Due to a number of environmental and home decorating issues we face today, fireplaces are a bit different than they used to be. If you are in an older home with a fireplace, then you may be familiar with the issue of having an outdated looking fireplace. Solutions from completely replacing the box itself or updating the look exist.
This will change the look of your fireplace and room, for sure. You will find that a complete replacement is a costly option. You can save quite a bit of money by doing a fireplace refacing project instead.
If you are into tile or a more natural or cultured stone veneer, you are in for a great looking project. While it may look as though it was a lot of labor involved, stone veneers look quite elegant for not too hard of a job.
So, how is this considered an environmentally friendly project? Well, the answer to that question is because it saves on materials and waste. Rather than buying new materials that involves manufacturing, shipping, etc. and then removal of the older materials and disposing of them in a landfill, this project is like refacing your kitchen cabinets.
Like with many remodeling jobs, cleaning is the first step. Cleaning could mean just a soap and water scrubbing, but it can also include removal of old or broken bricks or tiles. Once you’ve got these things done, you can move ahead with the next step.
Step two involves mixing the mortar and preparing the area. If you are using cement backer board, you can hang that now. You can apply mortar directly to an existing, older brick. You should aim at making your mortar mix the consistency of peanut butter.
Your next step will be to ‘back butter’ your veneer pieces with your freshly mixed mortar. This is the professional term for this process used just before setting them on the wall. Make sure that you are placing your stones on a level line before setting them. You don’t need to apply grout to these pieces, so you can stack them right on top of one another. The natural or cultured shape of the stones gives them a simple and classic look.
By offsetting your joint lines, you’ll give your fireplace a more natural stacked appearance. If you have a smaller room, you can utilize smaller stones. A larger room will allow you to get by with larger stone pieces. Balance is the key. Your new fireplace refacing job is going to look wonderful. Good luck!
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