How can I change fireplace surround without tearing mantle from wall?
by J
The great-room fireplace has a surround of sheets of tile that look like copper buttons. I want to replace those with black slate. Is there any way around ripping the mantle of the wall.
I really like the copper! But if you don’t, you can likely tile over it without removing the mantle.
You can tile directly over the copper. Only time you can tile ove tile large format tile over small format tile. Apply thinset on the copper but also butter the back of the slate. This will create good coverage and a suction between both.
I would level the surface around the dots to an even surface using a grout (or attach a thin sheet of plywood) and tile over the existing. You want a good, solid surface to put on new tiles.