I have to install a hearth pad for the EPA wood fireplace I’m installing. Can I simply lay tile or marble as the hearth or are there other requirements to make it noncombustible?

Technorati Tags: hearth, marble, tile, wood fireplace

i eventually want to do all three of these things. in what order should i do them in order to maximize my return on investment in the event i had to move and sell before i completed all three things? there is currently a fireplace now but it is ugly painted white brick and want to replace it with a floor to 5 foot high mantle with granite worked in and a gas fireplace log set. the whole cost of that job would be 5k. i have read that fireplaces add more value as far as home improvements go than any other improvement.

the current kitchen was from the 1960s and redoing that with granite countertops and new cabinets and tile and a new fridge and oven would probably be 10k-15k for the quality we wanted.

adding a bathroom to the basement would change the house from 1 to 2 baths and would probably cost about 5k for the level of quality we wanted.

how should i order these projects?

Technorati Tags: 1960s, adding a bathroom, baths, brick, Fireplaces, fridge, gas fireplace log, granite countertops, home improvements, job, mantle, new cabinets, return on investment, tile

The Combi 250/1000 Lite is designed to cut today’s tile and stone pieces which are larger and more expensive than in years past. Using precision cast aluminum and modern hi-tech design and manufacturing methods we have created a tile and stone saw which is accurate, light, and extremely reliable. The Combi 250/1000 Lite is for those jobs which are smaller in nature, yet require cuts up to 40" in length.

Cast Aluminum
Aircraft quality cast aluminum materials make for a rigid and light weight tile and stone saw which will maintain its finish for years to come.

Quality
The extruded aluminum travel bar design provides a smooth and accurate cut. Maintenance is minimal, just spray n’ wipe with WD-40.

Accuracy
The cast aluminum construction of the COMBI 250/1000 frame structure ensures a rigid, yet light weight saw. Out of the box it can cut tile or stone to within 1/32", the best in the business!

Plunge Cuts
Plunge cuts are smooth and precise as the cast aluminum cutting head pivots on a sealed bushing. ‘L’ cuts for door jams are now quick n’ simple.

Stand included
The stand is like the saw, very light and very stable. The stand also has a built in wheel kit so that the Combi 250/1000 Lite tile and stone saw is easy to move around the jobsite. And it folds in two in seconds to load it up or put it away quickly. A full length accessory side table is included at no charge! Support your larger tiles and stones correctly, no more chipping or breaking material because it is too difficult to support, this saw has it all!

Laser Guide
A laser cutting guide now comes standard with every Combi 250/1000 Lite. Mark the line of your cut on the material, line it up with the laser, and go!

Technorati Tags: aircraft quality, aluminum aircraft, aluminum materials, best in the business, cast aluminum construction, cutting guide, extruded aluminum, frame structure, full length, jams, jobsite, laser guide, pivots, plunge, quot, stone pieces, tile, tiles and stones, travel bar, wd 40

We’re trying to determine the best size gas stove top for our counter. The current old stove is 36" wide x 19" deep and we only have about 1" in front and 1" in back of the top. We’d like to buy a new stove but many are 21" deep. I know the underneath part, the "guts" if you will, are likely a bit shorter all the way around than the top that sits on the tile/granite. All of the stores that sell the stoves are not the installers and really just want the sale. They are not that knowledgeable, about this type of detail.

Has anyone installed a stove or at least gone through this as a homeowner?
I realize that the stove will come with a template. That’s fine for when we have the new counter top cut. But we have to make sure we order the correct size stove to start with.

Technorati Tags: gas stove top, granite, guts, size stove, stoves, tile

I know I have to have tile in between the opening and the wood. But can I just screw in plywood, and casing and a mantle and paint it? Or is there another step that I need to do?
Don’t have the money for the pre-made mantles. Making it by scratch, just need to know how to get it to stick to the brick.
Is plywood a good idea, or is something else better?
Drywall maybe? (all the rest of the walls are wood paneling)

Technorati Tags: brick, casing, drywall, mantle, money, plywood, scratch, screw, tile, wood paneling

With the cost of heating oil well over / gal I decided to purchase a Harman pellet stove, which will be delivered in about 2 weeks and want to built a standard 48" x 48" hearth raised about 3-6". My plan is to frame it out with 2×4′s and then put plywood on top of the 2×4′s but what do i do about laying the tile.Obviouslyy, it won’t stick it the plywood. I plan on buying some ceramic tiles at Home Depot or somewhere.

Please tell me what you think I should do or if u have an entire new plan, let me know!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Technorati Tags: 2x4, ceramic tiles, harman pellet stove, hearth, heating oil, home depot, plywood, quot, tile

I am making a tile hearth extension to meet code distance for a fireplace insert. For r-factor I will use 1/2" micore 300, then 1/4" Wonderboard, then thinset and matching tiles. My concern and question is whether my underlayment will be stable enough if I do not screw down the Micore and Wonderboard? The reason I do not want to screw it down is because the subfloor has radiant heating tubes with water. The tubes are under an inch of a gypsum/sand/cement mixture.

Technorati Tags: cement mixture, fireplace insert, gypsum sand, hearth, micore 300, r factor, radiant heating, subfloor, tile, tiles, tubes, underlayment

I have an older fireplace (1950) that is painted corrugated wood. It’s the only way to describe it, sort of like corduroy or old asbestos siding–think ridges.

The are that it encompasses is about 1 foot in wide. My dad gave me a box of slate tiles he had left over from refacing a front stoop and I would like to adhere these to the wood around my fireplace, grout it etc.

I have a tile saw (and a husband not that I need one for this ) so the size, etc is no trouble. I just wish to know what kind of adhesive to use. As it’s a vertical surface it much adhere immediately so it doesn’t slide off.

Would liquid nail type of stuff work? I’m going to either Lowes or Home Depot in a few hours but would love some ideas before I go. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for your input–have you ever done something like this?

Thanks again!

Technorati Tags: asbestos siding, corduroy, dad, fireplace, front stoop, home depot, lowes, slate tiles, tile, vertical surface

i want to add a more elaborate wooden mantel to my brick, gas fireplace. it is vented to the outside. i also want to install a tile border around fire box and then install the wood mantel around the tile. i havej just a simple mantle across the top at present. i want to up date and add vertal side pieces to it. i have 6 3/4" on each side to work with and 15 1/4" between bottom of mantle and firebox. where can i find this info.?

Technorati Tags: brick, gas fireplace, mantle, quot, side pieces, tile, wood mantel

My house has an open concept (the living room, dining room, and kitchen is in one big room. I have light peach tile in the entire area. My furniture is dark brown.

What color should I paint the walls, and what color blinds should I look into? I like the wood blinds.

Also, where can I find a cushion for my breakfast nook? It’s probably about 4 feet long.

Does anyone have those electric (or gel fueled) fireplaces? The one you can buy from Home Depot. Pros and Cons?

Technorati Tags: breakfast nook, dining room, furniture, gel fueled fireplaces, home depot, light peach, living room, pros and cons, tile, wood blinds