What fireplace surround material to mount stone tiles onto?

Heath80

Morning

Just about to work on the fireplace surround , our aim is to stick these decor8 feature stone tiles onto a substrate and then it can rest snugly around the fireplace (electric) and flush with the mantle. I got so e plywood to use but I don't think it's going to be strong enough to support the weight of the tiles. Can you recommend another substrate to use.... I was thinking more fibre cement

Cheers

JacobZ

Hi @Heath80,

The first thing you'll want to do is check the manual for your heater to see if there are any installation requirements that need to be considered, such as setback from combustible materials or clearance for airflow. It is important that you are in line with the manufacturers recommendations to ensure your appliance is installed safely. If any electrical work needs to be carried out, this also must be done by a licenced electrician.

I'd recommend you use James Hardie 2.88m² Villaboard Lining as the substrate for your tiles as it is heat and moisture resistant and is the material that is used as a substrate for tiles in almost all interior wall applications.

You just need to ensure that it is installed in line with the Villaboard Lining Installation Guide, and more specifically, the tiled walls application as shown on page 9.

Let me know what you think and if you have further quetsions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob