Laying a hearth

[Mabel]

We are planning to install a multifuel stove into a fireplace opening which (I guess) used to house a range. There's currently no hearth, and we'd like to lay one. Please can anyone suggest suitable materials to use? Some kind of small stone flags, or similar? The floor is quarry tiled. Also: what thickness should we aim for, and is there anything we need to be aware of in terms of mortar and grout, as this will have a stove sitting on it.

Thanks.

 

[Lime]

I assume you intend to build the hearth directly on the quarry tiles?
My main worry with that would be the hearth breaking away from the tiles and coming loose.

 

[mark_j_k]

Don't do what somebody did with our house and lay a fireplace on top of wooden floorboards. The bricks and tiles are cracking and they'll need replacing soon.

 

[Mabel]

Our best option would seem to be to lay the hearth onto the quarry tiles. At some point, replacement tiles have been laid extending back into the fireplace opening, and the outline of an original hearth (at least, I think that's what it is) is evident from pitting on some of the older tiles in front. I'd be reluctant to try and remove any tiles for fear of damaging ones around. I assumed we'd need to make a thin bed of mortar on which to lay the hearth.

Someone suggested that we could build the hearth from bricks. Are there special hearth bricks to do this?