S Burkey wrote:

Currently redesigning the basement kitchen in a victorian terrace (4
floors) and decided to open up the inglenook primarily to deal with
some damp problems in the kitchen as a whole.

Had the chimney sweep come last week and now we're trying to figure
out how to clean the brickwork at the back of the inglenook. They are
pretty blackened and I'd like to clean them but keep them looking
'aged'. I've got a feeling that any type of pressure washing would
damage the mortar - which is looking pretty fragile.

So how would be the best way to tackle this?


Blowlamp should burn the carbon off. And the tars.

Ive noted that ou new inglennoks - now nicely blackened - show tarry
soot at the cooler parst, clean brick at the hotter parts, and what used
to be brick but is now missing, at the really hot parts.

Yes, we got a fireback now, but that's cracked from top to bottom under
the heat of log burning.


We're having electrics done, replastered, floor levelled...etc
etc...so any dirty work needs to be done asap really.

[This kitchen better be fantastic once its done!!!]