New hearth. Lay on top of carpet?

[bigelaine2]

Hi folks

I am about to put in a new fireplace, electric fire and marble hearth. I am working with a blank canvas and was wondering whether I should put the hearth on top of my new carpet or lay the hearth down before the carpet is layed? Any suggestions greatfully received.

Thanks

[Clanad]

Please don't lay the hearth on top of the carpet. It should be cut back to accept the hearth or even cut back more and a transition strip layed down. Good luck with it!

[maggie01]

Sorry but what difference does it make if any? We have our carpet cut around the hearth but our previous house, we already had the carpet laid so put the marble hearth on top.

[bigelaine2]

The difference to me is that if I lay the hearth on the carpet and then fit the skirtings onto the wall and cut around the hearths profile, what happens when I change the carpet and the new carpet is a different depth/pile? The skirtings may have to be renewed as there may be a gap between the hearth and the skirtings? Has anyone had this problem?

[willowman]

Is a flexible, movable carpet a suitable base for a heavy marble hearth? I think not! If you ask at any fireplace showroom I believe, and it's only my belief, that they will recoil in horror at the idea. If you change the carpet at some time in the future then you will have to cut round the fireplace to remove the old carpet, so why not fit it round the f/place now.

Also carpets are fitted to gripper rods all round the room to hold them in place. Should you lay the hearth on top of the carpet you will have an area not fixed. What happens if the carpet should move and pull out slightly from under the hearth? How will you get it back?

[woofgang]

It won't look real if you lay the hearth on the carpet!

[mimififi]

just pull the carpet up, lay the hearth and thenlay it back down...

Why is the carpet laid before the skirtings are on...? I'd pull the whole carpet away from the walls, take up the gripper rods, put the hearth down, fix the skirtings (paint them) lay the rods back on, lay the carpet last.

It sounds like a big old fag, but it will look better in the end, far more professional. Is this a new house?

[maggie01]

The only reason we put the hearth on top of the carpet, was that the carpet had only been put down about 8 months when we decided to change the fire surround. We didn't feel confident enough to cut the carpet. If you are starting from scratch then obviously the hearth would go down first. Having said that we had no problems. The hearth was too heavy for the carpet to move, and when we replaced the carpet after about 5yrs, the carpet fitters just cut the old one away .

[grahamfreer]

Do not put marble hearth on carpet or wooden floorboards it must be laid on a bed of sand & cement mix or in a short time it will crumble or break into a few pieces (i have seen it many times)