hearth

[plasticpigeon]

Tonight I have built a little wooden framework to put the quarry tiles in the hearth below the small back bedroom fireplace as they were before. They were originally on a very rough trimmer arch with about 3 bricks in it and concrete made from lime and sawdust!!! As I'm not going to use the fireplace the hearth is ornamental. However my girlfriend took great pleasure in telling me what a waste of time it was as it will be carpeted over anyway. I think it is a real shame to loose the feature. Has anyone successfully carpeted round a hearth without using that rather gaudy looking metal edging, or perhaps I should just carpet over and choose my battles wisely

 

[Feltwell]

I'd carpet over it personally - it looks better than it sounds, it's what we've got, and you'll have bigger battles to fight!

If you really don't like the idea then you could possibly get the edges of the cut carpet bound after cutting round the hearth - you can certainly do that for smaller pieces, all the landings on our stairs (there are many!) had matching pieces of carpet on them as rugs, that the previous owner had had edge-bound. We had to get rid of them as they were lethal - too easy to trip over - but that's another story.

Not sure if you'd be able to get a cut out within a large carpet edge-bound or not.

 

[Pford75]

We have quarry tile hearths in several of our fireplaces. In a couple of the bedrooms (where the fireplaces are not in use), we tried both styles of carpeting. In one, we extended right up to the wall, covering the hearth. In the other, we fixed wooden beading (we actually used staircase handrail moulding) to provide an edge around the hearth and carpet up to that.

Aesthetically, the second is so much better. There's something not quite right about carpet right up to a fireplace. If the floorspace allows (since the hearth does restrict foot traffic), I would certainly carpet up to a raised bead.

 

[CliffordPope]

Hearths and fitted carpets don't really go together in my view, but then I hate fitted carpets anyway.

But if you must, I agree wooden beading looks better than metal bling.