How to Build a Hearth
The hearth is an integral part of your wood stove. It keeps the floor protected underneath the stove and acts as a decorative accent for the stove. Hearths can be made from stone, tile, slate or brick. Instead of purchasing a hearth for your wood stove, you can make your own. Use a stone tile for a rustic appearance that will complement styles ranging from traditional to modern. Make the hearth large enough so that you can place your stove tools and wood on it. This will keep your floor protected. The hearth in this project is 36-by-36-inches, but you can adjust the dimensions for your needs. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 3/4-inch plywood sheet, 36-by-36-inch
- 1/2-inch cement board panel, 36-by-36-inch
- Box, 7/8-inch coated screws
- Screw gun
- Thinset cement
- Notched trowel
- Stone tiles
- Tile spacers
- Grout
- Grout float
- Sponge
- Bucket, water
- 2 trim molding boards, 96 inches long
- Miter saw
- Tape measure
- Hammer
- Box, finish nails
- Nail set
- Wood putty ?Putty knife
- Sandpaper, fine-grit
- Wood finish
- Finish brush
- Protective goggles
- Protective face mask
Instructions
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1
Set the plywood down with one 36-by-36-inch side flat on a work surface. Lay the cement board down on top of the plywood. Make sure that the edges of the plywood and cement board are evenly aligned.
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2
Drive 5/8-inch coated screws through the cement board into the plywood in evenly spaced rows every 6 to 8 inches using a screw gun.
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3
Apply thinset cement to the top surface of the cement board using a notched trowel. Lay the stone tiles onto the thinset in rows starting on one edge of the cement board and working your way across. Insert tile spacers between the tile corners as you lay them down so that they will be spaced evenly. Allow the thinset cement to dry for 24 hours and pull the tile spacers out with your fingers.
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4
Add grout to the long edge of a grout float. Drag the grout float across the stone tile joints at a slight angle to fill them with grout. Continue in this manner until you grout all joints. Allow the grout to dry until a haze forms. The dry time will be approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
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5
Dampen a sponge in a bucket of water and wash the stone tiles off with a damp sponge. Rinse the sponge out and continue washing the surface of the stone tiles until the water wrung from the sponge is clean.
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6
Adjust the miter saw to cut a 45-degree angle. Lay one trim molding board flat on the table of the miter saw. Measure and mark the back side of the molding into two 36 inch long sections with a tape measure and pencil. Repeat this process for the second trim molding board.
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Cut the ends of each marked molding length using the miter saw so the measurement on the back side of the molding is 36 inches. The front side of the molding will be longer because it accommodates the long points of the 45-degree mitered cuts. The molding will fit around the edges of the stone tiled hearth like a picture frame.
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8
Place the four molding lengths around the edges of the stone tiled hearth. Hammer finish nails through the molding into the plywood every 4 to 6 inches along each length of molding. Center a nail set over the head of each nail and tap it with a hammer to set it approximately 1/16-inch below the surface of the molding.
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9
Fill each nail hole with wood putty. Use a putty knife to leave the surface of each filled hole slightly raised to allow for any shrinking as the putty dries. Allow the putty to dry for 24 hours and sand it flush with the molding using a fine-grit sanding pad.
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10
Apply a wood finish to the molding with a finish brush. Wait four hours and apply a second coat.
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Tips & Warnings
Use wood molding that matches your flooring or furniture to create a more custom-looking hearth.
Wear protective goggles and a face mask when making a hearth to prevent possible injury and avoid breathing particles released from sanding and other processes.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
