How to clean brick in kitchen ...

[Jonathan Mau]

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

[Duane Bozarth]

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

[Philip Lewis]

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. ;)

[m Ransley]

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

[Kim]

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

[AutoTracer]

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.

[Jonathan Mau]

Thanks for the tips folks.

Jonathan