# Extending a raised hearth... Wood framing okay - or do I need to do a block found?



## Panzer5 (Oct 21, 2008)

The house currently has a small raised hearth on a block foundation that drops through the floor to a footer in the crawlspace below the frostline.

HO wants the hearth to be a foot wider on either side. Can I use 2x12s to the wooden floor to support veneer (MT) stone? Please see drawing.

or do I need to drop new block & widen the footer?

(Really don't want to dig in the crawlspace).


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

You can do what you want but I would not go through widening the hole and footing for stone veneer.



Andy.

Sorry about that, now that I think of it I sounded a bit rude.

I just meant to say that I would feel comfortable just framing it up and not worrying about the relatively little extra weight of the new veneer And framing.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

What do the specs on the heating device call for in regards to distance from combustible materials.


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## Panzer5 (Oct 21, 2008)

@ Griz... I'm okay on the cumbustible materials issue: both far enough away and the wood will be covered by stone veneer. 

@ Andy - I've not had an objectionable comment from you yet. Don't sweat it.

I'm comfortable with it too - basically I see the stone veneer as thick tile.

Just proceeding with an abundance of caution.

This is the umpteenth change these folks have asked for & while they're paying for all the change orders - I'm ready to finish this project & move on to my others.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Andy just didn't finish his coffee before he replied...:whistling:laughing:

Just frame it & rock & roll...:thumbup:


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## Panzer5 (Oct 21, 2008)

I haven't either.

I'm having a Monday on a Saturday. Trying to beat the rain next week & this project is plagued by delays.

I should be at the customer's house framing while I still have sun - but woke up this morning to a freezing house & learned that the pilot light won't stay lit on my newly purchased home's legacy oil to gas conversion furnace - some problem with the thermocouple.


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## 2low4nh (Dec 12, 2010)

Just as a reference the fact that stone is covering the wood does not matter. The radiant heat through the stone causes pyrolysis which can cause spontaneous combustion of the wood. on a side note I ran in to the same problem last year. I ended up blockin it in. I think wood framing would work though.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

2low4nh said:


> Just as a reference the fact that stone is covering the wood does not matter. The radiant heat through the stone causes pyrolysis which can cause spontaneous combustion of the wood.


Not going to deny that in theory that can happen, but it would take some unholy extreme circumstances to make it so. I'm not aware of any codes written with that in mind which would apply to the case in question.

It's a hearth, not a firebox. All a hearth needs to do is protect combustibles from the odd stray burning ember. Radiant heat emission is going to be essentially squat for that.


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## Paul B (Mar 10, 2007)

Doesn't look like you are bringing combustibles any closer to the fire box.


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## Paul's (Oct 14, 2010)

If you're using lickem & stickem, go ahead and frame it out. If you are using real stone you risk having the joints crack from floor vibration.


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## Panzer5 (Oct 21, 2008)

I decided to build a semi-cantilever (yeah, belt & suspenders).

It should work. Worst case scenario: I have to grout a crack.


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