Fireplace Hearth Makeover

Tools

buckets (2)
floats (2)
pointed trowel
sponges
dry towels
gloves
wooden spoon
tile cutter
notched trowel
putty knife
hammer
pliers
nippers
tiles, adhesive and grout

Steps

1. Remove old hearth and surround. Use some sticks to create a temporary ledge for the horizontal tiles to rest on while working on the surround (figure A).

2. Instead of measuring, use spacers (figure B) to align tiles one-by-one and mark the grout lines as you go.

3. Always start in the corner. Place a spacer at the lower corner of the first corner tile, then have a friend hold the second tile in place while you mark grout lines with a pencil (figure C).

4. Proceed tile-by-tile until you reach the other end. Make sure the end tile lines up with the corner of the mantel. If it doesn't, decrease the size of the spacers (and thus the grout lines) so it fits.

5. Use nails to hold up tiles in the corners where they're beyond the edge of the temporary ledge (figure D). Pre-drill holes and tap nails into place.

6. Next use the putty knife to coat the entire surface with a moderate amount of tile mastic. Go over the mastic with the notched trowel to smooth it out (figure E).

7. Now it's time to start placing the tiles. Place spacers between each tile. If you need to narrow the gap to fit tiles, turn the spacers on their sides and insert (figure F).

8. Clean away any mastic that was accidentally smeared on the fireplace before it dries.

9. Now fit tiles down the left side of the fireplace (figure G). Leave a slight gap between the lower edge of the last tile and the hearth so the tile has room to expand.

10. Mark the cut line on the last piece of tile (figure H). Cut the tile to fit with the tile cutter (figure I). Make sure the cutting wheel of the cutter lines up with the mark on the tile. Rub the cut edges together a bit to polish off rough edges.

11. Apply mastic by working from the bottom up (figure J). Spread it evenly with the notched trowel then attach the tiles, spacing them evenly with the spacers. Also place spacers between the bottom tile and the floor (figure K).

12. Cover the hearth with tiles too if desired, following the same procedure.

13. Let the adhesive dry for at least 24 hours to prevent future cracking. Remove any nails that were used to prop up tiles, then go back in and fill in cracks with grout (figure L). Work from the top down, pressing grout deep into cracks.

14. Go back and wipe grout off tiles with damp sponges (figure M). Be careful not to remove any grout from the spaces between tiles.

15. Finish by polishing tiles with dry towels (figure N).

16. Lightly mist tiles and grout lines each day for about a week with a spray bottle filled with water and wipe down. This will help the grout to cure with no crack lines.