tiling over brick fireplace surround and hearth

Question regarding tiling over a brick fireplace surround and hearth with respect to fire safety.

We had a 70's fireplace that had a brick wall-to-wall fireplace surround, and a brick hearth. Going for a more contemporary look we had our drywall guy drywall over the brick surround up to the edges of the existing fireplace opening. I believe he used liquid nails or other similar adhesive to adhere the drywall.

He then adhered what looks to be about a 2" x 2" 90 degree steel corner around the fireplace opening presumably for durability and fire safety. It's probably the same steel corners that are used on a typical drywalled wall corner since he's a drywall guy.

Finally we asked him to put cement backerboard on the fireplace hearth and around the fireplace opening (at least 16" around it) so we could tile it. He ended up using easyboard

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of wonderboard which does not have as good a fire rating. It has an NFPA Class B fire rating (flamespread 30).

We'll end up installing glass doors with a metal mesh and most likely an aluminum frame in the opening.

I'm concerned about the combustabilty of both the drywall and easyboard around the opening. The drywall has a steel corner on it so I don't think there's any chance of sparks/embers coming in contact with it, but it will of course get heat from the the fire. The easyboard surround will have thinset, glass tile and grout on top of it, but the very edge of it at the opening will probably be in contact with the fireplace door and the fiberglass insulation that is normally used to seal/install the door. It's possible it may even be exposed to the firebox if the door/insulation does not go deeply enough into the opening.

Just wanted to get some feedback from the pros on what type of precautions I should use here. Should I cover the easyboard with something like a metal strip, cement, fiberglass insulation, etc. to insulate it from the heat? Should I tear out the easyboard and use backerboard (hopefully not)?

Thanks for your help.

Reply to
Derek
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What is going to keep the heat from igniting the drywall paper, you dont need flame to make something start to burn. I would take it all down.

Reply to
ransley

In the words of Meatloaf "Stop right there!"

Drywall right up to the opening?!

Call you local building department and ask them how far combustible material needs to be away from a fireplace opening.

Drywall is combustible even if the edge is covered with steel.

Reply to
Limp Arbor

Update your fire insurance ASAP, b/4 using the fireplace.

You have got to be a troll, nobody could possibly be this dumb.

Reply to
Quizzy

He may be a troll, but I have seen "designers" on TV do exactly the same thing. Why cover everything with a bad product when the tiles could be thin-seted directly onto the brick wall and hearth.

Reply to
EXT

I know my fireplace the way I burn it would char wood many feet away over time, maybe 5-20 hrs. Paper backing would char after maybe a few fires, then no flame is needed and it could burn where it is Glued with a "flamable glue" against the wall sealed. The distance to keep it safe is off the mantel. Even my mantel heat vent must reach near

500f, I wonder if regular thinset would last, fire boxes are a special mortar for boilers and fireplaces can get hotter.
Reply to
ransley

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It's pretty bad, but not as bad as some think. Drywall doesn't burn; at least not right away. As it heats up, the hydrated Calcium sulphate of which it is made releases water vapor to cool it. Eventually the drywall loses all its trapped water and turns to dust. I think drywall can withstand a roaring fire for about 1 hour per inch.

If you have 1/2" of sheetrock and your fire department can get to you in thirty minutes, you should be okay.

Reply to
HeyBub

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The paper cover ain't fireproof. There is likely a small crack between the drywall and the brick. Fire could propagate up to the ceiling.

That interior brick was probably veneer, other than around the firebox, since few chimney stacks cover a whole wall. Proper solution would have been to strip that and build back with different fireproof material. Personally, I LIKE 1970s-style fireplaces.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

Wasn't aware that trolls were known for being dumb, I always thought they were just big and ugly. Although I think others would agree that recommending to update my fire insurance as helpful advice would most certainly be considered dumb.

Thanks to the others for their constructive advice. I do recall seeing fireplaces that are drywalled right up to the fireplace door, often in new construction homes, so I assumed as long as the edges of the drywall that are near the opening were somehow insulated it was okay. But it seems most agree this is a bad idea.

I don't think thin-setting and tiling directly onto the brick is an option since I'm doing 1x1" glass tiles on 1x1' mesh, and the slightly uneveness and reasonably large gaps between the brick might leave some of the squares uneven, and the red color of the brick could show through.

If I tear out the existing easyboard and drywall around the opening, would cement backerboard (wonderboard) be sufficient? It claims to be non-combustible. Are there any non-combustible adhesives I could use to adhere the backerboard?

Finally, the bricks do have a fairly large gap between them, and as someone mentioned this could be a space for heat, embers, etc. to get in behind the backerboard. Is there a non-combustible cement/mortar I could use here to seal this space? I did see some fireproof cement online that looks like it might work for this.

Thanks again for your help.

Reply to
Derek

Wasn't aware that trolls were known for being dumb, I always thought they were just big and ugly. Although I think others would agree that recommending to update my fire insurance as helpful advice would most certainly be considered dumb.

Thanks to the others for their constructive advice. I do recall seeing fireplaces that are drywalled right up to the fireplace door, often in new construction homes, so I assumed as long as the edges of the drywall that are near the opening were somehow insulated it was okay. But it seems most agree this is a bad idea.

I don't think thin-setting and tiling directly onto the brick is an option since I'm doing 1x1" glass tiles on 1x1' mesh, and the slightly uneveness and reasonably large gaps between the brick might leave some of the squares uneven, and the red color of the brick could show through.

If I tear out the existing easyboard and drywall around the opening, would cement backerboard (wonderboard) be sufficient? It claims to be non-combustible. Are there any non-combustible adhesives I could use to adhere the backerboard?

Finally, the bricks do have a fairly large gap between them, and as someone mentioned this could be a space for heat, embers, etc. to get in behind the backerboard. Is there a non-combustible cement/mortar I could use here to seal this space? I did see some fireproof cement online that looks like it might work for this.

Thanks again for your help.

Reply to
charlie

It's a masonry wood burning fireplace. Then I guess the ones I've seen drywalled up to the door are zero clearance on new construction homes.

Do I need to worry about the gaps between the bricks and the wonderboard, or is it okay for heat/etc. to escape into those areas?

And is 1/4" wonderboard okay, or should I go 1/2"?

Thanks.

Reply to
Derek

"Derek" wrote

Only in sothern California and Florida where they are ornamental and have no flue, nor were ever intended to contain a fire.

Did your fellow have a code inspector check it?

I know for a fact it won't pass where I am. Not even close.

You appear to be looking more for cosmetics than use? That is actually understandable, but I don't think you've taken the right path *if* you intend to use it.

Most replies to you have come from those who have working ones. Take it in stride if you wanted mostly 'for looks' as what you have done if that is so, probably looks rather nice.

Be prepared for problems selling the house though if it's designed to be a real one with a flue. You will probably be required to remove all that.

Talking codespecs, my fireplace is 14 inches solid brick (stands out 3 inches from wall) on all sides at minimum and upper portion ends with the mantle at my eye level (I'm pretty short, a mere 5ft1). The only spot my fireplace isnt codespec now, is the base is high enough (8-9 inches) but not as deep as they now want (it's not much over 12 deep). I have to have carpet instaled back another 12 inches here or it's a violation so we are having that portion tiled soon.

This is not a 'cosmetic' fireplace at all. I saved an estimated 1,100$ last year for a 250$ wood outlay by using it probably 14-16 hours a day when it was coldest.

Reply to
cshenk

"Derek" wrote

That is possible. Once you mentioned 1970's fireplace, I didnt consider more modern answers.

Yes, you need to worry. Whoosh up the chimney after it spikes to a certain point.

I like the earlier idea of take down the wonderboard and drywall, and affix tile to it. It may require a professional, but it can be done and work great with the right stuff (even to codespc in older ones).

Personally, I *like* my 1960's all brick fireplace. We made it a feature worth having with a good mantle piece and careful decoration of doo-dads above it.

Reply to
cshenk

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