How to Install Glass Doors on a Rock Fireplace

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Step 1 - Take a Before Picture

Installing fireplace doors on a rock fireplace takes some foresight and planning. So, before you venture into this project...make things easy on yourself by emailing us some pictures of your fireplace so that we can offer you advice and help you look out for potential issues that could cause otherwise costly snags in your project.

Email Pictures to info@homeofdecor.com
Please include a brief description of what you want (if you know) as well as some rough measurements of your opening. Don't worry about being accurate in the beginning, you will get to that later once you determine what doors you are going to be measuring for.

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Step 2 - Preliminary Planning

Take a close look at your fireplace. Normally you will find that the stones are somewhat even. However, in our example, there are 2 stones that are dramatically different than the rest. These stones will need to be broken down a bit with a hammer and chisel so that our frame will fit more naturally into the opening.

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Step 3 - Make a Template and Measure

The best way to determine the overall size that you want to make your doors to is to measure the narrowest dimensions between the stones and then cut a piece of cardboard in a rectangle slightly smaller than those dimensions.

Don't try to cut the cardboard the shape of the stones. What we need to know is the actual "rectangular" dimension that the door frame needs to be made to.

This cardboard should fit loosely leaving about 1/4" to 1/2" between the narrowest points. Notice above that we ignored the 2 unusual stones when we made the template because we will be chiseling these stones down a bit.

We do not need you to send us the template if it is a rectangular fireplace opening. We just suggest that you go through this exercise in order to determine the overall finished size that you need the frame made to...

For arched openings, we will need the template and your template should reflect the overall outside size and shape that you want the frame made to. This is important, because these doors must be custom made and we can't take them back if they don't fit based on your measurements.

Custom doors like these take up to 10 weeks to order...so the next step is to sit back and wait a couple months or so.

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Step 4 - Chisel Out Large Protruding Stones

The picture above shows the opening after the 2 larger stones have been chiseled away. Most applications don't need chiseling, but these ones obviously were in the way and had to go. It's best to wait for your doors to arrive before you do any chiseling since you can use the frame to test and see what really needs to be done...although your cardboard template can suffice as well.

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Step 5 - Installing Fireplace Door Frame

If possible, remove the actual glass doors from the outer frame. Many of the doors simply slip off of a hinge when you pull up on them vertically. However, some doors will have hinges that need to be unscrewed. Personally, I do not remove doors with fixed hinges since they are easy enough to work around if they are bifolding doors. I just mask everything off with a large plastic sheet then cut a hole into so that I have acccess to the inside of the frame.

Center the door frame as good as possible. Install it using the hardware that comes with it. Make sure that the frame is plumb and square. The best way to do this is with a level on the face of the frame.

Once the door frame is in place, it is very important to put the glass doors back on and check to make sure that they operate freely and are lined up correctly.

If your frame is out of square once installed, the doors will not line up, so be sure to put them back on and make any necessary adjustments before you mortar in your frame. Otherwise, you may be left with doors that cannot be adjusted once the mortar dries.

Notice that the gaps between the frame and the rocks appear to be large and at first will not look good to the eye. Don't worry, once you fill in the gaps with mortar, it will look just like the stone was built around your frame.

Notice the size of the mortar joints between the stones on the fireplace itself and you will see that the gaps between the door and the rock are not much wider, and in most cases are just like the rest of the fireplace.

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Step 6 - Mortar in the Door Frame

Your almost done...now, simply mask everything off with duct tape and then mix up some mortar and hand pack it into the empty spaces. You may need to reinforce the mortar with a wire mesh backing in cases where gaps are really large. A quick setting mortar with a little sand in it is excellent for this application.

Matching the mortar of your existing fireplace is usually pretty easy to do since most mortar is gray in color. However, if your fireplace has a lot of soot around the opening, you will either want to clean what's there or simply smudge soot on your new mortar joints after it's dry.

The picture above is computer generated and we made the mortar joint a different color and texture so that you could see it better.

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Step 7 - Clean Up and Don't Scratch the Frame

Before you remove the tape from the door frame, clean as much excess mortar from around the tape as you can so that you get little or no motor on the actual door frame as you remove the tape

Do not leave the duct tape on the door frame for more than about a half hour or so. As soon as the mortar is set, take it off. If you leave it on too long, you can damage the finish or paint on some frames.

Finally, clean any mortar from the door frame with a damp spunge being extremely careful not to drag any of the gritty mortar accross the frame as you might scratch or mar the finish

I always wipe using a clean edge of a sponge or damp terry cloth wiping from inside the frame outward toward the outer frame so that I am not picking up motar from the joint an dragging it accross the frame

Each stroke requires that you use a clean spot on the cloth or sponge, otherwise...you will scratch the frame.

If you remove the actual doors prior to mortaring in the frame, now is the time to put them back on.

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Step 8 - Take an After Picture

Once you are finished, send us a picture of your installation so that we can post it on our website as an example. The example that we presented here was all done by computer imaging...we would like to have real before and after photos from our customers...

Completing a project like this is definately something to be proud of...so, sit back and enjoy your new fireplace doors!

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