Suggestions for restoring fireplace brickwork

[GTWAGN]

Hi guys,

I started the project today after visiting the wombats etc at healsville sanctuary with the wife and kids - Happy Australia Day!!

I decided to rip out all of the bricks in the base of the fireplace as they were all busted up and there was 100 years of dust and ash to clean out.

Once I got the bricks out I hit the old mortar which came out very, very easily. Interestingly under the broken up mortar base I stuck an archeologists dream - 100 year old building rubble, There was heaps of floorboard end bits, timber shavings (from a plane?), bits of plaster and a bunch of very rusty old nails.

I'm going to get some new bricks and re-lay them and render over them and the rear and side bricks to give a nice clean finish for painting. This of course all sounds good in practise, but as I'm new to this game, time will tell.

The wife wants to paint the back and side white and the base black. I have cleaned the old cast iron fire grate that was in the fireplace with a wire brush and painted with penetrol and black fire stove paint. It has come up a treat!!

makka619, you will be able to learn from my mistakes!! Stay tuned for the photos. I'm going to try to finish it this weekend if the soicial calendar allows.

Stupid question I know, but where do you go to buy just 12 bricks???

GTWAGN

[makka619]

Awaiting patiently for the pics GTWAGN. I don't know the name of where you get bricks, soz, hope you found some okay.

Thanks Oz for your help.

What do you guys think about bagging the inside of the fireplace? It is suppose to be pretty cheap..or would that look dicky?

[GTWAGN]

makka619 I am still working on the brickwork!! This project is going to take some time. I have cleaned as much of the soot off the bricks as possible using a wire brush and some sugar soap. The bricks are still quite black, however there is no loose material so hopefully the render I put on will stick.

In cleaning the bricks I found an enormous amout of soot between the bricks and the from of the mantle - It took 2 buckets to remove it. I should have gone to Godfrey's to pick up a cheap, reconditioned vacum cleaner, I think it would have made the job much easier!

Once you've cleaned up your mortar and scrubbed back the brickwork, I'd still try and render the fireplace if you want a shmick finish!!

[ozwinner]

What do you guys think about bagging the inside of the fireplace? It is suppose to be pretty cheap..or would that look dicky?

The bagging wouldnt last 5 minutes in a fire place, as a decorator piece it would look ok..

Al

[makka619]

How's it coming along GTWAGN?

The bagging wouldnt last 5 minutes in a fire place, as a decorator piece it would look ok..

Al

Thanks for the tip. I haven't decided if it will ever be used again. I guess painting the bricks wouldn't be too good (fumes) if it's ever used for a fire?

[GTWAGN]

I have finished rebuilding the fireplace base; got new bricks and rendered over them. It has come up really well, although the finish is not quite as smooth as I would have liked. I figure once it is painted and under the iron grate nobody will be able to tell. Once I've painted I will post some pictures.

I still need to redo the mortar on the lower chimney bricks, but I'm still concerned that given the age of the house (>100yrs) I need to be using a lime mortar rather than a cement based mortar.

Does anyone know if you can buy pre made lime putty, so I don't have to go through the process of making (slaking?) it myself??

I haven't started the paint stripping of the marble surround as yet, although I have got the stuff ready to start if I ever fine the time! I even found some cuttlefish as per ozwinner's recommendation!!

[makka619]

I have finished rebuilding the fireplace base; got new bricks and rendered over them. It has come up really well, although the finish is not quite as smooth as I would have liked. I figure once it is painted and under the iron grate nobody will be able to tell. Once I've painted I will post some pictures.

I still need to redo the mortar on the lower chimney bricks, but I'm still concerned that given the age of the house (>100yrs) I need to be using a lime mortar rather than a cement based mortar.

Does anyone know if you can buy pre made lime putty, so I don't have to go through the process of making (slaking?) it myself??

I haven't started the paint stripping of the marble surround as yet, although I have got the stuff ready to start if I ever fine the time! I even found some cuttlefish as per ozwinner's recommendation!!

missed ozwinner's recommendation but lol at the cutflefish.

Sounds like you are coming along. It always takes longer then you imagined; well for me lately anyway

Can't wait to see the before and after pics.

[Joister]

not sure if this is too late - was chatting to a work friend who was a brickie and had to re-point (mortar) some bricks at a heritage site we are both working at - basically he used a cement mortar but made it 'lime rich' - those were his words

from what i gathered he went for about a 1 cement (builders) to 4 yellow sand (brickies) and what i'd reckon would have been getting close to 2 lime - once he re-pointed the bricks he then render with another lime rich mix but this time using washed sand and around the 1 cement to 5 sand to 2 lime

anyways hope this helps

you've probably finished the job by now

Joister