How Do You Tile A Fireplace Surround?
You can create a beautiful fireplace surround with tile without it being too costly and without being an expert. GETTING STARTED: If this is a new install you will want cut backerboard to fit and install with thinset mortar and self-tapping masonry screws. You can tape and finish joints with fiberglass tape and joint compound. If you are covering a brick surface, make sure the brick is cleaned thoroughly and flatten high spots with a rubbing stone. Spread a thin coat of heat-resistant mortar of the bricks. Level with a 2X4 set against 1/2″ screed boards tacked into the mortar joints on both sides of the fireplace opening. Let the skim coat dry and use it as a base for the tiles. MAKE A DIMENSIONAL DRAWING: Measure the surface to be tiled and graph it out on graph paper. Experiment with your designs and then draw your final design to scale. Include grout joints. This is where you can make adjustments so that you won’t have narrow tile pieces along the edges. If this happens adjust your
