Fireplace hearths types

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A fireplace hearths is the beginning of the fireplace. It can be manufactured from many materials, each with its own drawbacks and benefits.

Prefab hearths

Prefab hearths will still need some work from your part because they are only the visible part of the hearth. You will need to construct the underside. Usually this part is made out of two layers, plywood and cement. Then you can install the top part. The hearth comes in many shapes, sizes and designs. You can buy marble, stone or wood hearth.

Constructing from scratch

This process is more complicated. The two bottom layers stay the same, you will also need to build the top of the hearth and fix it in a thin layer of cement. You can go shopping for ceramic tiles or marble tiles in any hardware store, and even go to a quarry and buy some stone tiles. You will need to make sure that the piece of stone has the exact measures as you will need for the top layer.

Granite

Granite is a very durable and nice looking material than can be perfect for a fireplace hearth. The main drawback is that it’s one of the most expensive materials.

Tile

The price usually depends a lot on the type of tiles that you use. Tiles have the most versatile appearance; tiles come in hundreds of colors and is nearly impossible not to find one that will suit your room. It is easy to work with but is very fragile.

Slate

Slates are very hard to work with as they are very fragile and it a slab looks great outside, it may easily crack if installed near a heat source. Buy slates only from hardware stores and buy the most resistant ones.

Bricks

One of the cheapest and most durable materials are the bricks. They give a nice look if your fireplace is made also from brick and it is not so hard to install.