What sort of adhesive can I use to hold back a marble fireplace panel?
A marble back panel is the section of the fire surround that is secured against the wall or chimney. As there are no industry guidelines on how to install a fireplace, the entire procedure is very ambiguous and will depend upon the fitter or firm that you use.
1. Marble back panels cannot be screwed into, as this will/may crack the marble
2. Experienced fitters often use tile adhesive to secure the back panel against the wall
3. It is also possible to secure the back panel against the wall using cement
Fitting a fire surround with a large rebate:
If you are installing a fire surround which has a large rebate (greater than 25mm) then you will need to fill the void that pulls the marble back panel away from the wall. This is particularly common when you are fitting a electric fire against a flat wall
1. In this case many fitters often use sand and cement to fill the void and push the marble back panel towards the marble fireplace surround
2. If you are fitting a gas fire then your Gas Safe Engineer needs to be certain that all the exposed areas are sealed, and that no gas could escape around the back
