Glen & Kris Denning → Home Improvement → Gas Fireplace < Previous Next >
Once I started removing the tile from the hearth, I discovered that the hearth was a structural mess. It started out as a 1" x 12" frame with 3/4" OSB on top. Then the contractor stapled some scrap 1" x 12" and OSB on the ends and made it about 18" longer. Where the hearth abutted the wall, there was no support for the drywall, and the paper tape in those corners had ripped apart as the house settled over time. Nothing was within a 1/2" of square, and I just couldn't see doing a nice tile job on top of such a poorly constructed base.
Kris and I removed the old hearth, the original wood-burning fireplace and finally the mantel to make way for a new hearth.