Tiling a hearth preparation and black quarry tiles. - Tile Advice

[Gazebo]

Hi All.

Been a while since I have posted on here and i trust you are all keeping well.

I have been procrastinating over getting my wood burner installed as I need to sort the hearth out 1st. The wife has now stopped dropping hints and is actually making threats if i dont get it sorted before xmas.

My existing chimney breast is exposed brick and we are keeping this as is.
The hearth is currently cemented about 20mm below floorboard height.
I want to tile it with black quarry tiles about 6inch square or thereabouts, my questions are.


How do i raise the hearth ready for tiling ? as i dont want to tile it flush to the floorboards I it to be raised about 70mm from its present level. that way I can tile the floor and the facing edges. (when the room is carpeted the hearth floor should stand proud by about 50mm)


Where do i get black quarry tiles this size.?

Is there a border tile with a bull nose? or do you just butt join the tiles and grout with dark grey grout(black even)


I was intending on making a simple shuttering then filling with self levelling compound.


then tiling with a spf ...


Any thoughts or even pictures would be greatly appreciated.


Gary

 

[afright]

Hi,I would use sand & cement with fire cement added rather than slc I do not know if they still make black quarry,s anymore maybe someone on here might know you can get black from Original Style but don't know if they do RE or REX's.

 

[Gazebo]

many thanks for your reply. if i use sand and cement surely the drying time is extended before tiling.

there must be someone who does black quarry tiles

 

[afright]

You can use rapid cement but not to much as it does set pretty quick for a small area I don't think you can worry about drying times,I know there was a problem with the quarry companys I've heard that they have stopped making them someone might have more info about this, there must be a company that still makes them have not used quarry's for a long time now that's why I go for original style.

 

[Gazebo]

You seem to be the only person willing to help with my questions and I thank you for that A. G. Fright.

Do you mean use rapid set cement/fire cement to raise the hearth up 70mm..


Once again thank you.

 

[afright]

Yes you can buy it in powder form from any builder merchants mix it with normal cement I would use a sharp sand mix.To be honest if it was me doing the hearth I would put a cement slurry over the sharp sand mix and bed the tiles into the slurry this gives you a better solid job

 

[jlktiling]

Dorset Wooliscroft (from Original Style) do a Black quarry effect tile, with both re and rex.

 

[davediy]

more years ago than i care to remember i built a hearth to go under a parkray solid fuel stove in our lounge. i used mahogany 50mm by 20mm to make a surround and to use as shuttering and filled it with an ordinary concrete mix to just below the top allowing room for recessed unglazed quarry tiles. i buffed up the tiles with a mixture of meths and linseed oil. the main point is we lived in that house for 12 years and had no problem with the hearth cracking or lifting. you could just do a similar job and either remove the shuttering or go to a good wood merchant and get a few bits of dark timber to suit your black tiles. i probably used water pva glue spread over the original floor level screed to help the concrete bond but to be honest i don't remember if i did or not

 

[afright]

more years ago than i care to remember i built a hearth to go under a parkray solid fuel stove in our lounge. i used mahogany 50mm by 20mm to make a surround and to use as shuttering and filled it with an ordinary concrete mix to just below the top allowing room for recessed unglazed quarry tiles. i buffed up the tiles with a mixture of meths and linseed oil. the main point is we lived in that house for 12 years and had no problem with the hearth cracking or lifting. you could just do a similar job and either remove the shuttering or go to a good wood merchant and get a few bits of dark timber to suit your black tiles. i probably used water pva glue spread over the original floor level screed to help the concrete bond but to be honest i don't remember if i did or not

No do not use pva that stuff is rubbish, use SBR

 

[Gazebo]

No do not use pva that stuff is rubbish, use SBR

Thanks for your advice guys...

dont worry theres no place for PVA in my van.


No place for much in my van to be honest (another job to get sorted)