Rimu hearth surround

It’s easy to finish off a fireplace with this stylish rimu hearth surround.

How to build a Rimu hearth surround

Ways with wood with Mark Rayner - Project 89

Difficulty level: Challenging

You will need:

20mm x 40mm dressed rimu (approx 3m);
Bucket with tile grout mixed to manufacturer’s instructions;
Clean cloths;
Mitre saw;
Paintbrush, pen or pencil, PVA glue;
Resene paint pot, Resene Polythane, Resene Polythane Brush Cleaner, rubber gloves;
Sandpaper, squeegee for grouting, sponge;
Tape measure, tiled or concrete hearth.

To get the look: Mark also varnished the native timber floorboards with four coats of Resene Polythane.

Other ideas: If you prefer to use a waterborne product, varnish the rimu surround with Resene Aquaclear instead.

How to make a hearth surround

Step one
Measure the dimensions of the hearth and mark accordingly on the piece of rimu.

Step two
Set the mitre saw to forty five degrees and cut the lengths of rimu to size. Smooth any rough edges with sandpaper. Check that the pieces fit correctly around the hearth.

Step three
Apply PVA glue to the bottom of each length of rimu and also a little at each of the mitred joints.

Step four
Carefully place the pieces of rimu into position and allow the PVA glue to dry overnight.

Step five
Lightly sand the edges and corners of the rimu surround and then wipe off any sanding residue with a clean cloth.

Step six
Apply three to four coats of Resene Polythane to the rimu surround allowing a minimum of three hours for each coat to dry.

Step seven
Clean the brush with Resene Polythane Brush Cleaner.

Step eight
Apply tile grout to the gap between the tiled hearth and rimu surround, following manufacturer’s instructions. Wipe off any excess with a damp sponge and allow to dry.

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