tiling woodburning stove insert

[flo35]

I have a wooburning/multifuel stove that sits in an insert in the wall/chimney. It was plastered, but this cracked very badly. Can I tile the insert/alcove with tiles - if so which type. Also can I line the insert/alcove with plasterboard and place the tiles on this? What type of adhesive and grout would I use - would it have to be flexible?
Flo

 

[Perry]

Have a look at this
BrickIt

 

[White Room]

Tend to find cement render works well....

 

[Mike Mike]

Photo please so we can see exactly what you're describing.

In principle answers to your questions:
1. You can tile the insert/alcove but remove the plaster first (or it will crack/come away from the wall more, bringing your tiles with it).
2. What sort of tiles? Porcelain or granite. Both formed under very high temperature.
3. No, do not put plasterboard anywhere near a fireplace because it has paper backing and that isn't the world's most fireproof material. Cement backerboards would be better, but may not be required at all, subject to photo.
4. Yes you would need flexible adhesive and grout because of the huge variation of heat in the localised area there will be expansion and contraction which may cause normal C1 cementious adhesives to crack.

Ummm, are you by any chance a fictional character from a 70's or 80's children's TV programme called Bod, character name Aunt Flo?? The Bod Walk - YouTube

(Just askin')

 

[flo35]

No, not related to Aunt Flo, though I do remember the theme tune for Bod! Could I tile on to the cement board? I have removed all the plaster - what a job. The insert has a cement (uneven) skim over the bricks. How do I attached the board to the wall? whay about the joins in the corners? Unable to send pic, camera need batteries, and none in the house. Sorry I sound so thick - women and DIY you know
Flo

 

[Perry]

Tend to find cement render works well....

Yes Mark but brick tiles look better lol

 

[Mike Mike]

No, not related to Aunt Flo, though I do remember the theme tune for Bod! Could I tile on to the cement board? I have removed all the plaster - what a job. The insert has a cement (uneven) skim over the bricks. How do I attached the board to the wall? whay about the joins in the corners? Unable to send pic, camera need batteries, and none in the house. Sorry I sound so thick - women and DIY you know
Flo

Bod! :lol:

Yes, you can tile onto cement backer boards. These need to be fixed to the wall with flexible tile adhesive and screws/rawl plugs. But it may be much easier to make the render flat and tile directly onto that (can't say 100% without seeing it, but understand that your camera doesn't work at the mo, Flo :smilewinkgrin.

You can either re-render with sand and cement (you can buy 20kg bags with the correct ratio of sand to cement, they should only be a fiver, or less), but expect to make a fair old mess, because render is thick and at least half will fall on the floor.

OR, you could do the same thing but with a flexible tile adhesive, which is much easier to work with. Just make sure that you don't exceed the maximum manufacturer recommended thickness. Stonefix adhesive from memory allows up to 20mm, which is one of the higher thicknesses. You would use the same adhesive to fix the tiles.

This doesn't help you, but local to me they are selling 300 x 300 black galaxy granite for £18 / m2. That would look nice in any fireplace and would be the perfect material and colour for that application. If they are £18/m2 in Sweden then you MUST be able to find them for that price, or less, in the U.K....

Good luck Flo

 

[Perry]

Bod! :lol:

Yes, you can tile onto cement backer boards. These need to be fixed to the wall with flexible tile adhesive and screws/rawl plugs. But it may be much easier to make the render flat and tile directly onto that (can't say 100% without seeing it, but understand that your camera doesn't work at the mo, Flo :smilewinkgrin.

You can either re-render with sand and cement (you can buy 20kg bags with the correct ratio of sand to cement, they should only be a fiver, or less), but expect to make a fair old mess, because render is thick and at least half will fall on the floor.

OR, you could do the same thing but with a flexible tile adhesive, which is much easier to work with. Just make sure that you don't exceed the maximum manufacturer recommended thickness. Stonefix adhesive from memory allows up to 20mm, which is one of the higher thicknesses. You would use the same adhesive to fix the tiles.

This doesn't help you, but local to me they are selling 300 x 300 black galaxy granite for £18 / m2. That would look nice in any fireplace and would be the perfect material and colour for that application. If they are £18/m2 in Sweden then you MUST be able to find them for that price, or less, in the U.K....

Good luck Flo

Mike what's wrong with brick slips lol

 

[Mike Mike]

Mike what's wrong with brick slips lol

Sorry PJC, nothing's wrong with brick slips, I like the look of them very much.

I was in the middle of typing my first response to Flo when you posted up about brick slips, so it wasn't that I was ignoring them or implying that some sort of tile was preferable. I think brick slips are the most natural looking thing for a fireplace insert. In fact, if I could buy them here, I would get some for my own fireplace, because what's there now is a bit naff (orginal 1950's fireproof briquettes that doesn't look very good now and, like Flo's have started to crack. Maybe I should get some of that cheap granite... :lol.

 

[Perry]

Sorry PJC, nothing's wrong with brick slips, I like the look of them very much.

I was in the middle of typing my first response to Flo when you posted up about brick slips, so it wasn't that I was ignoring them or implying that some sort of tile was preferable. I think brick slips are the most natural looking thing for a fireplace insert. In fact, if I could buy them here, I would get some for my own fireplace, because what's there now is a bit naff (orginal 1950's fireproof briquettes that doesn't look very good now and, like Flo's have started to crack. Maybe I should get some of that cheap granite... :lol.

Most or the brick slips we use are about 60 -100 years old cut from real bricks