How to Tile in Front of a Fireplace
A simple and efficient way to add some personality to any fireplace is with tile. All it calls for is a little creativity and you can completely transform the main focal point of your living room. Tile is easy to clean and thus makes it great to have in front of a fireplace. Find a tile color that complements your home décor to complete the design of the living room.
Things You’ll Need:
- Circular saw
- Pry bar
- Utility knife
- Vacuum
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Tile & tile adhesive
- Spacers
- Tile cutter
- Trowel
- Grout float
- Grout
- Sponge
- Measure the space where the tile will be placed and cut away any existing flooring, like carpet or linoleum, with a utility knife. Use a circular saw for tougher floors, like hardwood, and pry the flooring up slowly with a pry bar to make sure the borders are even. Vacuum the floor thoroughly to clear any debris.
- Place the tiles onto the floor and determine the placement and spacing. Center the tiles with the fireplace and evenly space them apart. Draw around the center tile with a pencil and pick up the tiles and set them aside.
- Spread tile adhesive inside the pencil outline and set the center tile. Press the tile firmly and place spacers around the four corners of the tile.
- Use a trowel to spread tile adhesive to the rest of the area. Press the rest of the tiles into the adhesive, adding spacers between all tiles. Wipe away any excess tile adhesive with the trowel.
- Cut the tiles that are going to wrap around the fireplace. Mark where the tile needs to be cut with a pencil on its underside. Cut the tiles according to your pencil markings and press the tiles into the adhesive. Let the adhesive dry overnight.
- Use a grout float to spread grout over the tops of the tiles. Work the grout into the spaces between the tiles to eliminate air pockets.
- Clean excess grout with a wet sponge. Wipe the sponge over the tiles until all excess grout is removed. Let the grout dry overnight.