One of the first things that drew you to your house was the fantasy of you and your family sitting next to a roaring fire in that gorgeous Antique Bricks fireplace. Your antique brick fireplaces are covered in smoky stains, black soot, and heaps of old ashes, even though you've spent many wonderful evenings and weekends cuddling up by a roaring fire.
Cleaning an Old Brick Fireplace with Wood Fireboxes:
Common household items can frequently be used to clean fireplaces. Start by gathering your "toolbox." The majority of these items are available at reasonable prices at most hardware and home maintenance stores.
You will need:
o A couple of plastic buckets and a good stiff scrub brush
o A vacuum cleaner with disposable bags
o Rubber gloves
o Safety glasses or goggles to protect your eyes
o A disposable drop cloth
o A container of TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) or a commercial scrubbing powder
o White household vinegar, a "green" substitute for TSP
o A small bottle of chlorine bleach (optional - to remove mold and mildew)
o Always store Consider the fact that ashes can keep embers hot and combustible for up to four days!
Any remaining dust or particles that are too small to sweep out of the firebox and pit can be removed with a wet-and-dry vacuum. After that, you get started on the cleanup. To clean glass fire screens, mix half and half of white vinegar and water to create a streak-free cleaner.
Now for the cigarette: Clean water from a bucket and a sponge should be used to wet a portion of the facing you'll be working with. Work your way down from the top. Solvents and cleaners won't be able to soak into the pores of the mortar and antique brick if there is water saturation.
After that, use your scouring powder and scrub brush to scrub the face of each antique fireplace brick, or use a thin solution of TSP. Work on only one section at a time and rinse as you go. Attention must be paid to the mortar joints in the Wall Bricks fireplace in order to prevent damage to the masonry or mantels. Fireplace resurfacing can be very expensive.
After you have completed the mantel, hearth, and exterior walls, you can begin work on the firebox. Here, more ash and smoke will be found. Because it is a carbonized residue, if you wet it, it will literally transform into a quick staining ink.
You must first remove as much soot as possible using your broom, shovel, and soot removal sponge. Make sure the sponge is dry! Simply drag the soot down from the firebox's top to its bottom.
Get rid of the mess with a broom, shovel, or shop vacuum. Polishing any metalwork on your antique brick fireplaces can complete the cleaning process.
Comments