Marble-look surround, full height
A marble-look surround taken from the hearth to the ceiling on a free-standing column, with a honed black hearth under it. The slab is mitred at the corners so no edge shows.
Home / Fireplace surrounds and feature walls
Fireplace surrounds and feature walls in Gatineau and Ottawa
Porcelain slab, stone and reclaimed brick around fireplaces, plus accent walls anywhere in the house.
What's included
The wall everybody looks at
A fireplace wall is the one surface in a living room that people actually stare at. It is also mostly outside corners and long vertical joints, which is exactly where sloppy tile work shows.
We mitre outside corners on site so the stone looks like it turns the corner in one piece, instead of finishing with a strip of metal trim. On a slab surround we run the veining through the corner so the pattern continues.
What we install
- Full-height porcelain slab surrounds
- Marble and marble-look tile
- Reclaimed and thin brick, straight or herringbone
- Stacked stone and ledgestone
- Mitred mantels and hearths
- Three-dimensional and textured feature tile
- Accent walls anywhere in the house
- Recesses for a TV above the firebox
Things we sort out first
- Clearances to combustibles for your specific unit
- Whether the existing wall can carry the weight of stone or slab
- Framing and backer behind a recessed TV
Gallery
Surrounds and feature walls we have built
Slate slab around a linear fireplace
Slate-look slab taken wall to ceiling around a long linear firebox, joints lined up across the face.
Slate corner surround with a hearth bench
A corner surround in slate-look porcelain with a raised hearth that runs out as a bench. The bench is mitred at the front edge so it reads as solid stone.
Grey slab with the TV recessed above
Grey slab across the chimney breast with the opening for the television framed and tiled into it, so there is no box sitting on the wall.
Marble-look mantel, wood slats either side
A mantel shelf mitred out of the same slab as the surround, with wood slats running up either side of it.
Three-dimensional tile on a feature wall
Faceted tile that catches the light differently at every hour. Tile with relief has to be set on a dead-flat wall, because a lip of a millimetre throws the whole pattern off once the light rakes across it.
Photos are from our own jobs. Tap any one to see it bigger.
How we do it
Step by step
I
Check the unit and the clearances
Every fireplace has its own clearance requirements to combustible material. We work those out before anything gets designed around it.
II
Frame and back it
Non-combustible backer where it is needed, framing for a recess or a mantel, and blocking wherever weight is going to hang.
III
Dry-lay the pattern
On slab and on brick we lay the pattern out on the floor first, so the veining or the brick colour is distributed the way you want it and not the way the box happened to be packed.
IV
Mitre the corners
Outside corners get cut at 45 on site so the corner reads as one continuous piece. This is the detail that makes a surround look expensive.
V
Set from the hearth up
We work upward off a level line so the courses stay straight all the way to the ceiling, which matters most on a two-storey wall.
VI
Grout, point and clean
Grout or mortar joints struck to match the look, then the whole face cleaned down.
What changes the price
What a price depends on
- 01Height. A full two-storey wall is a different job from a surround to the mantel
- 02Material. Slab, natural stone and reclaimed brick all sit differently on price
- 03How many outside corners need mitring
- 04Whether a TV recess or a mantel has to be framed
- 05If an existing brick or stone surround has to come off first
- 06Access, and whether scaffolding is needed
Send a photo of the fireplace as it is now and we can usually tell you on the phone whether it is a simple job or not, then come measure.
FAQ
Questions we get asked
Can you tile over my existing brick fireplace?
Often yes, if the brick is sound and reasonably flat. Sometimes it is faster and cheaper to skim it or board over it first. We will tell you which after we see it.
What about heat clearance?
Every unit has its own required clearance to combustibles. We check the manufacturer spec for your model before anything is designed.
Can you recess a TV above it?
Yes. It has to be framed and backed for it, and the heat coming off the unit matters, so that gets checked first.
Do you supply the mantel?
We install mantels in stone, slab or wood. We can source it or fit one you have bought.
How long does a fireplace take?
A straightforward surround is two to three days. A full-height wall in brick or slab takes longer, and scaffolding adds a bit.
Can you do a feature wall that is not a fireplace?
Yes. Entryways, bar walls, headboard walls and stairwells. Same work, no firebox to design around.
Get a free quote
Thinking about it? Just call.
Tell us what room it is and roughly what you want. We come measure, you get a written price, and there is no charge for that.
819-775-1613