Measuring for a boxed and lipped hearth
What you will need:
A straight edge, a spirit level, a measuring tape, a piece of paper and a pencil.
Step 1
Firstly, you need to measure the dimensions of your existing half or plinth that you wish to cover. Using your pencil and paper, sketch a rough diagram of your health, you can also use this to jot down your measurements. Once you've drawn your diagram, you'll need to label the sides A-H.
Step 2
It is now time to measure your new hearth. You will need to start by measuring the width of your existing heart or plinth. It is important to make sure that you add on 90mm if your new hearth is 20mm thick, or 110mm if your new hearth is 30 mm thick. This side will be labelled ‘side B’.
Step 3
The next step will be measuring the depth. In order to do this, you will need to take your straight edge and put it against the wall, and then measure both sides from the back for the straight edge to the front. Taking the longest measurement, you will need to add 45mm for a 20mm hearth or 55mm for a 30mm hearth. This measurement is going to be side A and C.
Step 4
You're now going to measure side E and side G; you need to take the shortest measurement and minus 5 mm to allow for expansion. This measurement will now become the length for side E.
Step 5
The fifth step is to take three measurements from side E to G; the front, the middle and the back. From these measurements, you need to take the shortest measurement and minus 10mm (5 mm from either side), this allows for expansion. That gap can then be filled with cement or silicone – see the installation video for more information on this. This measurement is known as side F.
Finally, you need to measure the height of your existing plinth or hearth. You need to check that the surface is level, and if it's not, you need to find the highest point using the spirit level and then measure down to the floor. You'll then need to add on 25 millimetres onto this measurement if you're bedding the hearth in with cement and sand, or five millimetres if you're using tile adhesive. You'll then need to add on a further 20 or 30 millimetres, depending on the thickness of your new hearth, and that will give you your overall finish height.
You now have all the measurements you need to complete our quick and easy quoting tool and to order your hearth. For more information check out our hearth installation guide.
