Cleaning salt off of interior brick

[JoeFromPA]

Hey all,

Buying a new home in ~2 weeks. The hearth has a very nice brick front. The lower brick has a large swath of salt crusting the front of it. No idea why....not an area that would've been likely to get lots of exposure to water.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has any tips for me to clean it and get it back to a nice dark red front?

Muriatic acid?

 

[Shannow]

Is the hearth sitting on the ground, through some number of courses of brick ?

water could be wicking up the brickwork, evaporating, and leaving the salt (rising damp).

Can inject silicon stuff into the mortar to provide a damp course, then remove the salt.

 

[Boomer]

Also possible that the chimney is absorbing quantities of water during rain storms. You really need to properly seal the chimney and this means a NOT using Thompson's Water Seal but an acrylic that absorbs into the bricks and hardens. You may need two coats.

The salt will be deep into the brick interior so removing it on the surface will only work if you stop the water infiltration that keeps bring it to the surface. Just a mild soapy water wash with a stiff natural bristle brush will work to clean the surface; you may have to do it more than once. Don't use acid.

 

[JoeFromPA]

So mild soapy water with a really stiff brush will remove surface salt?

 

[doitmyself]

Isn't this known as efflorescence?

Here is one product, with explanations, about it's control:

http://www.aldonchem.com/popup-ab-efflorescence.htm

 

[SteveSRT8]

It is, and any janitorial supply can get you an acidic cleaner like we use for ceramic tile and grout.

 

[JoeFromPA]

Doitmyself - That was a great link. Thanks! That gives me alot of hope. The fireplace brick looks alot like some of those pictures.

It's not wall-brick....it's the bottom of the hearth, and the chimney is on the opposite side, so it's AT LEAST 3 feet from an outside surface and possibly further.

That being said, it could be trickling down the chimney somehow or soaking up from the slab that part of the house is on.

I'll be re-sealing the chimney...we'll see what I can do

 

[Warstud]

Once you get it cleaned you may want to look into buying a chimney liner to keep it from coming back.