(Bedroom) Fireplace Hearths

[parkview094]

Hello all,

Wanted to solicit a few opinions if I may... We're lucky enough to have all our original fireplaces intact, but there's something a bit odd going on with the hearths. All the bedroom fireplaces appear to have concrete hearths. Surely they would have originally had some form of tiled covering or something similar? Yet, there's no evidence of such. The fireplace and surround is hard up against the floor suggesting they were never previously tiled.

Regardless of history, we now face the question of how to finish the hearths. We're planning to carpet the rooms, but I'm not hugely keen on carpeting right into the fireplace. Would a purveyor of slate hearths be able to cut something to fit around the existing surround, or should we tile? Any suggestions most welcome..

 

[bennoa1]

The first one looks like a stone edge with slate insert - nice. We've got one which is buried under hardboard and carpet and surrounded by wide pine boards (about 8" wide and must be original so about 350 years old) but the size is similar to this. Cant recall what was under their now as that will be one of the later rooms to be refurbed.

 

[plasticpigeon]

There is probably some kind of rubble/concrete underneath, probably on top of a trimmer arch. I imagine they would have had tiles on at one time, but i suppose they may have got damaged and then removed and covered with concrete as it is cheap. Why not remove the cement and put down tiles? the ironwork will be attaced to the wall somehow so it might have been possible to get under it and pour concrete/screed up to the base of the ironwork.

 

[Lime]

The first one looks absolutely original to me.
The second one may be too but can't see it for the fender.
It was common not to have tiles in a bedroom but less so in more important rooms.
I wouldn't dig out the hearth.
To start with you might regret it because you never know what you will (or will not) find under it giving support.
Secondly it is part of the house original structure.

 

[mims&pip]

What period does your house date from parkview? Is it the very nice one one in your linked blog?

In our last house (1800 ish) there were no tiles on the bedroom fireplace hearths (just stone slabs), but this was a thatched village house, which despite having some Georgian features more associated with more refined houses (shutters and high ceilings), was originally the home of the village saddler so not a grand residence by any means. In our previous Victorian houses (1880-1890s, ranging from modest three-bed terrace up to rambling six-bed detached villa) the bedroom fireplaces did have decorative tiled hearths.

Our current house (1853 detached, extended to four beds in 1924) had its bedroom fireplaces removed by a PO The one bedroom we have tackled so far and where we have decorated/removed the carpet revealed a stone hearth with no evidence of tiles. The others have yet to be investigated.....I was hoping that the one in the Arts & Crafts extension (our *snug* but formerly the master bedroom) might have some period appropriate ones, but I'm doubtful tbh ......

Have to say I'm envious of your first one with the Delft type tiles :mrgreen:

I have to agree with Lime and wouldn't personally want to tamper with the hearth by digging it out.

Mims x

 

[88v8]

Have a wood surround made for the hearth (like that planished thing in your pic but the right size and perhaps simpler and hardwood, so not very like it really), screw it to the floor with brass screws, and carpet up to it, leaving the hearths as they are.
The surround needs to be screwed down or the carpet will lift it.
Worked well in our previous house.

Ivor

 

[parkview094]

Thanks all for your most helpful suggestions and thoughts.

You're right - it seems as all the bedrooms have exactly the same 'unfinished' hearth whilst downstairs they're all tiled. I guess this must have been the original intention. I'm liking the idea of getting a wooden fender made up, that'll keep me busy on google at work today..

Attached is a clearer picture of the cast iron fireplace sans fender..



The hearth seems to be in relatively good condition, although somewhat paint stained. I wonder if this should just be painted? I'm guessing any masonry style paint might work?

..the other bedroom fireplace was cracked and having read the various posts last night, I thought I'd investigate further..




..transpires the right hand piece of the hearth just lifts out to reveal that these must have been laid directly on just a lead tray of some form. There's absolutely no support under the lead on the right hand side hence why I suspect the hearth has cracked. When we come to redecorate this room, (which is our temporary in-bedroom kitchen) I suspect I'll have to find a way of supporting the hearth better. Definitely a project for another day. Interestingly though, although the hearth is 'black', the material it's made up of definitely has a reddish hue.. I wonder if the red was original and the black is paint?

We've actually moved house since the blog. Really must update that, good catch! Current project (home) is a ~1900 Edwardian semi.



...there's a good few of these style houses dotted around where we live. Each pair of semi's is slightly different, but all have 1 bedroom with the delft-esque fireplace. Must have been some hallmark of the architect/builder. Interestingly, this particular fireplace never appears in a principal bedroom. I wonder whether these were always intended for some childs bedroom given the "children at play" theme?

 

[Lime]

..transpires the right hand piece of the hearth just lifts out to reveal that these must have been laid directly on just a lead tray of some form. There's absolutely no support under the lead on the right hand side hence why I suspect the hearth has cracked. When we come to redecorate this room, (which is our temporary in-bedroom kitchen) I suspect I'll have to find a way of supporting the hearth better. Definitely a project for another day. Interestingly though, although the hearth is 'black', the material it's made up of definitely has a reddish hue.. I wonder if the red was original and the black is paint?

If you dismantled the whole house you would find plenty of original construction items that you would worry about because they are not built in a way that you think is ok.
That applies to all houses, not just old ones.
Builders take short cuts whenever they can get away with it and present day housing is absolutely no exception.
What you should consider (IMO) is that the hearth has stood the test of time and is unlikely to get any worse if the house does not suffer subsidence or movement in the future.
The fact that the thin skim has cracked suggests that at some time something heavy and inappropriate has been stood or dropped on the hearth.
If you place a fixed fender around the hearth you are unlikely to repeat that mistake.
Or perhaps a gas fitter has been particularly heavy-handed at some time.
Almost all older houses with gas have some fireplaces that have suffered some sort of damage from the gas man.
I really would not worry about the hearth at all.

 

[Feltwell]

Lower status rooms may not have had a tiled hearth.

In my 1899 house, the two larger bedrooms on the first floor have tiled hearths, whereas the much smaller third bedroom has a concrete hearth, painted black by someone.

Better than the bedrooms on the next floor up though - no fireplaces at all, ceilings attached directly to the rafters with no roof insulation of course - I doubt that heat rising from the floors below made much difference to the comfort levels!