Installation
The simplest time for you to install any hearth is during new construction. It is possible like a home addition, but it’s a far more costly endeavor since modifications towards the home should be made too. Installing both new and added fireplaces requires understanding of local codes, permit procedures, and ordinances. It’s also a skilled, labor-intensive process and it is therefore usually that is better left to some professional stone or brick mason.
The consistent size and shape of brick makes calculating the appropriate materials for that hearth simpler. Also, the geometric uniformity of brick makes installation simpler compared to random shape and size of gemstone, meaning it’s less costly. Actually, a brick hearth could be installed by one individual alone, saving in labor costs. The weightier mass of the stone hearth requires a minimum of a couple for installation.
Skill at brick lounging isn’t enough to set up a stone hearth because a minor problem during installation can require beginning over. The initial quality of stone, especially gemstone, makes its installation more labor intensive. Each stone should be selected because of its size and shape, then cut and chipped to suit the nearby stone. Also, only someone familiar with stone installation can predict the load of stone required for a particular hearth. Installation is, therefore, more costly than brick. What costly depends upon the kind of stone used — natural or crafted, rare or common, foreign or domestic.
Resourse: https://fixr.com/comparisons/