Cleaning brickwork

Andrew Gabriel · 2010-03-25T15:20:01+00:00

Currently working on my chimney stack (or would be if it wasn't raining).I've just realised it's built from the same decorative red facing brickswhich the front of the house is built from, except you can't tell becauseit's filthy. This got me to woundering how to clean it. A brush andwater with washing up liquid would probably get the dirt off. However,the bricks are incrediby soft, with some surface spalling from frostdamage, although given how exposed it is, I'm surprised it's not muchworse after 100 years. Getting a wetting agent in them (washing upliquid) is probably going to be a disaster for their longevity, leadingto more moisture penetration. So is there any special purpose or moresuitable cleaner for this? Don't think I'm going to run to sand blasting.

Mar 25, 2010 23 Replies

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dennis 16 years ago

That's not carbon but plastic so it can be melted by the fuser.

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stuart noble 16 years ago

Yes, if you can grind it fine enough

That's an iron oxide though. Not a proper black the purists would say. :-)

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The Natural Philosopher 16 years ago

any solid fuel chimney?

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JimK 16 years ago

carbon *and* plastic actually...

JimK

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