Burleson fireplace walls: brick from the 70s, cast stone from the 2000s
Two fireplace surrounds cover most of Burleson. The 1970s and 80s houses near Old Town have full-height painted or natural brick, laid up when a den fireplace was the point of the room. Builds from the 1990s on in Mountain Valley, Hidden Vistas and out on 174 use cast stone or stacked stone veneer over a gas insert. Either way the heat check comes before the drill. The unit runs for 20 minutes and an infrared thermometer reads the surface where the screen would sit. Gas logs behind a real mantel usually hold the wall near 90 degrees, fine for a panel. A mantel-less stone face can climb past 120, which calls for a pull-down mount that drops the screen to eye level. Brick takes 1/4-inch Tapcon anchors, driven at low speed with a carbide bit into the brick face or the mortar joint, whichever lines up with the mount holes. Cast stone drills like concrete but chips at carved edges, so anchors stay 3 inches back from any corner. Both surfaces carry the published +$99 masonry surcharge, since a hammer drill replaces the usual stud work. Fireplace installs take 75 to 110 minutes.