Checking In With Chelsea

DIY ideas, crafts, and tips for your home

subscribe and never miss a thing!

Receive Free Email Updates

  • About
  • Videos
  • Projects
    • Indoor Projects
    • Outdoor Projects
    • Craft Projects
  • House Tour
You are here: Home / Indoor Projects / My Achy Breaky Hearth

My Achy Breaky Hearth

February 26, 2016 By Chelsea Lipford Wolf 6 Comments

At the end of my last post about adding molding to my fireplace, I teased the re-tiling of my fireplace hearth. It took a while thanks to a few starts and stops, but I finally got the old tile removed and the shiny new tile in place. And I’m loving the more modern look of it!

white and gray marble herringbone tile fireplace hearth

Way back (5 years ago) when I bought this house, I never would have thought about retiling the fireplace. So I instead painted the tiles to freshen them up and match my decor a little better.

Now that I’m a little more knowledgable about the ins and outs of home improvement, it dawned on me I can lay new tile that I love instead of just tolerate. And I really, really wanted to remove the existing tile before laying the new tile so that the new tile would be nice and flush with the hardwood around it.

Easier said than done.

What I thought were average, everyday 5×5 tiles were actually what’s called “quarry tile”. They are incredibly durable and usually embedded in concrete instead of thinset, making them particularly difficult to remove. Oh and they’re thicker than regular tiles too. Before I realized their origin, though, I attempted to remove it with a pry bar and hammer. I thought I’d chisel away at the first tile and then pry them up one tile at a time. Ha! It barely scratched the tile. All it did was remove the paint.

Quarry Tile After Hitting with Pry Bar

After seeking advice from my Dad, he invited himself over and we attempted to do another tile removal trick. Drill a few holes in a line on the tile with a masonry bit, then chisel and pry. It made a dent, but we would have had to do that to each tile individually.

Failed Attempt to Remove Tile with Drill Bit

Probably not worth the effort. So on to Plan C. Dad brought over a chipping hammer, which looks like a mini jackhammer, to chip away at the tiles.

Chipping Hammer in Action

It was not pretty and dust was EVERYWHERE. But it did the job!

Only thing is that it did not leave a smooth surface behind.

Biggest Divot After Chipping Hammer

So I had to add a step to my project and semi-leveled the area before proceeding. I used some floor patch I found in the shop and the smooth edge of my trowel.

Floor Patch Used for First Layer

A few spots were deeper than others and required a second coat. After I ran out of the patch I had on hand, I picked up a different kind for my second layer.

Dap Floor Leveler for Second Layer of Patch

But don’t go looking for it in the flooring aisle! For some reason our local home center had it in the paint department. Still trying to figure that one out…

If you have a few ridges that are taller than necessary, you can easily knock them down with a chisel and hammer. Or I even used 80 grit sandpaper to sand a few spots.

First Layer of Floor Patch After Drying

Obviously I don’t have a future in spreading cake icing because that ain’t pretty. But it did the job.

Since I wanted the finished tile to be even with the surrounding hardwood, I had to make sure the thickness of my new tile and the thinset that would be holding it in place equaled the depth of the hardwood.

Depth of Hearth at Hardwood Floors

But before I get carried away with the depth, I first had to cut the tiles to size. With a wet saw.

Cutting Tile with Wet Saw

Love trying out a new things! Especially something like a wet saw that once intimidated me. And by once, I mean right up until I cut the first tile. Now we’re old friends 🙂

With my tile being in a herringbone pattern I couldn’t exactly just cut along a line. That is until I put a line there myself.

Marking First Cut Line

After turning 4 tile sheets face down, lined a straight edge up and marked with a permanent marker what would become the front edge of my hearth. Then I cut the tiles individually.

I then marked the edge of the tile that would be in the corner so it would have 2 straight edges and fit nice and snug.

Dryfitting tiles Before Thinset

Once all of the tile for the first row was cut, I spread some thinset. The easiest way to get my tile flush with the hardwood is to load up on the thinset, lay the tile and then knock the tiles down into place. So that’s what I did.

Thinset Spread for First Row

While I had and was using a notched trowel (which is the recommended way to spread thinset for tile) it didn’t really do me much good since I needed it pretty thick in some spots. I couldn’t level the space with a level because the hardwood was higher on the right than on the left side of the hearth due to years of aging and settling.

I cut a straight edge to the width of the hearth plus an inch or so. And after spreading the thinset and setting the tiles in place, I laid the straight edge on top, with a tiny bit hanging on the hardwood on either side and used a hammer to knock the tiles down until they were flush with the hardwood. (The hammer was hitting the straight edge, not the tile in case that’s not clear.) Of course this only works if you start with the tiles slightly above the hardwood. Don’t over or under do it on the thinset.

Using Straight Edge to Flush Tiles

I moved the straight edge towards the fireplace in inch increments and hammered left to right and right to left to make sure every part of each tile was in line.

After the first row was all set, I let it dry before moving on to the second row. I didn’t want to shift the tiles around while trying to dry fit or mark the other tiles. I did however cut some bite size tile pieces to fill in what my 4 tiles didn’t quite reach on the left side. But it was hard and dangerous, so I won’t even tell you how I did it. I did, however, change things up a bit on the second row.

I laid a fresh piece of tile on top of the left edge tile in the first row so the individually rectangle tiles would line up. Then I used my straight edge to mark that straight line to cut it.

white and gray herringbone tile mat on top of already laid tile near hardwood floors

Since we couldn’t get up under the mantel legs with the chipping hammer very well, I also needed to make marks to cut the tiles that would be underneath on the right and left sides. I measured the width and depth and marked on the back with my permanent marker.

Marking Underside of Tile for Cutting

I also cut all tiles going across so they’d be flush without having to fill in tiny pieces along the firebox. And since my hearth is a little more than 4 tiles wide, I basically had 3 whole pieces and 2 partial pieces to make up the different without having the those tiny, partial pieces I mentioned having in the first row. And since one of the partial pieces went in between 2 full pieces and it didn’t have a straight edge on the side, I was able to just cut the mesh holding the tiles together to fit it to size. I only needed the saw to cut the edge that went against the firebox.

Cut Tile Pieces for Installation

Then I did the same thing with the thinset and my straight edge as the front row. Only this time for the second row I also put it from the firebox to the front of the hearth as well so the tiles would be flush with that edge too.

With my unique method of leveling the tiled hearth, some thinset oozed out and got on the face of the tile.

Thinset on Face of Marble Tile

But, again, not wanting to disturb the tiles while they were wet, I waited for the second row to dry and used a bucket of water, a sponge, and a slight bit of elbow grease to clean up the thinset that got pushed to the surface.

Sponge and Bucket for Cleanup

It really wasn’t difficult and was worth not having to worry about pushing too hard. And when cleanup was done, it looked great!

white and gray marble herringbone tile fireplace hearth

Fresh, new tiles for my fresh living room upgrade! Now our hearth is ready for grout. And while I’m at it I’m going to go ahead and seal the grout and tiles to keep them looking fresh for a long while! I’ll be posting about that next week to round out “Fireplace February”. And then on to some outdoor projects now that it’s getting closer to Spring! Can’t wait!

Thanks for Checking In! ~ Chelsea

*Update-I have since grouted the tiles! Click here to head to that post now!

Subscribe for Free Updates!

Stay up-to-date on Chelsea's latest projects, tips, useful resources and more.

Previous Post
Featured on Today’s Homeowner: Upcycle/Recycle
Next Post
Grouted in Place

Related Content

Completed Hand Painted Pennant Flag Banner Kid BedroomDIY Pennant Banner for Kids RoomCompleted Large Lighted Two and Zero NumbersDIY Lighted Marquee NumbersBrick Retaining Wall How to Waterproof and PaintWaterproofing Vertical Masonry WallSitting on Back Steps After Finally Sealing BricksStripping Paint from Bricks

Comments

  1. Alison says

    September 4, 2018 at 3:59 pm

    I love this tile update! But my question is about the quarry tiles you painted originally. Did you find that the paint held up well? I understand that this wasn’t an area which received a lot of foot traffic, but do you think it would have held up to that? I’m looking at a whole room of quarry tiles and trying to judge my options.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lipford Wolf says

      September 6, 2018 at 1:39 pm

      Hi Alison! There were a few small spots where the paint had chipped away over the few years I had the tiles painted. So I’m not sure you’d be totally satisfied with the results on a floor with a lot of foot traffic. However, I recently found this post where Kris painted her bathroom floors: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-painting-bathrooms-ceramic-tile-floors-diy/ Maybe a heavy-duty primer like she used would be the difference in satisfaction? Depending on the expense and time to paint your floors, it’d probably be worth trying it out! ~Chelsea

      Reply
  2. Jo says

    October 15, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    Beautiful! Just beautiful, Chelsea. All that planning and hard work truly paid off. You must be so happy with it. Would you mind sharing where you purchased the herringbone tiles and what color/name it is?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lipford Wolf says

      October 15, 2018 at 4:35 pm

      Hi Jo! I believe this is the tile I used, purchased at Lowe’s several years ago: https://www.lowes.com/pd/allen-roth-Genuine-stone-White-marble-Scale-Marble-Mosaic-Wall-Tile-Common-12-in-x-12-in-Actual-314-96-in-x-274-32-in/50122017

      Reply
  3. Nico says

    April 6, 2022 at 2:45 pm

    Did you caulk or grout the outside edges where the wood & tile meet? I have about a 1/4″ gap in the front & back, just like the final result picture has a gap on the left side,
    what would you recommend?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lipford Wolf says

      April 7, 2022 at 11:28 am

      I believe I grouted mine. They also make caulks that are textured and color-matched to several different grout colors that would be a good option for the wood expanding and contracting. Here’s a commissionable link to the caulk: https://homedepot.sjv.io/c/1980335/456723/8154?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FCustom-Building-Products-Polyblend-381-Bright-White-10-5-oz-Sanded-Ceramic-Tile-Caulk-PC38110S%2F202520295

      ~Chelsea

      Reply

Please Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome!

I’m Chelsea. DIY
enthusiast who loves
sharing my victories
and mishaps!
Learn more
here.

CHECK IN WITH CHELSEA ON INSTAGRAM

5 months in and she’s at the top of my favorites 5 months in and she’s at the top of my favorites list!🥰
.
.
Couldn’t resist using this audio.😅
Using my grandmother’s cookie press to make 🎄 Using my grandmother’s cookie press to make 🎄cookies I used to make as a kid in our brand new kitchen. My heart could burst!😭 I hope you are enjoying the preparation for the main event 😇and bring love and joy to your home, no matter what it looks like.❤️💚
.
.
#christmascookies #christmastrees #familytraditions #christmasbreak #newkitchen #kitchendecor #kitchendesign #madewithlove
3D art install in my girls’ girly bedroom!🦋😍Love this $13 pack of butterflies that comes with everything you need to fill a large wall! And it only takes 30 minutes!🙌🏻 Putting the link to the butterflies in my bio! (https://amzn.to/3VmfZsB)
.
.
First step is to layout the flow of your fluttering butterflies with the large and medium sizes from the pack, leaving room for the small ones. Then fill in spaces with the small size and pat yourself on the back! So easy!
The whole Wolfpack has been staying at my parents’ house on the river for the past week while our hardwood floors are being refinished. Since the kids had the whole week off of school it has really felt like a vacation! Complete with a sunny Sunday boat ride after Mass!🥰🚤☀️Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 😘
.
.
#generationalliving #3generations❤️ #4kidlife #grandparentlife #boatday #riverside #riverlifestyle #fowlriver #alabamalifestyle #alabamablogger #nofilterneeded
Dad and I got our tickets to the gun show!💥 . . Dad and I got our tickets to the gun show!💥
.
.
@todayshomeowner @visitmobileal #exploreyourhometown #hometownpride #mobilealabama #battleship #ussalabama #visitmobile
Watching a craftsman at work is something to behol Watching a craftsman at work is something to behold! Cabinet installers were at our house until 7pm last night working to install them just right. One cabinet isn’t tight against our old walls so they’re coming back to tweak it and close the gap. They could have just covered it with trim. Today 2 carpenters from our construction company briskly installed our old (gross) baseboards and new crown molding. It still always amazes me the difference molding can make in a project looking finished! Now…time to paint! What color for crown? Match the cabinets or go with white throughout?!
.
.
Wallpaper is vintage
Cabinet color Virtual Taupe (@sherwinwilliams)
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Indoor Projects Outdoor Projects Craft Projects
Facebook Pagelike Widget
  • Contact
  • FAQs
  • Advertise with Chelsea
  • Media
  • Today’s Homeowner

Search This Site

Receive Free Updates Via Email

Copyright © 2023 Checking in With Chelsea • All Rights Reserved