DIY Brick Hearths

Brick hearths are a traditional and practical way to protect your floor underneath a woodstove. Hearths are important part of any woodstove installation because they protect your floor from excessive heat and stray embers that may fall out of the stove. Select reclaimed bricks that have a varied appearance. The varied appearance of the old bricks will add warmth and character to the hearth. This hearth measures 32-by-32-inches, but you can modify the dimensions to your needs.

Things You'll Need

• 32-by-32-inch fiber cement board panel
• Coated deck screws
• Screw gun
• Heavy duty construction adhesive
• Caulk gun
• 2 quarter round molding sections, 96 inches long
• Tape measure
• Miter saw
• Hammer
• Finish nails
• Wood finish
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Place the fiber cement board panel flat on the floor in the selected location for your hearth. Drive coated deck screws through the panel into the floor in rows spaced 4 to 6 inches apart using a screw gun. Use coated screws because they will be more durable and long lasting than standard screws, which is particularly important in flooring and hearths.

2. Cut off the tip from the heavy duty construction adhesive with the built-in cutter on the caulk gun. Puncture the seal inside the tip with the puncture tool on the caulk gun. Insert the construction adhesive tip first into the caulk gun.

3. Apply a bead of caulk along the 4-by-8-inch bottom side of each brick with the caulk gun and press each brick in place on the surface of cement board panel. Lay the bricks in eight rows of four so that they fit perfectly on the 32-by-32-inch cement board panel. Apply construction adhesive to the sides and ends of the bricks where they adjoin in addition to the bottoms of the brick. Allow the adhesive to dry for 24 hours.

4. Lay the quarter round molding sections flat on a work surface with the back sides facing up. Measure and mark the molding into four 32-inch measurements using a tape measure and pencil. Quarter round molding is a wooden trim molding. The profile of the molding is shaped like one-quarter of a circle. The 90-degree angled back edge of the molding allows it to conceal seams and provide a decorative rounded edge on the front side.

5. Adjust the miter saw to cut a 45-degree angle. Lay each molding length on the table of a miter saw and cut the ends at a 45-degree angle so that the long point is on the front sides of the molding. The back sides of the molding lengths will measure 32 inches. This will allow the molding to fit around the base of the hearth like a picture frame.

6. Fit the cut molding lengths around the four sides of the hearth assembly at the base. Hammer finish nails through the front face of the quarter round molding every 4 to 6 inches to secure each molding to the hearth assembly.

7. Apply two even coats of wood finish to the quarter round molding using a paintbrush. Allow the wood finish to dry four hours between coats.

Tips & Warnings

• Select reclaimed bricks to add warmth and character to the hearth.

• Wear eye protection when operating power tools to help prevent injury.

References

• Hearth.com Articles: Installing a Woodstove
• Liquid Nails: Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive