Fireplace Installation Notes

General Notes

-A qualified engineering professional should be used to determine all structural requirements.

-All instructions should be read prior to commencement of any work.

-A listing of recommended products is located at the end of this section.

-Installation should only be attempted by qualified personnel with the necessary tools and experience to undertake this type of work.

-This work may require the prior approval of local building officials and be affected by local building codes

-All grouts, mortars sealants, etc. should be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction unless noted otherwise.

-Milestone recommends that qualified masons be used for stone installations. The Cast Stone Institute's (www.caststone.org) recommendations and guidelines should be used for all installations.

-Due to the flexible nature of construction adhesive, sanded caulk or Laticrete Spectraloc epoxy grout should used in lieu of normal grout when adhering the stone pieces with construction adhesive.

-When Grouting or caulking many find it easier to tape off adjacent surfaces to minimize clean-up.

Installation

1.Prior to installation ensure that the surface that is to receive the fireplace is clean, level, and structurally sound. Pull all materials from crate/crates to be sure all parts needed are included and none are damaged. You can check parts with supplied packing list.

2.Layout fireplace parts on the floor following the assembly sheets to familiarize yourself with the separate stone pieces. Dry fitting of pieces ensures that you are familiar with layout and minimizes incorrect installations

3.Layout fireplace on the wall it is to be installed on showing necessary heights and widths. It is also a good idea to draw the outline of the legs to aid in placement of grout spacers and adhesive.

4.After proper measurements are taken, it is time to start adhering the stone to the wall. Keep in mind some cutting may be necessary to reach your specified measurements (refer to the cutting instructions sheet and the Milestone cut sheets in your information packet for all cutting). Beginning at the bottom of the fireplace, place a large amount of adhesive to the back of the hearth in one of two ways:

A) Apply large puddles near each corner, as well as the top and bottom centers, making certain that excess adhesive will not seep from beneath the edges when applied.

B) Apply a thick line around the perimeters of the stone and in the center portions, ensuring no excess flows from beneath the surface when adhered.

5.Follow the same instructions for installation of legs and top pieces. REMEMBER: All joints should be set at 1/4”. **The legs and top pieces will also need strap anchors-attached at the top of each piece (see picture for reference). Only attach anchors to top pieces if a mantle will be attached above. The anchors can either be attached by bending into an “L” position and screwing into top of leg, or attaching directly into the back of stone. A jig setup will be necessary to hold the legs firmly against the wall until adhesive fully cures. Be sure to level and measure as you shim, while placing these pieces to the wall.

6.When attaching the top-portion of the fireplace, you will need to ensure that a shelf is built to hold the stone in place while adhesive cures (refer to photo and installation sheet).

7. mantle (if applicable). After fireplace legs and top pieces are installed, your mantle is ready for assembly, and can be applied one of two ways, either by angle irons or pins.

A. Attaching the mantle using angle iron

-Angle iron 1/16”-3/16”is preferable

-Angle iron will need to span just short of the entire length of the mantle, measuring 2-3” in depth and height on the angle to adequately support the mantle.

-Attach angle iron to header board at an approximate height where the mantle can be caught midway (top to bottom) from behind. The back of the mantle will then be slotted deep enough to accept the portion of the angle iron protruding from the wall by setting your saw to the appropriate depth.

-Apply construction adhesive to both the angle iron and the slot in the mantle. After mantle is slid onto the angle iron, a jig should be set up for support while adhesive cures.

B. Attaching a mantle with pins

-Use all-thread 1/8” to 1/4” diameter. (You may also use steel dowels or rebar in place of all-thread). Accurate measurement is very important when finding placement for the pins.

-Locate the center of the mantle which, when placed on top of the fireplace, should butt up directly to the header board.

-Mark the center of the back of the mantle, then mark the 2 spots on the back of each mantle piece where the pins should be set. The spots should be centered to the height and width of the piece.

-The marks should then be mirrored onto the header board and pre-measured for accuracy. The holes should align perfectly.

-Drill into the header board first, approximately 1/2 of the way thru, and fill the holes with the adhesive and place the pins into the holes, let adhesive cure. If the back of the header board is accessible, you may drill straight thru and bolt the back of the all thread to the board.

-Double-check the alignment of pins to marks. If pins are aligned, drill into the back of the mantle pieces matching the depth of the remaining visible pins.

-After drilling, cover threads, back of mantles, drilled holes, and header board where mantle will be placed with adhesive.

-Slip mantle pieces onto pins and hold with jig or frame until adhesive cures. It is also helpful to attach the mantle pieces together using the pin method. This keeps all of the mantle pieces from falling out of alignment and keeps them level. (See picture).

8. After the fireplace has been installed, you will need to grout all open joints. Refer to the general instructions sheet for all instructions and all Milestone recommended products. It is also a good idea to seal your fireplace, which can be done using the specified sealant. This will not only help keep stains off of your fireplace but will make cleaning much easier.

Products

Epoxy – Laticrete 310 or equivalent

Mortar – Mapei Ultraflex 2

Grout – Mapei Keracolor S (biscuit)

Sealers – Aqua Mix Penetrating Sealer

Caulking – Mapei Keracaulk S (biscuit)

Fasteners - Tapcon or equivalent masonry fastener