How to Tile a Hearth

Jazz up the buffer between the fire and the floor with colorful tiles

Harry Sawyers

Step 6: Fill out the field

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Introduction
Overview
Step 1
Prepare the substrate
Step 2
Dry-fit the tile
Step 3
Cut the tiles
Step 4
Spread the thinset
Step 5
Set the tile
Step 6
Fill out the field
Step 7
Grout the joints

Set the rest of the field tiles, one quadrant at a time. Work outward from the center, and fill in the entire field before adding the cut tiles at the edges. Use spacers between the tiles to maintain even gaps for the grout.

Once you've completed a quadrant, check the tiles with a level or straightedge. Make sure the pieces are set on an even plane. If a tile is too low, pry it up and butter the back with thinset to raise it. If a tile is too high, gently push it down or remove some mortar to create room. Fill in the edge tiles last and make sure all grout spaces look even and straight.

Tip: Once spread out, thinset has a working time of about 30 minutes, so only cover small areas at one time

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Tools List

Utility Knife
Drill/Driver with mixing paddle
3/8-Inch Notched Trowel
Caulking Gun
Wet-cutting Tile Saw
(rents for about $40 a day)
4 Foot level
Putty Knife
Rubber Grout Float
Grout Sponge

Shopping List

1. TILES
Available at home centers and tile dealers, though most high-end tile requires ordering as much as six weeks in advance. Tiles are sold by the square foot, ranging in price from $2 to about $50. You should look for tiles with a foot-traffic rating of 3 or above (on a scale of 1 to 5). Given a set of measurements, some tile dealers will calculate how much you need, and art-tile manufacturers may make you all the tiles, in the right sizes, to order. But you can also determine the square footage yourself: Multiply the length in inches by the width, and divide the result by 144. Then add 10 percent to that number for waste cuts.

2. ½-INCH CEMENT OR FIBER-CEMENT BACKER BOARD
to go over a plywood subfloor and create a flat, stable surface for installation.

3. CONSTRUCTION ADHESIVE
to glue backer board to the subfloor.

4. 11/4-INCH BACKER-BOARD SCREWS
to screw the backer board to the subfloor. 5. UNMIXED THINSET MORTAR
Also known as setting cement. One 50-pound bag should be enough. Do not use mastic; it can’t take high heat.

6. LATEX ADDITIVE
to mix with the thinset, as the liquid. It improves flexibility and creates a stronger bond than a water-based mix.

7. TILE SPACERS
Porcelain tiles can have as little as a 1/8-inch gap between them, while ceramic tiles can be 3/6 to 3/8 inch apart and terra-cotta tiles can be spaced 3/4 inch apart. Handmade tiles may require special surface spacers that accommodate irregularities on the top edge. Buy spacers appropriate for your tile type and the grout lines your layout dictates.

8. GROUT
Use sanded grout if the space between your tiles will be greater than 1/8 inch, unsanded if it’s smaller. You can also buy colored grout to more closely match your tile.