Hello forum,

I'm in the middle of renovating my great room - which basically consists of new everything. I've removed the old raised fireplace hearth, and I'm currently laying solid 3/4" jatoba throughout.

My issue is what to do with the hardwood as I approach the old hearth area. I cannot decide whether I should run the floor all the way to the wall (minus expansion gap), and install the new raised fireplace hearth on top of the wood - or install the hearth on the sub-floor, and run the floor around the hearth. I've been searching the internet, and although there hasn't been alot of info on my specific issue - I have seen pics of people installing a new hearth on top of a wood floor. What say you all?

Thanks in advance...

Depends on the weight, can't picture what exactly what your talking about (got photo). But....kitchen cabinets are installed on top of nailed down wood all the time.

Yea, pics would help. My thought is the eventual seasonal movement of the hardwood under the hearth. If it's affixed ....gonna need the type of material planned for the hearth...I was thinking tile or something. Is it being built out then something installed on top, like stone or marble?

Why take the chance of Hardwood movement under a hearth that's not designed to move with the wood? May not happen right away, but down the road your asking for possible cracking and or grout problems. Installing over the Hardwood may seem like an easier way to go, but IMO not a good long term idea.
I would install the hearth direct over the subfloor. Picture frame it out with the Jatoba. If need be,( depending on the hearth thickness ), allow for an "undercut edge" for the Hardwood to slip under.

All,

Thanks for the feedback. I'll work on some pictures, although I doubt that they'll be much help - since there's nothing there yet. This is my first (and hopefully last) floor. I've laid about 400 sq ft so far, and it's gone pretty smoothly - but I've yet to encounter any obstacles. I'm just about to install my spline and change directions, and then I will encounter my kitchen cabinets, and the fireplace. To be honest, I'm having difficulty finding good advice on how to treat the space between the floor and the kitchen cabinets, the front and back door, and the fireplace. Any advice in all three areas would be appreciated.

The proposed hearth is going to be about 6 inches high, and extend about 17 inches from the wall. I planned to frame the base with some 2x4s - with maybe some brick veneers on the sides, and a granite slab on top. The opening of my fireplace, and the hearth will be running parallel with my floor (tongue side out) - which according the the video that I've been watching, along with other sources, say is the most susceptible to the expansion and contraction of the wood, so the 3/4" gap must be maintained. The same video talked about maintaining the expansion gap around the "perimeter" of the room. However, they then built a mitered frame around their raised brick hearth - and they butted the wood right up against it. It's as if they've ignored their own advice.

The floorologist makes a good point. If the floor is designed to move, how can I expect anything I install on top of it to stay put? I'm prepared to take your advice. Where can I get more info on the "undercut edge" technique?

Thanks again...

Re: "Allow for an undercut edge"- I should have been more clear. I was referring to leaving a space,( the thickness of the hardwood plus any underlayment), along the front edges of the hearth. This way you slip thehardwood under the edge, and allow for expansion.

Here's an easier way, now that I can picture the hearth. You could frame out the hearth like your talking about. Install the hardwood up to the hearth,( leaving your expansion), install your brick facia last, over the expansion space and the edge of the hardwood. This will also allow you to nail the last row easily.

On your other questions,( cabinets, front & back door ), I think we would need more specifics on what you feel your up against.

Howard, you mean like this one?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/139 ... d9e4_m.jpg

<img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/1397376617_1a4899d9e4_m.jpg">

Perfect, See I could have avoided all that talk and borrowed your picture. Pictures ARE worth a thousand words

On that one I went by the house and gave the guys rocking the fireplace some strips of 3/8 plywood to use, then pulled it out and installed the wood. The extra trip was well worth it. cus its got some deep open pocketed areas I woulda had a tough time undercutting back far enough..

I like to tell people I did undercut it though. Shhhh...don't tell Ken, it's on the sister site in the undercutting article.

Cool...We won't tell Ken. If people ask...we'll just tell them... use an undercut saw with a 12" blade

I've done the same trick when a fireplace is going in , before the hardwood. I'll grab a plank and run tape on the back side,( to ad thickness for MVP,and or adhesive). I know how much tape to apply to the back, to build up to the exact height. Give the plank to the installers, and they set the stone on top of it.

LOL And how much tape would that be Howard....are you coveting top secret proprietary information here?

Hey, you got that right, I'll sell the numbers for a small fee, think I need a life? Have the numbers Sharpied on my work bench. Few months ago I was across town and needed the numbers, now I have um in my notebook, DUH. Only drawback is...If it's MVP+Adh. it takes alot of tape. Here's my sign