tiles that are held together in larger pieces on a flexible mesh, that will be hidden when grouted. Does anyone have any experience of using these types of tiles behind and around a stove?

Many thanks

Tom

 

[bholler]

do you have proper clearances to combustibles with out the tile? If so you can use what ever you like it shouldn't matter. If not you need to space the concrete backer off the wall 1" with noncombustible spacers and leave a 1" space at the top and bottom and then it would matter a little more but still most any tile will work. Not sure about the mesh backer that might be a problem i am not sure on that.

 

[TomTom21]

do you have proper clearances to combustibles with out the tile? If so you can use what ever you like it shouldn't matter. If not you need to space the concrete backer off the wall 1" with noncombustible spacers and leave a 1" space at the top and bottom and then it would matter a little more but still most any tile will work. Not sure about the mesh backer that might be a problem i am not sure on that.

Yes we should have the proper clearances. That was my reading of other threads on here. However, the mesh does complicate things and isn't an issue that I've seen referred to elsewhere.

 

[bholler]

If you have the right clearances that mesh wont matter at all use what ever tile you want.

 

[NVHunter]

So to clarify it for the op and myself, if you meet the minimum clearances without the tile and mesh installed, and then cross into the minimum clearance range with the tiles and mesh once installed are you still ok since they're non combustible?

 

[DougA]

Generally, wall tiles are lighter and thinner than floor tiles, so I can see why the salesman would say that if he thinks they will be getting hot. Since you meet clearances, either will work IMHO. Porcelain is a stronger tile than many others and can withstand freezing without cracking, so my guess is that it can withstand heat better than some tiles also.

 

[Cynnergy]

I think the mesh on those mosaic tiles is made of fiberglass. If so, it shouldn't get hot enough to cause a problem.