How to render and tile a brick hearth bench?

fsj117

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to tile a brick bench/hearth (2.4m L x 40cm W x 60cm H) in front of my fireplace. The current brick mortar joints are quite deep/wide, so I’m planning to use Dunlop Multipurpose Acrylic Render to smooth it out before tiling.

I’d really appreciate some advice on a few prep steps:

1. Rendering: Do I need to render the entire surface (top and vertical sides), or is it enough to just fill in the wide mortar joints flush with the bricks?
2. Primer: Should I apply a primer over the cured render/bricks before spreading the tile adhesive?
3. Adhesive: Can I use Dunlop floor tile adhesive on the 60cm vertical sides, or should I use a wall adhesive for the vertical face?

I've attached a photo of the bench for reference.

Thanks in advance for your help!

MitchellMc

Hi @fsj117,

Before getting into the preparation, I'd first check what tiles you're planning to use and the requirements for your particular fireplace. As this is a hearth directly in front of a fireplace, you'll need to ensure the tiles, adhesive and finished hearth construction are suitable for the temperatures they'll be exposed to and meet the fireplace manufacturer's requirements.

Provided the existing bricks are sound, you don't necessarily need to render the entire surface simply because the mortar joints are recessed. You could fill the joints flush with the brick faces to create a level tiling surface. For that, I'd be more inclined to use https://www.bunnings.com.au/dunlop-5kg-ardit-rapidset-repair-mortar_p0760262 rather than an acrylic render.

Once the repair mortar has cured, I'd recommend priming the surface with https://www.bunnings.com.au/dunlop-4l-primer-and-additive_p6829442 before applying your tile adhesive.

For the adhesive, you could use https://www.bunnings.com.au/dunlop-2kg-wall-and-floor-tile-adhesive_p6829353 across both the horizontal and vertical surfaces. That saves you needing separate products for the top and sides. Just make sure your selected tiles are suitable for the temperatures expected around your particular fireplace.

If in doubt, it would be best to consult the fireplace manufacturer or a professional tiler to confirm the proposed tiles, adhesive and preparation method are suitable for the application.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell