Hi:

I have a brick wall in a kitchen that is to be covered with thinset and
then tile. Thinset says to ensure a grease-free surface. I don't see any
way to wash a brick wall and not get water all over the house. So the
question becomes will the brick have enough mechanical "tooth" to hold
even if some grease present. Or will this just lead to long term disaster?

Thanks for tips.

Jonathan

Jonathan Mau wrote:

Hi:

I have a brick wall in a kitchen that is to be covered with thinset and
then tile. Thinset says to ensure a grease-free surface. I don't see any
way to wash a brick wall and not get water all over the house. So the
question becomes will the brick have enough mechanical "tooth" to hold
even if some grease present. Or will this just lead to long term disaster?


The answer to the question posed is "yes"...you'd best just bite the
bullet and clean the wall well.

I don't see any way to wash a brick wall and not get water all over
the house.

I'd consider using a heavy duty degreaser and a scrub-brush.
(check a box of TSP to see if it is recommended for masonry)
Put towels at the base of the wall to catch drips.
work from top to bottom.
Dip brush in mixture and scrub wall.
just use enough mix to wet the wall and not drip.

To rinse, use a hand mister, working from top to bottom and using
towels to catch water... now do this several times.

This should use the minimum water necessisary to do the task, while
controling how much water "gets all over the house".

Personally, i'd go the "remove, protect, and slop" route... but i'm
not very patient.

--
be safe.
flip
Ich habe keine Ahnung was das bedeutet, oder vielleicht doch?
Remove origin of the word spam from address to reply (leave "+")

Cheaper and a better finish would be attach concrete board, cheaper than
paying for a skimcoat and you know it is clean

I had good luck with a steam cleaner but its slow going.


"Jonathan Mau" wrote in message
...

Hi:

I have a brick wall in a kitchen that is to be covered with thinset and
then tile. Thinset says to ensure a grease-free surface. I don't see
any
way to wash a brick wall and not get water all over the house. So the
question becomes will the brick have enough mechanical "tooth" to hold
even if some grease present. Or will this just lead to long term
disaster?

Thanks for tips.

Jonathan

Vinigar would probably help by etching the brick a bit.

You may not want to try a stronger acid if it is messy but any acidic grout
haze remover, efflurescence remover, muriatic acid, and some toilet cleaners
will all etch the brick and the greese will have nothing to hold onto.

Since you are covering the brick never to be seen again. A wire brush would
probably be the easiest method. Just scratch it all up good and the thinset
will never come off.


"Kim" wrote in message
...
I had good luck with a steam cleaner but its slow going.


"Jonathan Mau" wrote in message
...

Hi:

I have a brick wall in a kitchen that is to be covered with thinset and
then tile. Thinset says to ensure a grease-free surface. I don't see
any
way to wash a brick wall and not get water all over the house. So the
question becomes will the brick have enough mechanical "tooth" to hold
even if some grease present. Or will this just lead to long term
disaster?

Thanks for tips.

Jonathan

Jonathan Mau ) writes:
Hi:

I have a brick wall in a kitchen that is to be covered with thinset and
then tile. Thinset says to ensure a grease-free surface. I don't see any

Thanks for the tips folks.

Jonathan