Before I could fit this, I needed to raise the base of the fireplace so that the tile could be fitted flush with the hearth.
The surface of the hearth sits about 60mm from the floor so, allowing for the 9mm tile plus a few mm for tile adhesive, I cut some 44mm battens. These were nailed to a length of spare T&G board and positioned in the base of the chimney breast.
Next, I poured and levelled concrete between the battens.
Once this had set, the battens were extracted...
...and the channels filled with concrete.
The hearth itself has some chips along the front edge, some of which were probably caused when it was levered out of position in its previous home.
Having considered a range of options, I decided to try some Milliput. This is a two part, self coloured epoxy putty which resembles modelling clay. Equal amounts are kneaded together for a few minutes and can then be applied to the damaged area. Adding water helps with malleability and adhesion.
This was left to set overnight...
...then trimmed back with a sharp knife blade and polished with cutting paste. Not perfect but much better than it was.
The cast iron fireplace components were starting to show signs of corrosion so Jacqui has cleaned them up using Brasso and black grate polish.
Good as new.
To save having to paint round the fireplace, the chimney breast was painted before fitting.
Now that the paint and the concrete base are dry, the hearth can be fitted. As this is not going to be a functional fireplace, the hearth needs only tacking in place using a few dabs of grab adhesive to hold it in position.
We got the second sample tile for the dining room fireplace...
...and these have been cut to size ready for laying.
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