Fireplace Makeover
 

I recently completed a fireplace makeover project for one of my customers and thought it might be helpful to others considering such a project to see how I did it.

http://s487.photobucket.com/albums/r...ce%20Makeover/

If you click on each photo, a larger version will come up with a short description at the bottom.

The customer wanted granite slabs for the hearth & surround, an oak mantel and drywall overmantel. The existing fireplace & raised hearth was brick with floor to ceiling chimney.

Beautiful work Dan. Looks a heck of a lot nicer than it did.

One question though. Is that cast stone trim for the mantel and on the sides? It looks like it was applied over the granite tiles...How did you do that?

Are you asking about the stone around the firebox itself? Those 3 pieces are also slabs of Black Galaxy granite. I cut 3 identical pieces of HardiBacker and screwed them to the firring channel around the firebox. Then I set the stone slabs onto that with modified thinset. I did this the day after I set the hearth slab, so the added weight of the surround pieces wouldn't push the hearth slab down.

The unfinished pics show that better. The finished ones are after I cleaned and painted the inside of the firebox and the surround is difficult to see.

I meant the white surround moulding and the mantle. Assuming its some sort of cast material? Wood can't be that close to the firebox and I'm always looking for a good solution to that problem.

Actually, that is wood trim. The pieces came with the mantel kit that the customer wanted. Code here states that wood has to be at least 8" from the firebox opening and they are 8.25" away. As I said, it's hard to see in the finished pics, but there are 3 9" wide granite slabs for the header and legs of the surround.

Gotcha. Funny how codes differ depending on which code is being used. Here the mantle has to be 12" above the firebox opening and the wood on the sides can only project 1/8" for every inch away from the firebox opening between 6" and 12", meaning that something 9" away from the firebox can only project 3/8".

Very nice job, thanks for posting it. :thumbsup:

That's awesome... I was wondering how one would attach sheet rock to a fireplace! I have a fireplace that was painted horribly and needs a little TLC!

Justin,

If your local codes allow it, use wood firring strips. I had to use the metal firring channel you see in my pics. A good solution and easy to attach to the brick as long as you have a hammer drill and tapcons. The only issue I had was trying to find the stuff. I wound up having to order it from a specialty building supply company (Allied).

If you wind up doing it, feel free to PM or email me with any questions.

Will do. We have a kitchen and bathroom remodel to start and finish first, so it might be a while before we get to the fireplace.

I'm intimately familiary with the tapcons, having installed pine flooring over my slab. I think I went through about a case of those things!

Beautiful work and I'll keep the firring strips in mind when we get to the fireplace!

Thanks!

Hi Dan, nice work. I am about to start a simliar project. I am pulling out a wood burning insert fireplace and replacing it with a direct vent gas unit. I am going to drop the unit down to the floor instead of it sitting on a raised hearth. I too will be using black granite for a surround. Two questions....1) The floor is concrete slab. Can I put the Granite hearth directly on the concrete slab or should I put down plywood or microboard and then put the granote on top of that? What type of adhesive should I use to attach the Granite? 2) I couldnt tell from the pictures, what type of edge was on the granite slab used for the hearth? Thanks.

Dan: That's a very classy installation.
And in case you're still wondering, the reason that it's still too short is because you have only cut it three times. The rule clearly states it must be cut four times. KCTermite told me so.
Bet I catch it for THAT.

Very nice, gives me some ideas if I can convince the wife to let me cover up our brick. Looks great!

Nice job. Looks great!:thumbsup:

Nice installation
Is that for a fireplace - wood stove?
Or do they have gas heat

I'm redoing my fireplace
I was originally going to do beige tiles on the facade & the hearth
Then I changed to just the facade & go with a dark hearth
After seeing yours its exactly the look I want
Thanks

Dan,
Great job.:thumbup: What did you use to clean and paint the inside of the firebox? Thanks for your time.