Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

I need to rebuild a retaining wall, I broke down most of the wall. I
need to clean off the existing mortar from the brick.

I read many articles saying how dangerous muramic acid is. I saw
phosphoric acid isn't as dangerous. Has anyone tried phosphroic on
morter? Is there anything else to use?

Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
I need to rebuild a retaining wall, I broke down most of the wall. I
need to clean off the existing mortar from the brick.

I read many articles saying how dangerous muramic acid is. I saw
phosphoric acid isn't as dangerous. Has anyone tried phosphroic on
morter? Is there anything else to use?

Go and get a 3 or 4 inch cold chisel, a 2-lb hammer, and a masons hammer,
and a pair of leather gloves. Thick mortar is best removed mechanically. I
probably cleaned 30 or 40 thousand brick that way one summer as a kid. Once
you get the hang of it, it goes pretty fast. Often, you don't even need
tools- just strike the bricks together at the right angle, and the mortar
falls off. Muratic acid is for after you build the new wall, to wash down
the face and get off the smeared mortar. Be aware that you will need more
brick than came out of the old wall, since a decent percentage will break.

aem sends...

Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

ameijers wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
I need to rebuild a retaining wall, I broke down most of the wall. I
need to clean off the existing mortar from the brick.

I read many articles saying how dangerous muramic acid is. I saw
phosphoric acid isn't as dangerous. Has anyone tried phosphroic on
morter? Is there anything else to use?

Go and get a 3 or 4 inch cold chisel, a 2-lb hammer, and a masons
hammer, and a pair of leather gloves. Thick mortar is best removed
mechanically. I probably cleaned 30 or 40 thousand brick that way one
summer as a kid. Once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty fast.
Often, you don't even need tools- just strike the bricks together at
the right angle, and the mortar falls off. Muratic acid is for after
you build the new wall, to wash down the face and get off the smeared
mortar. Be aware that you will need more brick than came out of the
old wall, since a decent percentage will break.

aem sends...


Well said. I agree totally. I might even suggest that you can often
skip the muratic acid step, depending on the look you need.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

wrote:
I need to rebuild a retaining wall, I broke down most of the wall. I
need to clean off the existing mortar from the brick.

I read many articles saying how dangerous muramic acid is. I saw
phosphoric acid isn't as dangerous. Has anyone tried phosphroic on
morter? Is there anything else to use?

Chipping hammer


--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

On 3 May 2006 20:07:58 -0700, wrote:

I need to rebuild a retaining wall, I broke down most of the wall. I
need to clean off the existing mortar from the brick.

I read many articles saying how dangerous muramic acid is. I saw
phosphoric acid isn't as dangerous. Has anyone tried phosphroic on
morter? Is there anything else to use?


Just use the muriatic, and try not to swallow any of it,
or pour it up your nose. You do need to treat it as if
it were (duh) acid, but I'm not sure that meets my standards
for "dangerous", any more than gasoline does.


I was under the impression that
used brick wasn't considered suitable for structural
applications once you took it apart, no matter what you
did to it. How high is this wall?

Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

Goedjn wrote:
On 3 May 2006 20:07:58 -0700, wrote:

I need to rebuild a retaining wall, I broke down most of the wall. I
need to clean off the existing mortar from the brick.

I read many articles saying how dangerous muramic acid is. I saw
phosphoric acid isn't as dangerous. Has anyone tried phosphroic on
morter? Is there anything else to use?


Just use the muriatic, and try not to swallow any of it,
or pour it up your nose. You do need to treat it as if
it were (duh) acid, but I'm not sure that meets my standards
for "dangerous", any more than gasoline does.


I was under the impression that
used brick wasn't considered suitable for structural
applications once you took it apart, no matter what you
did to it.

There are many kinds of brick, and not all of it is suitable all uses.

How high is this wall?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

followup...

I found out that old mortar is loosed by rain (water). Spent two
unpleasent weekends chipping away and scraping off moter. Then it
rained and the remaining bricks got soaked. The bricks are clay which
doesn't absorb water but the mortar absorbs soaks it up. The mortar
crumbles off.
Weekend 1 (2 days)-60 bricks
Weekend 2 (2 days)-40 bricks
Last saturday-120 bricks (after the rain)

Also,a sharp wood chisel was useful to clean the brick (had to sharpen
it several times), but it was useful to get under the mortar.

Cleaning off old motar from brick
 

wrote in message ps.com...
followup...

I found out that old mortar is loosed by rain (water). Spent two
unpleasent weekends chipping away and scraping off moter. Then it
rained and the remaining bricks got soaked. The bricks are clay which
doesn't absorb water but the mortar absorbs soaks it up. The mortar
crumbles off.
Weekend 1 (2 days)-60 bricks
Weekend 2 (2 days)-40 bricks
Last saturday-120 bricks (after the rain)

Also,a sharp wood chisel was useful to clean the brick (had to sharpen
it several times), but it was useful to get under the mortar.

I used a cheap electric pressure washer, which worked well. It probably depends
on how old the mortor is.

Bob