How to Replace a Hearth with Slate Tile | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough replaces a common terra cotta hearth with slate tile.
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Time: 4-5 hours
Cost: $500 and up
Skill Level: Difficult
Tools:
Small sledgehammer [amzn.to/37gXyvF]
Cold chisel [amzn.to/2UPoVKy]
Tile cutter [amzn.to/2OMn3OZ]
Notched trowel [amzn.to/2HfHBLC]
Float [amzn.to/2OIFqEI]
Sponge [amzn.to/3bxjBBx]
Shopping List:
Slate tile
Painter’s tape [amzn.to/2uAFHT2]
Tile spacers [amzn.to/2SDulFU]
Thinset [amzn.to/2OOlgZY]
Grout [amzn.to/2Sh5Ejy]
Steps:
1. Start by protecting the edges around the hearth with a little bit of painter’s tape.
2. To remove the old tile, place the cold chisel straight down on one of the tiles. Hit the back end of the chisel with a small sledgehammer. This will cause the tile to break. Continue doing this until the full tile has been removed.
3. Once that first tile has been removed, it should be possible to slide the cold chisel underneath the rest of the tiles and pry them up. Remove the rest of the tiles using this strategy.
4. Start laying out the new tiles on the hearth. Measure the full width of the hearth and divide it in half to determine the center. Place one tile on each side of the center line and put a spacer in between them to determine the correct spacing. Use these two tiles to determine the placement for the rest of them.
5. It’s likely that some tiles on the edges will need to be cut. There are manual tile cutters that should work, since these are simple, straight cuts, but a regular wet saw will also work.
6. Once the layout is complete, remove the tiles and lay a base of thinset on the sub hearth using the notched side of a notched trowel.
7. Place the tiles back on the sub hearth, starting from the center again and following the layout. Wait 24 hours for the thinset to set.
8. Apply grout diagonally across all the joints of the tile using a float. Wipe off the excess with a damp sponge.
9. Wait another 24 hours from the grout to set, then wipe off any of the leftover haze from the grout using the sponge.
Resources:
Mark installed 2x8 Slide Grey slate tile, which is manufactured by Roma Tile (www.romatile.c....
To secure the tiles to the sub hearth, Mark used standard tiling materials, including thinset, tile spacers, a notched trowel, grout, and sponges. These can all be found at home centers and tile supply houses.
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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. Ask This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment-your home.
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How to Replace a Hearth with Slate Tile | Ask This Old House
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[@Malandrin]

nice to see that they show the final result of the projects at the end of the video and not letting us halfway as before

[@ryanroberts1104]

I was going to say the same thing! I think this is the first clip I've ever seen that shows the finished product in use! It's even a good "how to" and not just "call a guy"...

[@horatioswrld]

Love when they show the homeowner doing some of work. Gives me confidence that I could get job done. Wish they would showed remove of the wood under sub-hearth

[@BillyRamirez]

I crack up at the way dude says "Ok, MARK" @ 1:23

[@JoeWagner21]

Why lol?

[@CheeseBae]

I know it's impossible to match the original brick, but maybe pulling a darker color out of it for the hearth tile, or just going black. The medium grey doesn't really go with the red and browns.

[@joohsay]

love ASK TOH, I watch this show and the original TOH every week.

[@demonknight7965]

I like the new tile. it really makes the fire place stand out.

[@pavelow235]

The terracotta tile look fantastic should have been another way to fix this one, maybe just grout the gap???

[@MSI2k]

Showing the final product.. nice

[@likearockcm]

I agree with getting rid of the wood.Maybe comeback with some non combustible material and support columns, to make sure it doesn't come down.

[@jrlsports9490]

What would I be seeing if the wood form underneath the house is removed?

[@tfhummer]

I guess there is no accounting for taste, that terra cotta was far better looking IMO. Code compliant? That wood has been there a 100 years I doubt its that big of a deal and I would personally leave it alone. Extra support and they used to heat that home with wood so 100 years or fire and hasn't burnt down yet, I'm guessing the problem isn't much of a problem.

[@kylefowler5082]

the problem is that you have to insure your house and if that wood somehow caught fire they would deny the claim

[@tfhummer]

@@kylefowler5082 interesting in my state it's not a law that you have to have insurance on your home. Must be different where you live. Here it's only required if you have a loan on the house. Secondly,had they not had insurance on the house before?

[@kylefowler5082]

@@tfhummer I'm not sure if having homeowners insurance is required in my state if you actually own your home outright but it sure seems like a bad idea to go without it so in essence it is required in my opinion. The problem more specifically stated is that if a homeowner had insurance and a fire started because of those supports I can just about guarantee you the insurance company will fight your claim. They hate paying out to begin with.

[@augustreil]

Just made the same comment, it hasn't burned yet and it never will.

[@tfhummer]

@@kylefowler5082 well I will agree to disagree. You state you feel you need home insurance even if your home is paid for, yet in the same breath admit that the likely hood of getting the insurance company to pay is very tough to begin with. Not a service I would be paying for with known poor customer service and results. I will ask why everyone is so afraid of everything these days. Has your home ever burnt down, your parents, neighbors? I'm middle aged and have never seen any home burnt down of anyone I know. I have never seen any home damaged for any reason severely enough to justify the premiums paid in insurance. Usually you would be thousands ahead if you saved the money you would have paid in premiums to the insurance company and used that for said repairs. I mean if insurance company's were not making money they would no longer be in business so that fact alone substantiates that the majority of the people the majority of the time do not use nor need insurance.

[@stainedred5463]

Great bones in that house 2×12

[@robertgullickson8758]

Nice job! Great results.

[@YuriyRusko]

Why not pull the wood before laying the new tile? If the concrete is compromised, it'll come down once the form is removed and the whole job will have to be done over again. If you ask me, removing the wood and inspecting the concrete would have been the more interesting part of the video. Otherwise, it's just a small tile job.

[@3pumpkins170]

Agreed!

[@Uncle-Bull]

Use a basement jack to support the slab.

[@YuriyRusko]

@@Uncle-Bull Jacks provide a point load to a solid mass, like a carrying beam. What you have here is exactly the opposite: a concrete block that has been potentially compromised by cracking. Once you remove the wood, if it still holds, it'll probably continue to hold, but if it's cracked (after 100 years), then it'll come crashing down.

[@Brian-Burke]

Great point and I agree.

[@dronesrus5676]

My guess is they never show it being removed because it never was removed. I think sometimes they say the proper way it should be done for the videos but don’t show it because they never actually do it.

[@MatthewBester]

So jealous of those basements you have in US. I can't access underneath my floor without becoming a potholer.

[@jeremykj69]

Dang this is the first time I've ever seen This Old House used cheap tools that's a $20 tile cutter

[@aidanmcandrews3035]

What if your mud job is comprised? Any recommendations for videos on that ?

[@BrandonBurns1985]

Can you follow through with these projects? Please? It's like we are getting tinder ghosted lol

[@this_time_imperfect]

Aww man I hate it when my mud job gets compromised.

[@stonemanpresents7446]

Couple things to help your installations last. One, you want to establish a flat substrate before you ever lay tile. For smaller tiles like on the video, NTCA code requires the substrate to be flat within 1/16" over 2 feet. To get that, you could've ground the substrate flat or vacuumed and applied a floor patch compound before setting the tile. Two, you don't want to simply trowel thinset over your substrate-it needs to be keyed in first. Explanation here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYXWm5-EaNpsf9k. There are a few other things worth mentioning, but to get to the point, just look up your local tile setter who belongs to the NTCA and follows industry standards to achieve a more beautiful, much longer lasting end result! -AWM

[@mpwall123]

Stay tuned for Part 2. Get rid of the ugly brick surrounding that fire place opening.

[@jasonborne5359]

Im hoping someone can help me. Im knocking out the tiles exactly like this in my house that was built in the 20’s. Does anyone know if i should be concerned about asbestos?

[@cup_and_cone]

Typical contractor...always leaving when the job's only half done. I'm kidding, folks.

[@YuriyRusko]

I mean, you're not even wrong. If there's a problem with the concrete, the whole thing will come down when the wood form is removed. As a non-expert in this area, I'd be really worried pulling that wood after 100 years.

[@yaosio]

@@YuriyRusko I wouldn't even know how to safely remove the wood, or if that's possible here. Is the concrete even strong enough to hold itself up over that span if the original installer didn't intend on removing the wood support?

[@YuriyRusko]

@@Kevin-mp5of Exactly, it would be shocking if there weren't at least some movement.

[@MoneyManHolmes]

I’d be scared to remove it too. Could you maybe shoot the bottom of the wood with a layer of fireproofing foam?

[@YuriyRusko]

@@MoneyManHolmes Concrete is sitting directly on the wood form, so there's no gap to, say, drill a hole and shoot foam between the two. You could spray foam the bottom, but that wouldn't bring it up to code in any way. Frankly, if it's been there for 100 years, I'd just leave it alone. The fireplace has been used countless times over those years, including as the primary source of heating, surely. If it hasn't been a problem, I doubt it's going to suddenly be a problem. Of course, the correct solution would have been to take the form out, inspect any damage, repair the base, then tile the top. Anything else is half-assing it, IMO. Okay for a DIY home-job, but super shady for a professional.

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

If you rip down the subfloor under the concrete, what's holding everything up?

[@iamdamo]

Thoughts and prayers.

[@benholler1389]

It should be held up by the rebar running from through the whole hearth and hearth extension slab. It should support itself. But in this case because of the crack the hearth extension should have been repoured with rebar anchoring it back

[@damien1351]

Wouldnt installing a fire guard negate the issue with embers potentially getting in the crack.

[@devenh9901]

I need help. Have a similar situation... but much more complicated. The hearth set flush in the floor is one solid piece of some reddish stone.. could be terracotta... dilemma is that the depth of the hearth needs to be extended. As in...the floor needs to be cut? (HardWood floor). Second dilemma... there is a wood burning stove insert in the fireplace, the front of it sticks out about 4-6 inches and is set on the hearth that needs to be removed. 😢 is it possible to dig up the old hearth with the wood stove insert set in place?

[@kbh590]

This is super misleading! I have the very same tile that I am trying to remove and I have been working on three tile for days. I have the proper cold chisel and a 4 lb sledgehammer. This is NOT breaking, and I am not a wimp. Any advice or thoughts?! Help!!

[@ncooty]

Rotary hammer

[@charleslane2735]

He could ignite a fire with the sparks coming off the chisel

[@SugarTide935]

Would it be an option to just go over the old tile... like laying a marble slab on top?

[@Uncle-Bull]

Glynis84 Still have to pull that wood. It should not be there.

[@Mr.Pop0]

The slab wouldnt be level with the floor or fireplace. This is cheaper too.

[@Engineer9736]

august There is/was a cathedral in Paris, hundreds of years old, burned down last year. So your last sentence makes no sense. Safety rules are not meant to be followed “sometimes”.

[@Kauppamopo]

so the inspector wasn't worried about that crack inside the fireplace? visible at 4:45

[@sheilahankins3490]

Not enough information...What type of cement used, what type of spacers, grouting method

[@GrowLLLTigeRRR]

What is the best hearth material for a solid fuel (wood) open fireplace? I have a two-year-old 8' X 2' slab of honed black granite. I thought it would last forever but after my last fire, I noticed a hairline crack through the center front to back. I am very disappointed.

[@chermccollum153]

I have some tiles where the grout has worn away from cleaners that I stupidly used. Is there a way to just regroute these that's easy

[@Brian-Burke]

Why is the code to remove the wood? Because of its proximity to the flames? Otherwise it seems like it would only provide extra support and insurance against collapse.

[@benholler1389]

It is code because of the heat transfer through the concrete. It has caused many fires which is why the code was written

[@tomcrosby8534]

The danger of prolonged heat transfer is going to depend on how thick the masonry is there. Extra thickness was how they handled things in the old days. It gets dicier when hearth extensions are just thinly poured on subfloors.

[@dancingfrogsxb1276]

A better option IMO would be to install a wood burning stove, much more efficient, and just seal the gap/retile he didn't need to redo the concrete at all.

[@stephaniepeek6787]

is this tile porous?

[@jerseydevil3799]

That tile does not match at all. But great install

[@scotts692]

definitely would not do as shown in this video. thin set does not bond to old thin set (when doing tile, your substrate should be something that can absorb moisture i.e. hardy backer, cement board existing thin set with a bonding primer which allows the material to become one). if you are going over old thin set, either add a bonding primer first such as eco prime or other bonding primers, add some hardy board, cement board, wonder board over top.

[@jeffreyalford3548]

This kind of scenario is exactly what nearly burnt Phil Robertson of duck dynasty house to the ground

[@heatherab87]

I just did this in my house and the tiles did NOT come up this easy.

[@skiprope536]

Looks like hell. The old tile looked better.

[@billiamc1969]

That was NOT slate but ceramic tile that looks like slate and that fireplace is a massive energy drag and should have a high efficiency insert.

[@TheChangito19]

Honestly, for it being such a small tile job, it looks pretty bad actually. It looks soo off center, and trowell was way to big of a size, for such small tile. The way they put lumps of thin-set at the end was such a bad idea. As soon as something drops on those tile, they are going to break. Bad job!

[@YuriyRusko]

I'm really not sure what you're talking about. At 6:58, the center line is perfect and everything looks very even. The mortar was applied in a uniform direction with an entirely appropriately sized flooring trowel. What do you see that I don't?

[@TheChangito19]

@@YuriyRusko you can see at the end how some peaces are higher than others beacause of the way they put down the thins-set. Its a relly small space. Why not just put a good amount of mortar down on the whole space, instead of putting blobs of mortar down after. Sorry my grammer is bad due to me not being great at english.

[@TheChangito19]

@@Kevin-mp5of yeah sorry for my grammer. But i think you got the point. Enough to make you write a reply 👍

[@67tr876]

OMG it does not even match !! that gray tile looks so bad with the red brick and wood floor LMAO

[@fiehlsport]

That terra cotta tile would have lasted 100 more years, too.

[@shadowblack1987]

Agreed, they are going for a modern look, but the house isn't modern...

[@Engineer9736]

Ronan B Last 6 months i refurbished my whole 1964 living room of 8x4.5 meters up to 2020 standards. Replastered all walls and ceiling, all cables for TV and audio and lights hidden in the walls, etc. It is possible to do in any house.. But it takes a bit more work than 2 m2 of tiles. Like step 1 is remove all furniture and everything that is removable.

[@Mr.Pop0]

HEY YUPPIES! Dont buy old homes and try to modernize them with your boloney contemporary bs. Your a major PITA for the next guy that will try to undo your mess. I woulda done the hearth in brick and gone on a manhunt to get an exact match.

[@Essenkiller]

Ill never understand how all of the people get all that grey stuff in their living space... instant derpression

[@myfavoriteplanet3247]

They both looks dated.

[@myfavoriteplanet3247]

@@Kevin-mp5of Lol the tiles.

[@wcsd9577]

Wildly dangerous advice from Mark the hack. Never, ever, EVER remove the "forms" from underneath the hearth because on old homes they are often not simply forms but a sunken decking that is designed as a permanent support structure for the hearth above. Once that structure is gone, if it not supported elsewhere it is basically a trapdoor waiting for someone to step onto it.

[@benholler1389]

Code requires wood forms to be removed. The hearth extension needs to be self supporting. His advice is absolutely correct. But in this case because of the crack I would have repoured the hearth extension after drilling rebar into the hearth slab at opposing angles to lock it all together

[@wcsd9577]

@@benholler1389 His advice is dangerous. Telling viewers to remove it assumes the hearth is self-supporting by some sort of other structure. I've worked on many old homes in my area and seen firsthand many hearths and tiled floors that were nothing more than weak concrete or drypacked mortar on top of the "forms" with no internal structure and nothing but the "forms" themselves to hold them up, which was how they were designed. I don't agree with the design but that's how things were built sometimes in the old days before the building department. Mark just tells viewers dismissively to remove the forms as if they're simply trash left over from lazy workers a century ago. I can tell you that I've come across many homes where they are not just forms but also the structure, the only structure, which supports the hearth. Mark, a supposed professional, should know this, however he has given plenty of bad advice and has done sloppy work on the show in the past so this does not surprise me.

[@benholler1389]

@@wcsd9577 Well with that explanation I agree with you completely. Although leaving the wood could be just as dangerous

[@tomcrosby8534]

@@wcsd9577 Is there a way to remove the decking piecemeal (to prevent collapse) and replace with non-combustibles? I also wonder if Mark is talking about new construction code (IRC) as opposed to the International Existing Building Code which allows for more wiggle room in updating old structures.

[@wcsd9577]

​@@tomcrosby8534 it would be difficult to install some kind of steel or cementitious support after the fact. Maybe build a pan below with rebar through the joists and pour flowable grout from above into the void below. You'd probably be better off demoing the whole thing and rebuilding unless you were absolutely trying to save the original hearth for historic or sentimental purposes. To be honest I wouldn't worry about the wood down below unless it looked charred or something. On an old home that has had many fires in the fireplace in its lifetime, if it were going to catch fire it probably would have done so many decades before.

[@67tr876]

Ugly gray tile Should have stuck with the terracotta tile !