Tiling Woodburning Stove Inset

[janzbro]

Hi, we have a woodburning stove inset into a chimney breast and the previous owner has had the inset lined with plasterboard and skimmed over, needless to say it has all cracked and large chunks have fallen off.

Just wondering what would be the best plan of attack to sort it out, I am torn between cementboarding (hardibacker) it and painting or tiling it with a travertine tiles to match the floor surface.

Cement baord - I have used hardibacker before and had a ***** of a time cutting it (wore out 4 jigsaw blades, totally smothed them off) what is the best/ easiest way to cut it?

Travertine - I get the feeling looking at the cracks in my floors due to the underfloor heating thats its very soft and if the underfloor heating has cracked them god knows what a cast iron box giving out 250'C plus would do to it.

Any thoughts and advice welcome

John

 

[Old Mod]

Cement baord - I have used hardibacker before and had a ***** of a time cutting it (wore out 4 jigsaw blades, totally smothed them off) what is the best/ easiest way to cut it?

Use an angle grinder with an old cutting blade, make sure the board is on good flat even surface, wear eye protection, and a mask is a must!
Stand with the wind in your back so as u cut the dust is taken away from you, what will also help is to hold the grinder with the cutting wheel on your right side and body on your left!
Upside down if u will, and drag the grinder toward u! That way all the dust will be thrown away from you instead of toward you!
And if the blade snags, the grinder will be pushed toward u,
rather than pulled from your hands.
Your natural reactions will make u grab it tighter, rather than u trying to hang on to it as its pulled out of your hands!

That happens to be how I always use a grinder anyway, it may feel strange at first but I think it's safer.

 

[p4ulo]

Just score and snap it, with the cutting blade made for the job??

 

[Old Mod]

Just score and snap it, with the cutting blade made for the job??

Useless things!

 

[Thesilverfox.pt]

Hi, we have a woodburning stove inset into a chimney breast and the previous owner has had the inset lined with plasterboard and skimmed over, needless to say it has all cracked and large chunks have fallen off.

Just wondering what would be the best plan of attack to sort it out, I am torn between cementboarding (hardibacker) it and painting or tiling it with a travertine tiles to match the floor surface.

Cement baord - I have used hardibacker before and had a ***** of a time cutting it (wore out 4 jigsaw blades, totally smothed them off) what is the best/ easiest way to cut it?

Travertine - I get the feeling looking at the cracks in my floors due to the underfloor heating thats its very soft and if the underfloor heating has cracked them god knows what a cast iron box giving out 250'C plus would do to it.

Any thoughts and advice welcome

John

With regard to cutting 12mm hardiebacker board, the best results I have found is using a wet tile saw with a diamond blade, there is no dust (which is extremely harmful) and it produces a super smooth edge, you could use an angle grinder free hand but use it with a diamond blade and a trickle of water which again stops dust, I know other people say you can cut it using the tungsten carbide hand cutter which probably works okay on the thinner flooring grade which is 6mm, but I have found it very labour intensive and not that great a result.

 

[janzbro]

Hi, I have tried to score and snap but the finished edge was a little bumpy to say the least

I have a 9" grinder with a stone cutting disc but thought that might be over kill!!!!

 

[Old Mod]

Hi, I have tried to score and snap but the finished edge was a little bumpy to say the least

I have a 9" grinder with a stone cutting disc but thought that might be over kill!!!!

Not if it works! Haha

 

[p4ulo]

I do admit, you get a pretty rough edge, I tend to heavily score both sides on either thickness to get it better, then tend to finish it off smooth with a pair of mole grips with the grip-gap set just right....A grinder would work sure, but I've heard really terrible things about the dust off these boards....!

 

[Doggit]

Alternatively, go talk to your local woodburning stove shop, and see about vermiculite heat resistant board, or Vitcas heat resistant plaster.