Fireplace advice

[Jon26 10]

Hello,

 

I've opened a fireplace back to the builders opening. A gas stove will be fitted.

 

I need to clean the bricks as some of them are very sooty, I then plan to point the back as the bricks are good quality. The sides of the recess will be boarded and plastered.

 

A few questions:

1. Are there any magic cleaners to remove soot, other than a bleach spray, stiff brush and elbow grease?

2. I plan to use the wickes lafarge mortar mix to point, good choice?

3. I'm going to ask a plasterer to do the plastering, any suggestions for the board (fire board or plasterboard) and then the skim mix? I don't want the fire to cause cracking, there'll be approx 8" of clearance down each side.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Jon26
Unclear

[dan2802 53]

Use brick acid and a stiff brush to clean everything off.

Dont use the ready mixed mortar, its rubbish.

Cant offer advice on plastering the fireplace, sorry.

[Mac_Plas 10]

If the plaster & boarding is not directly next to the fire/stove then I would just use fire boards as a precaution and the skim.

 

If the plastered areas are close/next to the fire, with a lot of heat hitting the plaster use fibreboard and then use a product called victas. http://shop.vitcas.com/.

 

Hope this helps

 

---------- Post added 22-05-2013 at 12:24 ----------

 

Sorry, that's fire board not fibreboard;

[Jon26 10]

Thanks for your help both.

[slater 10]

There’s a product called "Speedy White" that’s good for cleaning soot stoves etc..