Fireplaces, Heating Stoves, Flues and Chimneys - Help with metal flashing under hearth

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Snaffoo
05-25-09, 08:43 PM
We recently removed the stone hearth in front of our gas fireplace and noticed that under the stone they had a metal sheet/flashing on top of plywood, so it went playwood, flashing, mesh, mortor and then the stone. The fireplace is about 2 feet off the ground and the stone hearth was only about 2 inches high off the floor.

Does anyone know what the flashing is for? We want to carpet right up the fireplace and I need to know if it's ok to remove the flashing or do I need to have it there?

Sparky88
05-25-09, 09:46 PM
The metal was probably only there to keep the plywood from drawing moisture out of the mortor before it could completely set. This is my guess anyway, since there is no reason for it otherwise. You should be able to carpet right up to the fireplace, depending on local codes, of course. Whatever reason it was there, it won't do anything under the carpet so it is somewhat irrelevant.