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Need carpentry advice, framing a fireplace hearth


feralfreak

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Well, depends on what you are wanting for the surface of the hearth....obviously it needs to be fireproof.....so let's say tile, or thin slate or other thin rock....if that is the case then anything you build will distribute the weight across the slightly springy floor and basically float...to be conservative frame it out of 2 x

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When we moved into our house, and removed the old wood burning fireplaces, the hearth was tile over concrete backer board, plywood, and 2x4s, I think that would still meet code today. It wasn't overly heavy, and had withstood 30+ years of use.

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It all depends on what you are covering it with. If it's a thin stone or thin brick veneer, then nearly anything decent will do; I'd rip 2X to thickness and lay that on top the floor about 12" OC then use 3/4" plywood or Advantek on top. If it's full brick or heavy stone then you may need to add some floor joist support under the existing floor system. Alternately, a number of layers of plywood, OSB, or Advantek would work too. Not a big hearth so not a big problem, but if it were mine I'd add at least some extra support under the existing floor regardless- in time it will sag at least slightly otherwise, and could sag more than slightly if the joists are at full-span now. Either leave about 1/8" space between the new framing and the FP or drop in a sheet of metal between them as untreated wood shouldn't tough masonry directly and treated wood isn't allowable inside the building's habitable envelope.

For the adhesion of the masonry I'd use expanded mesh sheet lath, either backed with roofing felt as bought or with that added as a 2 piece construction. Fasten with roofing nails or button head screws about 8" apart. Remember to deduct the masonry, it's mortar bed, and lath thickness from your framing size.

Bettypooh

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For tile advice go to the John Bridge Tile Forum- it's where the best tile Pro's hang out ;)

Before Houzz took over TOH the TOH advice forum was as good as advice on old houses got, but now they've de-linked that forum and installed their own inane forums full of people who don't have a clue about anything more complex than what paint colors are popular right now :o

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If it's a real wood fireplace, most codes call for 18" of noncombustible surface in front of the firebox.

One big concern is that you have the subfloor below sufficiently rigid that you're not going to crack the tiles or the grout (or pop the thinset).

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Personally, if the back 2x4 is solid and been there as long as I suspect I wouldn't worry about replacing it.

I have used and am a big fan of Ditra, but for this small area if you do the 12" on center as I and others have recommended with 3/4 ply on top and backer board (or the mesh also mentioned)

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I had a feeling something about the picture was off so i had my cuddly take a look, he said " bad! 2 scales, do again dummy! "*see pic with bear*, so i redid it, *see new drawing *, i added more detail on where the firebox is, added some measurements which i should have done before but I was too dumb and lazy

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toenail should do it, either way, use some construction adhesive under the "joists" and with the ply.....tiling instructions will say thinset between the backer board and the ply also...

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Okie dokie, i would have never thought of construction adhesive, that should take care of my concern about the bouncy floor in relation to the hearth, thoneet between the plywood and the cement board? Never occurred to me but do that, i want maximum strength

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