Bricks around Stove: Should I seal them?

[ChrisKingston]

First a tip: I used this:
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Pow...ing/Flap+Wheel+80mm+40+Grit/d80/sd1790/p42676
to sand down some dirty brickwork that were stained and had been under mortar. It had just the right level of abrasion, you could get the stains off but it didn't murder them.

Now I've done them though, should I seal the brick once I've repointed? It's going to be very close (about 50mm) to a working wood-burning stove so if I do put anything on them, it must be ok with some pretty high temperatures.

For the repointing, it'd be nice not to end up with it looking like a new estate home - how can I make the mortar match the old brick better? A bit of white colouring in the mix? Would need to withstand the same temperatures as the sealant though.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[Tuck1]

Put some lime in the mix. SCL 4,1,0.5. Dont breath it in! You can buy ready mixed lime render in builders merchants. No need to seal the brickwork, but the distance you have is very small to the walls. The heat wont be able to radiate from the stove.