How to Fit a Hearth and Back
This guide covers fitting a surround with an electric fire. If you're installing a gas fire, contact a Gas Safe registered engineer, who will make sure your installation is safe. You can fit a wooden surround around an existing gas fire if you follow the gas fire manufacturer's guidelines, but if you're fitting a hearth and back set you should use a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Preparation
Before you start, make sure there's an electric socket nearby. The easiest way is to run a single extension lead (available from Wickes, B&Q and so on) into the chimney breast or wall cavity where the fire will go. You can run the lead under the floor, behind the skirting board or in the wall cavity. That way the fire can be reached at any time, and there's no need to remove the plug from the appliance (which would invalidate its warranty anyway).
If you've ordered downlights, you'll need a double socket extension lead: one socket for the fire and one for the downlights.
Once the lead is in place and plugged into a wall socket, test it to make sure it's working: simply plug in a vacuum cleaner or something similar.
You're now ready for the most important part: bedding the hearth.
Laying the hearth
First, make sure no skirting boards are in the way. The hearth must touch the wall with no gaps, so the skirting board needs either removing completely (and refitting once the fireplace is installed) or cutting to the width of the hearth.
If you don't want to alter your skirting boards, we can make your hearth to a length that fits the space you have. When giving us a bespoke hearth length, remember the measurement is for the top of the hearth, not the footprint, which is slightly smaller.
The hearth must sit on a solid surface. Laminate and floorboards are fine, but you must not lay the hearth on carpet. If you have carpet, either pull it back and refit it later, or use the base of the hearth as a template to cut the carpet. A hearth laid on carpet will be unstable and may crack.
Ideally the hearth should be fixed to the floor, and this is best done with tile adhesive or cement. Spread your chosen mix along the bottom edges of the supports and risers underneath the hearth, and lay it on the floor.
Time for a spirit level! Make sure the hearth is flat and level both front to back and side to side. This is the most crucial part: if it isn't level, the whole job will go wrong. If you need to wedge the hearth to level it, do it now, and be quick, before the adhesive sets.
You've now earned a cup of tea. Sit back for 10 minutes while the hearth sets.
Short cut: as hearths are very heavy, you can place the hearth in position and simply run clear silicone sealant around the bottom edges. This only works if the floor is completely flat. If it isn't, always use the method above, or the hearth will crack.
Dry fit the mantel
Unwrap the mantel. Use scissors and only cut from behind, so you don't mark the face of the surround.
Using the supplied fitting kit, fix the right-angle brackets to the back of the mantel legs with the supplied 15mm screws.
Offer the surround up to the wall and work out where to fix the long brackets to the wall. Fix the brackets, then test the surround to check your measurements have worked.
Lift the surround up and lower it onto the wall brackets, making sure both brackets have located and the mantel is secure. The brackets don't have to be level; they're only there to stop the mantel falling forward. This job is easier than hanging a mirror!
If it hasn't worked, try again until it does. Then remove the mantel and put it to one side. You're nearly there!
Back panel
This part is a little tricky and varies with every job, depending on the depth of your electric fire, the depth of the wall cavity and the rebate of your surround. If you have downlights, make sure their cable is plugged in and runs behind the back panel, otherwise it will be visible once you've finished.
The aim is to fix the back panel against the wall, central to the hearth. If you have a chimney breast with plenty of room for the depth of the fire, simply apply tile adhesive to the back of the panel and fix it to the wall. Then hang the surround back on its brackets to hold the panel while it sets. Job done!
If you've asked for a deeper rebate, or the fire is too deep to fit into the chimney breast opening, you'll need to set the back panel forward against the surround, leaving a gap behind the panel for the fire. Most of our mantels have removable rebate strips, which unscrew from behind the inner legs. Removing these three strips gives you more room behind the mantel. Then hang the mantel again and pull the back panel forward to touch the surround. The mantel will hold the panel, but the gap behind it needs packing out with the rebate strips you removed, or MDF, plasterboard, pine or similar, to keep the back panel sturdy. Use tile adhesive or No More Nails to fix the back panel to the packing, and the packing to the wall. See our guide to rebates for more.
Fitting the fire
This is simple plug and play. By now your mantel is hung on the wall and your back panel is set, so all that's left is to unpack the fire and place it in the opening in the back panel.
Plug in the fire, then lift it into the opening. Don't drag the fire across the hearth, or you may scratch it.
The fire may need dressing with its frets and trims, and then you have the finished article.
We hope these instructions give you a good idea of how to fit your surround, hearth and back panel. If you don't fancy doing it yourself, any builder, joiner or gas fitter can do it for you. Prices vary, but it should only take a professional an hour or so.