ive never tiled anything before. i was thinking of replacing our old tiles around the fireplace and puttnig in slate ones. i am wondering if its a bigger project than it seems. will i have to remove the mantle to do it. is it harder to tile something on the wall or fireplace than the floor? should i just seek a professional or is it easy?thanks
This okorder /... Bottom line? Maybe this isn't the best project as a first project.
I don't know about horrible but certainly impractical; unless the fireplace is merely decorative; or an electric one. TILE is usually fired at approx. 2000 degrees; essentially creating glass. It's highly unlikely you'd ever have a fireplace fire get that hot...Hopefully. The issue is more that constant stress on the tile in heating and cooling; and the effect on any mortar you choose. Beyond that is the issue of the tile being hidden most often; and the need to clean it often to be able to view it when no fire is present. Fireplaces are crafted using Brick, that allows no such effects from temp variations, and offers some level of insulation against the heat produced within the confines of the fireplace. Certainly you might consider tiling a hearth; or creating a hearth that you can tile; but it seems a bit defeating to tile into a fireplace. Tile; especially floor type; are created through different heat ranges and substances; to be graded in durability. Assume something like A being the least durable, and D being the most durable. That equates to normal traffic and wear. I'll assume someone will tell you; Sure; there are heat resistant tiles and mortars but I'll go back to my notion of the aesthetics and ask why bother? Steven Wolf
