# Slate fireplace surround questions



## flh801978 (30 Jul 2009)

Hello
I have aquired an old fireplace surround in black slate ( it was painted...marbelized? but stripped that off) Anyhow I've come to fittting it.How do i fasten it to the wall? and indeed how do I glue it to itself?
I'm thinking tile adhesive ( tile to tile type)

Then theres some engraved lines on the slate what could i use to gild these?

And then finally what do I use to finish the slate to give it a sheen finish

Ian


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## trousers (30 Jul 2009)

I may be corrected but traditionally it would have been plaster of paris.

It's doubtful it will have any fixing lugs so chip the plaster off the wall and fix the surround to the brickwork. I've used dry lining adhesive.
If its in bits, build and fix the various parts in stages (using the minimum of adhesive/plaster), the mantle shelf last. Make good the plaster.

Don't know about the gilding- try different things on the back before you fix it ? For a finish try wax polish, or for a tougher result there are sealers recommended for slate flooring.

ps when fixing the mantle shelf, they are usually recessed into the brickwork by about an inch ( fairly tight fit and plastered in) so it won't move when somebody leans on it.


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## flh801978 (31 Jul 2009)

Thanks for those tips trousers
I'm going to chase the wall for the uprights and mantle and use this tile adhesive i've bought which seems to have lots of grab
Wondered about buying some gold leaf for the engraving.

Ian


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## matt (31 Jul 2009)

WD40 for finishing.


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## AndyT (1 Aug 2009)

The way that our old Victorian fireplaces are fixed is with small brass plates (like mirror plates) that stick out at the back. The plaster is hacked away at these points and the plates are screwed back to the brick.

I expect originally the fireplace would have gone on to the wall before all the plastring was done.

And to fix the bits together, Araldite works well.

Andy


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## Derek Willis. (2 Aug 2009)

I once covered a whole wall about 12foot by 8foot with large slabs of slate, they were shelves from a bank vault, mainly 8feet long by 2feet wide, I cut them and jigsawed them together, used pva on the wall and on the back of the slate, and bedded them on the wall with thistle plaster, the last time I saw them was ten years later and still sound.
Derek.


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## flh801978 (3 Aug 2009)

Jobs finished now

I chased the wall out with a twin bladed wall chaser for the uprights and the mantle
Stood the uprights on a pad of putty as they were stood on a granite hearth stone
Placed a blob of tile on tile adhesive every 3 inches in the slots and pushed the uprigts into the adhesive.

more adhesive on the tops and the mantle shelf installed in the same way.

Filled with polyfiller ( very little to do of that)

Just got to finish the engraving and polish the lot

Many thanks for all the advice

Ian


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