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?

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!!!]

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!!!]

It was somewhere outside Barstow when (S
Burkey) wrote:

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.

So how would be the best way to tackle this?

I'd expect to need to re-point after cleaning. A lot depends on what
type and condition of brick you're dealing with. You really need to
try sample areas with your cleaning technique before attacking the
whole lot.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
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.

Would this also remove soot from above an inset gas fire? Our fire (used
very infrequently), if turned up to the highest setting (rather than the
'miser' setting is has labelled on it) generates a large orange flame in one
corner which I think the previous owners used a lot by the look of the soot
markings at the back of the inset. I've often wondered how to remove this
soot. (I'm aware that it shouldn't give an orange flame and that this, with
soot markings is an indication of incomplete combustion and CO generation).

Thanks

David

"S Burkey" wrote in message
om...

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?

We have a conventional stone fireplace. It looked much better after I cleaned it
with bleach and scrubbing brush.

--

Michael Chare

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.

An inglenook in a Victorian terrace? Can you describe it in a bit more
detail? Are the bricks soft, or hard? What about the mortar, has it
been re-done? What are you doing with it a=fter it's "cleaned"?

David Hearn wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

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.


Would this also remove soot from above an inset gas fire? Our fire (used
very infrequently), if turned up to the highest setting (rather than the
'miser' setting is has labelled on it) generates a large orange flame in one
corner which I think the previous owners used a lot by the look of the soot
markings at the back of the inset. I've often wondered how to remove this
soot. (I'm aware that it shouldn't give an orange flame and that this, with
soot markings is an indication of incomplete combustion and CO generation).


Its worth a try for sure.

Heat and oxygen will get rid of most carbon based muck one way or the other.

I have never found chemicals other than that which will.


Thanks

David

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
David Hearn wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

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.



Would this also remove soot from above an inset gas fire? Our fire
(used very infrequently), if turned up to the highest setting (rather
than the 'miser' setting is has labelled on it) generates a large
orange flame in one corner which I think the previous owners used a
lot by the look of the soot markings at the back of the inset. I've
often wondered how to remove this soot. (I'm aware that it shouldn't
give an orange flame and that this, with soot markings is an
indication of incomplete combustion and CO generation).


Its worth a try for sure.

Heat and oxygen will get rid of most carbon based muck one way or the
other.

I have never found chemicals other than that which will.


There is one chemical based solution for removing carbon deposits. I
can't remember what it is but it was for removing carbon / burnt food
from the inside of ovens. It was pretty unpleasant stuff though.


Thanks

David

doozer wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

David Hearn wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

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.




Would this also remove soot from above an inset gas fire? Our fire
(used very infrequently), if turned up to the highest setting (rather
than the 'miser' setting is has labelled on it) generates a large
orange flame in one corner which I think the previous owners used a
lot by the look of the soot markings at the back of the inset. I've
often wondered how to remove this soot. (I'm aware that it shouldn't
give an orange flame and that this, with soot markings is an
indication of incomplete combustion and CO generation).


Its worth a try for sure.

Heat and oxygen will get rid of most carbon based muck one way or the
other.

I have never found chemicals other than that which will.


There is one chemical based solution for removing carbon deposits. I
can't remember what it is but it was for removing carbon / burnt food
from the inside of ovens. It was pretty unpleasant stuff though.


No thats just caustic,. Woks if te carbion is biund with olynerised
fats, but not the sort of coal tar and cresoste you get from a coal/wood
fire.

I know, because we tried it on the sister in laws china that we pulled
out of their fire destroyed house...


Thanks

David

Chris Bacon wrote in message ...
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.

An inglenook in a Victorian terrace? Can you describe it in a bit more
detail? Are the bricks soft, or hard? What about the mortar, has it
been re-done? What are you doing with it a=fter it's "cleaned"?

Well the sweep called it an inglenook but to me its just a blooming
great big hole! Hmmm well its about 4ft wide by about 5ft high - I
can walk into it anyway without ducking, and maybe 1.5 - 2 ft deep.
Seems to be hard bricks but as I'm currently sorting out the wiring
for the house in general so haven't studied it in general.

At least one house in the street has an aga in that space - we're not
entirely sure what we're going to do with it to be honest at the
moment.

S Burkey wrote:
Chris Bacon wrote in message ...
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.

An inglenook in a Victorian terrace? Can you describe it in a bit more
detail? Are the bricks soft, or hard? What about the mortar, has it
been re-done? What are you doing with it a=fter it's "cleaned"?


Well the sweep called it an inglenook but to me its just a blooming
great big hole! Hmmm well its about 4ft wide by about 5ft high - I
can walk into it anyway without ducking, and maybe 1.5 - 2 ft deep.
Seems to be hard bricks but as I'm currently sorting out the wiring
for the house in general so haven't studied it in general.

At least one house in the street has an aga in that space - we're not
entirely sure what we're going to do with it to be honest at the
moment.

Hm, you're probably best scrubbing it off as best you can and using
paint or plaster, unless there's a chemical method of cleaning the
bricks. To get the brick surface up to a temperature at which the
soot will burn off will essentially mean re-firing them, which you
won't be able to do. They'd need to be very hot indeed, which is
likely to damage them. Consider sand-blasting, try glass-paper or
similar, if you really want to, but I think you'll end up (unless
you sand-blast, maybe even then) with a very patchy and unsightly
finish. If you sit an AGA or similar in the hole it might look very
good. I've got a solid-fuel Rayburn in my kitchen, and I've tiled
out the hole it is in with 8x6" tiles. Gas would be better than
solid, but noisy, and new ranges are expensive! Solid fuel does
have something about it, though. Try e-bay for luck.

Chris Bacon wrote:

S Burkey wrote:

Chris Bacon wrote in message ...

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.


An inglenook in a Victorian terrace? Can you describe it in a bit more
detail? Are the bricks soft, or hard? What about the mortar, has it
been re-done? What are you doing with it a=fter it's "cleaned"?



Well the sweep called it an inglenook but to me its just a blooming
great big hole! Hmmm well its about 4ft wide by about 5ft high - I
can walk into it anyway without ducking, and maybe 1.5 - 2 ft deep.
Seems to be hard bricks but as I'm currently sorting out the wiring
for the house in general so haven't studied it in general.

At least one house in the street has an aga in that space - we're not
entirely sure what we're going to do with it to be honest at the
moment.


Hm, you're probably best scrubbing it off as best you can and using
paint or plaster, unless there's a chemical method of cleaning the
bricks. To get the brick surface up to a temperature at which the
soot will burn off will essentially mean re-firing them, which you
won't be able to do. They'd need to be very hot indeed, which is
likely to damage them.

Not so. Carbon will burn at fairly low temps. Dull red. In fact it
oxides at room temp but takes years to diusaapear - hundreds of years.

And you only want to get teh surface hot, not teh whole brick!

Consider sand-blasting, try glass-paper or
similar, if you really want to, but I think you'll end up (unless
you sand-blast, maybe even then) with a very patchy and unsightly
finish. If you sit an AGA or similar in the hole it might look very
good. I've got a solid-fuel Rayburn in my kitchen, and I've tiled
out the hole it is in with 8x6" tiles. Gas would be better than
solid, but noisy, and new ranges are expensive! Solid fuel does
have something about it, though. Try e-bay for luck.


Soft wire brush and soapy water will do a fair bit of good if teh
blowtorch diesn;t appeal.