Question about making a hearth pad

[GrumpyDad]

For my other stove, (a vermont castings Vigilant II coal stove - highly recommended btw) I bought a premade corner pad for about $300 roughly 7 years ago. The same pad is now over $650. I mean, I get inflation but sometimes I think companies just take advantage of it to raise their prices. "Well, inflation, pay up. "

There's some of that. And some products/people are taking advantage of the current climate to raise prices to a profitable level whereas before stiff competition forced them to barely eck by. But there's alot of panic pricing as well. Cost of cheese goes up, you raise the price of pizza, the guy buying the pizza has to pay more for pizza and everything else so he has to raise his price of his plumbing service to compensate...and so on and so on.
Competition will drive this down as would affordable labor and automation.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

So I decided to make it 50x31. I got the plywood and the wood for the trim, sandwiched the Micore 300 between the plywood and the 1/4” hardiebacker cement board, then proceeded to cut the tiles. Not accounting for the 3/4” of grout on my diagram. So now I have to rent or buy a tile saw, because I have to remove 3/4 of an inch from the edge tiles. Like my dad used to say, “Measure twice, cut once, measure again in disbelief.” Here’s what I have so far.

 

[TomMcDonald]

Like my dad used to say, “Measure twice, cut once, measure again in disbelief.”

Your dad was a smart man.

 

[begreen]

So I decided to make it 50x31. I got the plywood and the wood for the trim, sandwiched the Micore 300 between the plywood and the 1/4” hardiebacker cement board, then proceeded to cut the tiles. Not accounting for the 3/4” of grout on my diagram. So now I have to rent or buy a tile saw, because I have to remove 3/4 of an inch from the edge tiles. Like my dad used to say, “Measure twice, cut once, measure again in disbelief.” Here’s what I have so far.

For greater stiffness, I strongly recommend using 1/2" cement board on top of a soft substrate like micore so that it does not dent under the concentrated weight placed at each stove leg. The additional stiffness will help reduce deflection. 1/4" cement board should only be used with a rigid surface underneath.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

Hmm I was trying to keep it a bit low profile. It’s screwed down already, unfortunately. Won’t the tile give it some additional strength? The stove is little and weighs about 160 lbs.

 

[begreen]

Sorry for the late word, I thought this was going to be made without micore. It might be ok. Move it carefully without flexing.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

Sorry for the late word, I thought this was going to be made without micore. It might be ok. Move it carefully without flexing.

I thought so too but then I figured I could make it thinner and lighter with the Micore. Didn’t think it would flex that much with 3/4 birch ply as a base. Ah well. Live and learn. Guess we’ll see. Thanks for all your help.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

Should I put the wood on the edges before or after I grout the tile? I’d like to do it after to keep it clean but then I’m not sure how to keep the grout square to the edge.

 

[begreen]

That depends on the finished look desired. The trim can overlap the tile edge a little or can be flush. From the picture of the tile it looks like it can be put on afterward as an edging.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

That depends on the finished look desired. The trim can overlap the tile edge a little or can be flush. From the picture of the tile it looks like it can be put on afterward as an edging.

My plan was to make it flush; but with a round over. And maybe 1/2” thick. I’ve never actually used grout before so I wasn’t sure how the edge where it falls off will react. Whether it needs the wood to not want to run off the edge.

 

[TomMcDonald]

My plan was to make it flush; but with a round over. And maybe 1/2” thick. I’ve never actually used grout before so I wasn’t sure how the edge where it falls off will react. Whether it needs the wood to not want to run off the edge.

I would grout before you install timber and use caulk between the timber the tile.
The timber is more likely to shift and caulk will not crack like grout might.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

I would grout before you install timber and use caulk between the timber the tile.
The timber is more likely to shift and caulk will not crack like grout might.

That’s what I ended up doing. Good advice on the caulk. I saw today that I can get a tube of the same color. My only remaining issue is that I blew the 90 on one of the long sides. So I either need to cut a sliver off or I need to shim it out a hair.


Also, if anyone needs some Micore and they are in NY, I have a lot left over since I had to order 4 sheets and only used 1 and a half.

 

[TomMcDonald]

Lookin good.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

Could be better, could be worse, but it’s done. Glued and nailed, then caulked any little imperfections with grout-matching caulk.

 

[begreen]

Looks great.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

Looks great.

Thanks. I learned a lot. I wasn't too thrilled with the extra two inches but I didn't want to get fancy and try to split that evenly on both ends. I figured I'd just put that part up against the wall and nobody would notice it.

 

[johnnyvirgil]

Thanks. I learned a lot. I wasn't too thrilled with the extra two inches but I didn't want to get fancy and try to split that evenly on both ends. I figured I'd just put that part up against the wall and nobody would notice it.
[edit] so my pipe measurements were a bit off and the stove is out in the room more than I had planned. Which means there’s a gap behind the hearth board that needs to be filled; for two inches to either side of the pipe to pass inspection. I was thinking of just throwing a couple pieces of Micore back there then a strip on top covered with a 24” strip off a 12x24” tile. I think that would get me through, and it could be removed afterwards because I think the risk would be minimal. The gap is necessary to get the required 16” in front of the stove.

 

[HearhFlame]

Not to hijack the post or cross "contaminate" wood and pellet stove posts but:
On my Comfortbilt hp50 pellet stove there is no R raing of hearth pad therefore i can't calculate layers. Would one layer of tile on one layer of Durock on osb bard be considered sufficient?

 

[johnnyvirgil]

Not to hijack the post or cross "contaminate" wood and pellet stove posts but:
On my Comfortbilt hp50 pellet stove there is no R raing of hearth pad therefore i can't calculate layers. Would one layer of tile on one layer of Durock on osb bard be considered sufficient?

Aren't pellet stoves ember protection only? So an R rating might not be necessary. Just a fireproof layer of something/anything.

 

[TomMcDonald]

I'd go with plywood, cement sheet then tile. Select the thickness of your ply on how high you want your hearth then quarter inch cement board. Exactly what I just did and worked great.