Lay Slate hearth "on top" of laminate ???

[shd1970]

Hi there,

I have some 7/8mm QuickStep laminate that is due to be layed by my floor fitter hopefully next week.
We also plan to use the TimberMateExcel underlay

Question : I have a slate hearth approx 60mm thick 800mm wide x 500mm deep and its pretty god damn heavy (70kg ish)

I am deliberating whether to just sit it on the wood and then install my stove direct on top, or whether the slate should be bedded onto the floor using cement or other similar solid mixture, and then the wood cut and fitted to nestle nicely underneath it.

Whats the thought on going direct onto the wood ?
I know you should allow for wood movement side to side

I am concerned that should i have a problem with the wood floor, then the fire AND the hearth would have to come out and also, compression over time that will start to squeeze the wood down and down and cause it to start springing up either side.

Anyone got any advice or experience on this please that they would like to share.

Thanks in advance.

Sean H

 

[Richard C]

What sort of stove is this? If it’s anything other than a decorative stove, installation is notifyable work & governed by several Building Regulations which include the hearth construction & use of combustible materials.

Regulations aside, floor coverings needs an expansion gap & will buckle if you lay the hearth over it.

 

[shd1970]

its a Chesney balanced flue gas stove

a nice bit of kit actually ..... expensive though !

 

[crazydaze]

Fit the hearth then the wood, that kind of weight may well trap the floor and stop it expanding and contracting, you could possibly install the hearth with an expoansion gap allowance for the wood but not all floors can be installed without the requiremnt for a beading or profile around the hearth. I would'nt like to fit a real fire on anything that is not well fixed to the subfloor.

 

[shd1970]

thanks for the reply crazy

i was thinking along the same lines also.

anyone know if it would be acceptable to use some pads/chunks of MDF as the profiles are obviously nice and flat and glue'able as considering the weight, using cement is going to be a bit of a nightmare to get the right height which needs to be pretty accurate so as to not end up with a large gap between the base of the slate and the top of the laminate.

TIA