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FRAMING DEPTH and FINISHING GUIDES
Finishing Materials Installation
Finishing Guides
This fireplace comes with one standard finishing guide that will be used with any inside finish decorative
front. Door installation will require the use of a faceplate. Grace and Willowbrook fronts have optional
finishing applications depending on what wall finishing material and what finished look you want to achieve.
Refer to the Grace/Willowbrook finishing guide options.
It is important to know what wall finish is being used and what finish option is preferred prior to unit
installation when choosing a Grace or Willowbrook front.
When the wall finish material will exceed 2 ½” in depth, the Grace or Willowbrook (Option 3) guide kit will be
required to allow the decorative front to install properly.
All finish guides, standard or optional, protrude 1” from the face of the unit. Factory guides are installed with
rivets and can be removed with a ⅛” drill bit.
The finish guide used should be permanently left in place.
Framing Depth and Finishing Materials
Recommended Backing Materials Over Non-Combustible Zone
The minimum framing depth for this fireplace is 20”. This is a fixed depth required for all installations—see
General Specifications and Planning the Installation sections of this manual.
Mendota strongly recommends using a minimum ½” non-combustible backer material—see suitable backer
material, R-Value Table—using the highest R-value available when installing any finish material (e.g., tile,
marble, granite, faux stone) over the non-combustible zone of this fireplace.
For applications where you are installing faux stone, stone, brick, tile, etc., metal lath screen can be attached
to the backer material and a scratch coat of thinset mortar can be applied.
Mendota strongly recommends not using mortar blends with polymer additives or any premix mastics or any
adhering compounds with chemical base such as PL construction adhesives or silicone. Use of these products
will cause a high likelihood of offgasing odors.
For the installation of solid slab stone (e.g., granite, marble, slate), Mendota recommends using a minimum
½” non-combustible backer material of the highest R-value available. See suitable backer material, R-Value
Table.
Caution:
These materials are natural products and are prone to internal week points such as air
pockets and stress cracks. These natural products are prone to surface cracking under heat stress (expansion
and contraction).
To minimize the possibility of surface cracking, Mendota strongly recommends:
•
Not to adhere the finish material to the backer material within the non-combustible zone of the
fireplace.
•
Not to install the natural stone in a one-piece application—allow expansion joints by installing a
multi-piece application.
For the installation of a smooth painted wall application, Mendota strongly recommends a minimum 1” non-
combustible wall board using the highest R-value available. See suitable backer material and R-Value Table.
To reduce the possibility of surface cracking Promat, Promafour, or Skamole, where available, is highly
recommended for this application, using manufacturer specific joint fillers and skim coat materials.
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