One Step Forward, Two Back!

Remember this picture?  The photo where the
fireplace wall was finished? 

It exists no more (well, temporarily, anyway).  So much for forward progress.  Actually, we've known this was going to have to happen for a while, but have been working with Fireside Hearth & Home, where we purchased the fireplace, to determine who was going to pay for this.  Thankfully, they agreed to foot the bill.  It's actually a manufacturer/installation instruction problem (Heat 'n Glo), but we'll let Fireside haggle that one out. 

When we first turned on the fireplace after we finished the wall, the seam where the drywall meets the non-combustible board that came attached to the fireplace, began to show a ridge because the fireplace behind the wall was expanding - and of course the drywall was not.  While the tape was holding the seam for now, the ridge was visible and would eventually break the tape loose.  Unbeknownst to us, there are additional recommended installation instructions with this fireplace that were not communicated to us.  It was installed per the instructions which wasn't good enough.  Bottom line:  Do over (!).  The drywall on the fireplace wall had to come down and be properly installed.  Fireside removed the non-combustible board that came on the fireplace and replaced it with Durock (cement board) and attached it to both the fireplace AND the framing.  This will prevent the expansion of the fireplace from affecting the seams.  Below are pictures in order from top to bottom.  We really had to hold our breath as we started ripping out the wall we just had finished and painted!!!

Plastic hung to keep the dust out of the rest of the room.

Ripping into our finished wall :(

Still ripping it apart!

Whew - Done with deconstruction!

After the Durock and drywall was reinstalled and the first coat of

mud was put on.  Brian from Fireside will come back tomorrow

to do the second coat.