Soot deposits in Brick fireplace

[unionworkeruk]

I have just opened up an old brick fireplace boxed off for decades. It was thick with soot and rubbish I have collected bags of soot and washed it down a dozen times with Hotspot Fireplace Cleaner but it is still black with soot every time I rub it down and rinse with clean water.

I have spent four hours on it today. Is there something more effective that will save me time ?

Thanks

 

[Doggit]

Not that I know of; once the soots in the bricks, adding any liquid just makes it sink further in. A lot of builders tend to use PVA to seal in soot damage, but on a fireplace, it'll bleed through new plaster.

I look forward to hearing from someone with more experience though.

 

[vinn]

You need to have the flue or flues in the chimney breast swept.
Dont use any more water.
Allow to dry, and then use a dry wire brush on the sooty brickwork.
After thoroughly wire brushing a few times switch to a hard, dry scrubbing brush.
The stained brick (?) surfaces can be sealed with SBR - but sealing would depend on what you propose to do next?

 

[unionworkeruk]

The chimney seems clear and I have stuffed a chimney sheep draught excluder up it to keep draught out and heat in.
It does seem daft keep wetting it as all I seem to do is draw out more soot and dirt which re stains the brickwork. So I will try your more sensible suggestion

I doubt if it will be used for a fire so all I need to do is seal it to make it easier to clean in the future.

Do you reckon PVA will be OK as I already have that ?

Thanks

 

[vinn]

But how will the brickwork(?) be finished? Paint, plaster, backerboard etc?
If you intend to leave it as is then yes, give it a couple of coats of PVA.

The idea for sweeping the flue is to remove soot from the walls of the flue(S).

All flues must be vented top and bottom for through ventilation.

 

[unionworkeruk]

Yes just leave it as it is so I will use PVA. It is just I have some handy from plastering.


I will also put in a vent . I did this in another fireplace but thought as this one being on the first floor I could get away without one and just stuff the sheep up there which does leave small gaps all the way round . I can see light about 6 metres above and as it has been blocked for about 40 years I thought any soot would have fallen by now but as you say best to do it properly.

 

[Doggit]

Having tried PVA on a sooty chimney breast, I can tell you it doesn't work, which is why I stepped in and asked how others have done it. I've got another coat of plaster to put on the chimney, so I'll try the SBR next.

 

[chappers]

You might be better off putting your backing coat plaster on first and heavily sealing that before applying the skim coat

 

[Doggit]

I've done the backing coat, hence I know that the PVA trick doesn't work too well. As PVA is water soluble, I thinks it got wet when the Hardwall went on, and that allowed it to bleed through. I need a sealing coat that isn't water based, and having looked that Everbuild SBR, I think that'll do the trick, so thanks for that Vinn

 

[vinn]

If soot has penetrated the PVA & the first coat then best practice is to knock it off and wirebrush the brickwork - then SBR to dry & SBR to tacky.
Then apply sand and lime (or cement) render to the tacky SBR.
Not knowing what you intend its actually better to use screw on backerboard if it suits?