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Installing
hardwood moldings
around fireplace hearths has never been an
attractive solution for covering up those gaps.
Unfortunately inexperienced installers will
handle it this way, either because they do not
know of other solutions or don't care to handle
it any other way.
Scribing Around To Fit?
You may find some
suggestions on scribing, or cutting and fitting
each plank next to a hearth. This can be a very
time
 consuming job that often calls for cutting
many pieces two and three times to get the
perfect fit. Getting up and
down walking back
and forth to the saw can be a back breaker too.
Often upon completion the areas are still not
gap free; requiring some matching caulk to
finish off.
What's The Best Method?
Undercutting the hearth
will be the most appealing way of handling this
area, proving there is enough to
undercut.
Our picture example shows the method being done
with an undercut saw. These saws are used more
for cutting door casings. An alternate diamond
tipped blade can be purchased that will cut
through some of the hardest rock, marble, and
stone while handling brick the easiest.
The tool itself can be
adjusted easily for any thickness flooring.
Methods for using this tool calls for two cuts
into the hearth. One at the finished vertical
height of the floor so the flooring will slide
under, and the other flush with the subfloor.
Once both cuts are made, carefully chisel out the
area that has been cut. After the flooring is
installed it will provide the best appearance
possible. Doing this kind of work can be very
dusty unless you have someone along with a
vacuum hose in front of the cutting area. Some
of the more up to date undercut saws have a dust
attachment port.
Other Methods. Picture
Framed Hearth
Picture framed hearths
work best with floors that are fastened to the
subfloor; nail downs or glued floors. For
best results the picture frame should be
installed before the installation work nears the
area.
Our example to the right
shows a tiled hearth shown with a control chalk
line that designates where the top of the
picture frame will end. For glue down floors
your groove should be facing out, preventing
excess scooping of glue when the installation
continues from this area into the rest of the
layout. Nail down floors would
have the tongue facing out. Chalk line markings
will have to reflect the added tongue, otherwise
it will hide under the hardwood. Tongue will
have to be removed so it fits flush with the
hearth on a glued installation.
Some hearths will not be
square and will require some adjustments with
your mitered corners. This may also
throw off some of the angles once you begin to
work backwards or handle the fill area.
For either type of installation you want to keep
everything tied together by tongue and
grove. Otherwise over time, the area may begin
to squeak when stepped on. This is more common
with solid nailed floors rather than glued.
However, keeping them tied together will allow
the same vertical flush visual.
While we prefer not to top
nail any boards, you may be thinking how can I
avoid it if I'm nailing this floor down? Using a
pneumatic nail gun you can nail into the groove
when anchoring the first row that lays against
the top border, making sure it is set well and
does not interfere with the next pieces fitting
tight. Professionals have also been known to
squeeze construction adhesive through a caulking
gun.
Picture framed material
can be pin nailed or set into a construction
adhesive. Mitered corners should be
milled with a groove so a spline can be
inserted. This will help prevent potential
squeaking as mentioned above. Splines may also
be needed to connect the other angles of the
picture frame to finish the fill area.
Planning Ahead. Before
the Fireplace Is Built
For newer homes being
built, simple communication with the builder and
stone or brick mason before can also provide
great results. If they know what thickness the
flooring will be, they can offset the face of
the hearth so the flooring can slide under. |
