Fireplace
Inside a fireplace restoration in Woodruff Springs
Sandblasting and grinding on old fireplace brick
Abrasive blasting removes dirt fast by removing some of the brick with it. Brick Industry Association guidance does not recommend abrasive blasting for cleaning brickwork apart from limited cases, and it advises trying nonabrasive methods first on paint and coatings.
Once a brick face has lost its fired surface, it soils faster and cannot be put back. Our specialists restore fireplace faces in Woodruff Springs with brushes, suitable cleaners, poultices and low-pressure water, and keep grinders and blasting media away from original brick. If the face was blasted in the past, its surface may already be soft, and it is cleaned with even more care.
Matching mortar to softer old brick
Stronger is not better when it comes to mortar on old brick. The Park Service repointing brief shows a wall where hard portland cement mortar, less permeable than the soft brick, trapped moisture until water pressure popped the faces off the bricks. The mortar is meant to be the sacrificial part of the wall, protecting the brick.
Our crew therefore picks the repointing mortar for the brick in front of them and never reaches for the hardest mix available. The mortar type used on your Woodruff Springs fireplace is named on your written record.
Restoring a stone fireplace surround
Stone surrounds age differently from brick. Joints loosen, pieces crack along their bedding, and some stones stain from smoke or old sealers. Restoring stone starts with finding which pieces are loose and why, then cleaning with methods the stone itself will tolerate.
Loose stones are reset in a suitable mortar, cracked pieces are repaired or replaced with the closest match available, and joints are repointed to the original width and profile. Our crew tests every cleaner on a hidden spot of your Woodruff Springs surround first. Stone that was painted or sealed in the past is handled like painted brick, with the gentlest method that works.
Screens and clear space for a restored fireplace
A restored fireplace is meant to be used, and the NFPA's safety advice applies from the first fire: a sturdy screen to stop sparks, anything that can burn kept at least three feet away and a three-foot kid-free zone around open fires.
Once the job is done, our specialists walk you through the fireplace, show you how the damper and doors work and point out anything in the room that sits too close. It is part of every restoration we finish in Woodruff Springs. Keeping rugs, furniture and decorations back from the hearth is a habit worth starting on the first evening.
