Granite Surround on Fireplace - Drilling ?


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Old 11-28-06, 04:29 AM
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Question Granite Surround on Fireplace - Drilling ?

I've mounted the left and right side granite surround pieces to my firebox ( wood burning ). I used F-26 glue as recommended by the manufacturer. I setup the backing with wire mesh fastened to cementboard to ensure i get good friction with the cementboard which is very powdery.

Regarding the granite plate that must be placed overhead....

---it's 3/4" thick
---it's long... 57"


From seeing what it takes to get the side plates on.. good pressure seems to be key.. something this heavy doesn't just 'hang there'.

My plan is to drill 4 small 1/8" holes across the top granite piece fastening with toggle fasteners so that i'll have both the glue and the aid of the 4 screws keeping it up...

HOW DO I DRILL SUCH A SMALL HOLE THRU GRANITE ? WE BOUGHT A COBOLT DRILL BIT AND ALSO TRIED MASON BIT... AND IT TOOK US 15 MINS TO GO 1/16" INTO THIS MATERIAL ! I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DRILL BITS THAT ARE DIAMOND THAT ARE THAT NARROW.

ANY TRICKY IDEAS ON HOW TO APPLY GOOD PRESSURE TO SOMETHING SO HEAVY FOR SO LONG ? THIS IS A FINISHED ROOM AND I CAN'T FASTEN BOARD TO THE THE FLOOR AT 45 DEGREE TO HOLD UP THE TOP PANEL.

THANKS
 
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Old 11-28-06, 08:42 AM
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Did you try one of the glass bits that look like an arrow? They work well. Go slow and keep it wet with a spray bottle to keep it cool as you drill.
 
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Old 11-29-06, 05:49 PM
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The piece doesn't "hang there", it will sit on top of the side pieces. You say you have lath over cement board? That doesn't make any sense, so I will assume I misread it. You can attach the granite with a latex modified thinset directly onto the cement backerboard, and it will hold just fine. It you DID lathe it, you should apply mortar to the lath to provide a scratchcoat, although that is a wasted step over cement board.

Do not drill holes in your surround!
 
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Old 11-30-06, 09:33 AM
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you could use a rotary hammer drill with a carbide bit to drill through granite if you choose to drill holes in your mantle but unless the holes are hidden, I would agree with Tscarborough to not drill any visual holes in your mantle.

From reading your description, I am confused at what you are doing. Did you install granite tiles (i.e. like 12 x 12 inch tiles) or a slab piece around the fireplace and you're now wanting to install this 57 inch x 3/4 inch mantle across the top? How thick are the surround pieces? If they are not thick, they will not hold the mantle up obviously. How are you "gluing" the mantle in place? Can you post a photo so we can see what you've done?

Steve
 
 

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