products to help restore fireplace

[MetManMark]

All

We have two fireplaces in our house that we are looking to renovate. The house is 200 years old or so and is made of brick and stone (with lime). The living room fireplace has nice looking stone work at the rear of the fireplace, the back room (which will one day be our office) has stone work that has lots of soot that I need to clean off. Firstly, what is best to the soot, and having tidied both up what sort of product do I need to seal these? Someone suggested painting with a weak PVA solution to make it look good and to make sure bits don't flake off (or create dust). I don't think this would be breathable, so am not keen on this. I called Mike Wye as this is where we get our lime from and the person I spoke with recommended this stuff:
http://www.mikewye.co.uk/Kreidezeit.htm#vegawallglaze

although they admitted that they had no personal experience of using it.

Any thoughts on what is best to use for cleaning and for sealing it?

Thanks in advance
Mark

 

[JoceAndChris]

http://www.lifeandhome.co.uk/around-the-home/stone-tiles/liberon-stone-floor-cleaner-1ltr.htm?gclid=CP3574mI_rQCFW3KtAodPHgAWQ

http://www.lifeandhome.co.uk/around-the-home/stone-tiles/liberon-stone-floor-sealer-1lt.htm

These are very good products and I've had great success with them on a variety of surfaces including limestone floors and slate placemats. The sealer is a linseed oil mixed with a carrier.

However I've never been able to shift soot, not even with bleach (don't try bleach) so I suspect the only thing that would get rid of it is a kind of blasting, which isn't kind, or appropriate, in many cases. I think soot is character now anyway.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Eek I've just thought about how flammable linseed is. Not sure I'd dare risk it in a fireplace that's to be used.