water repellent as a sealer?

[oli_fabro]

I have fitted a log burner insert and the brickwork behind is still dirty with soot and could not take it off with brick acid or a metallic brush. When the log burner is cooling down, it starts to smell of soot slightly. The log burner insert will be bricked off with air bricks for a free flow of air...obviously trying to avoid any smell.

Can i seal the brickwork with water repellent/weatherproof paint, would that be resistant to the moderate heat around the log burner...knowing that the air will come in and out.

 

[JohnD]

I don't understand this.

Due you mean you are burning logs? or is it a gas fire with pretend logs?

Does the smoke or fumes go up a chimney?

What made you think of damp proofer? Is it damp?

what are you bricking up with air bricks?

 

[oli_fabro]

The log burner is a real fireplace and is an insert that i have fitted into the old brickwork opening, previously fitted a coal burner that i took out.
The new logburner is completly closed and the fumes go up the chimney.
The problem is the old dirty brickwork that contained the coal burner, that is the bricks around the log burner, the bricks are dirty with soot and when warm up by radiation from the log burner, it smells a bit and wondered if couldn't use any kind of paint that would seal it on the wall and stop from smelling...also want the paint to be suitable and heat resitant!
Once this is sorted, i will close it off so you can only see the logburner with a glass door. But according to some rules, any air behing a burner should not be completly closed off and air bricks/vents should be used.
hope this helps, thanks

 

[JohnD]

so you mean this is an iron stove, with a glass door, that you burn logs in, and it has a metal chimney?

eventually the old soot will dry off and the volatile elements will evaporate.

I can't see that damp proofer will do any good, and paint will not stick to soot. You could give it a scrub with strong detergent if you like.

 

[oli_fabro]

yes that's right, the ron stove has a glass door, the whole thing will be bricked off with air bricks to let the air trapped behing circulate....gaining even more heat from the fireplace, but was worried with the smell of the soot, did think it would dry off, wasn't sure though. Did scrub quite a bit, will do for now...
Thanks!