Bricks inside chimney- sealing and making pretty?

[chrisauk]

Hi all, just following on from an earlier question re plastering over brick.
(I have started a new thread as it is a tangent on the original question)

Discussed it with the missus tonight and she has raised the question
about whether we could/should avoid plastering altogether, and instead preserve the look of the bricks inside the chimney?

What's the thoughts on this? I would imagine we would first need
to coat the bricks with some kind of protector, prior to using a masonry paint? (Prior to scraping off all the soot etc first, obviously) Any product ideas?

As mentioned, the little chimney area is being turned into a basin/shelving
area in our downstair toilet. Any comments advice appreciated.

Here's a pic of the bricks in question ... (the red bricks on the left are the lip of the opening, not the inside wall!)

 

[NT]

Those brickas have allready lasted a great deal longer than any 'protector' you could put on them.

Theres no reason to seal bricks, and good reason not to.

And sure you could paint them, but imho painted bricks look far uglier than bare, and yours look reasonably good, even if a fair way from perfect.


NT

 

[chrisauk]

Its more that they need some kind of covering/sealant I feel. There will be a sink next to them, so they will be getting wet at times.

Varnish maybe????

 

[NT]

Impermeabale barriers like varnish are well known to cause problems, so why do they need that?

NT

 

[Sue Wilkinson]

I think NT means to say don't seal them at all. It won't matter if they get splashed, the water will soak in and then evaporate back out. Just like they would outside in the rain.

I would just clean them up, starting with a little fine sand paper to dislodge the soot, then a good scrub, and leave them. I agree that painting them is a bad idea. Chemicals from the soot have doubtless soaked into the brick material and will eventually make the paint fail.

Sue

 

[chrisauk]

ok, thanks. Just 2 questions ..

1) the mortar inbetween the bricks is a little loose. Hence the need - I thought - for sealing?

2) Soot on the bricks. Any product ideas to clean them?

 

[Silas]

Could be that in the distant future the fireplace may be re-instated by someone, its part of the historic fabric of the building so its probably best not to do anything to perminent, I would suggest battons with tounge and grove waterproofed with a coat of limewash covered with beeswax, both attractive and simpathetic to the building.

 

[kim]

cleaning the bricks will be really hard,but,the only way to preserve them is to leave them as they are,a good scrub with warm soapy water.
as for the mortar,you need to repoint it using a lime mix, dont put any varnish or paint on them just clean down every 6 months or so.

 

[NT]

I can echo what Kim said, just repoint where needed and clean. I would however avoid using sand or wire scourers on the bricks, as soft brick really is very soft and easily damaged.

On 2nd view I guess they dont look too good, but I still say painted bricks are surely worse. I guess the best options would be bare brick or plaster it.

Brick acid might be helpful here (30% HCl), but use it the minimum as it can do a fair bit of damage.

Glass would be one way to make it wipe clean.


NT

 

[middi]

......." Brick chimney, Sealing and making pretty".......

An old used chimney is very pretty as it stands, as long as it is used for what it was intended for and it should not be interfered with.

The question really should be :- " how to convert a chimney for other uses without destroying its charm.

The best way to achieve this is, as mentioned, forget about showing the bricks in the opening, create a thin lining away from the brick faces, leave an opening for the air flow up the chimey (if not already blocked ) and apply a more durable water repellant finish to the lining. Plastic imitation brick wallpaper if you like, because if you interfere with sealants etc.. with the original bricks that's what they may end up looking like.

If sometime in the future someone wants to reuse the fireplace there would be no harm done, finally the poor chimney would get used for the purpose for which it was built.

I have no boubt that if the situation was reversed and we presented our ancestors with our composite fitted wardrobes to turn into inglenooks they would scratch their heads and finally line it with bricks if they wanted to preserve them.

 

[Craig]

A related question - do bricks in a fire place need any kind of rendering if its actually being used to have a fire? Will bricks crack, etc with the heat?

 

[Penners]

A related question - do bricks in a fire place need any kind of rendering if its actually being used to have a fire? Will bricks crack, etc with the heat?

That depends on the bricks, and how close to them the fire is. Large inglenook fireplaces are invariably built of brick, without any kind of protective rendering on it. If a fire is regularly built hard up against the bricks, then yes, they can crack. However, the usual solution is to use a freestanding dog grate located forward of the back wall of the fireplace, and a traditional cast iron fireback to protect the bricks from the fiercest of the heat.

 

[NT]

At a previous house we had wood fires up against bare soft brick, and never any harm done. But had that been coal I think they would have been in trouble. Coal burns hotter.

NT

 

[NT]

I have no boubt that if the situation was reversed and we presented our ancestors with our composite fitted wardrobes to turn into inglenooks they would scratch their heads and finally line it with bricks if they wanted to preserve them.

I'm trying to imagine veneered chipboard fitted furniture lined with bricks... an odd thought, and perhaps not what you meant.

NT

 

[Penners]

I'm trying to imagine veneered chipboard fitted furniture lined with bricks... an odd thought, and perhaps not what you meant.

I'm sure that, if there was a demand, they'd be on sale at Ikea. With one brick missing, of course.