You can beautify and brighten a stone fireplace and add some protection to the stone and mortar by cleaning and sealing it.
Things You Will Need
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Wear rubber gloves. Mix one pint of muriatic acid with a gallon of water in a five-gallon bucket. Carefully fill the trigger-sprayer bottle. Attach the trigger and pump a few sprays into the bucket to be sure that the sprayer functions.
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Begin at the top of the stone fireplace. Spray the acid solution over a small area. Allow the acid to fizz and burn for one to two minutes. Scrub the area with an acid scrub brush to remove thick residue or stains.
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Mix a cup of ammonia with a gallon of water. Fill a trigger sprayer and neutralize the entire fireplace with the ammonia-and-water solution.
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Allow the stone to completely dry. Apply two coats of a masonry sealer with a paint brush. Allow two to three days of curing before lighting a fire. These steps will brighten up the stone fireplace.
The Drip Cap
- Stone fireplaces are durable and energy efficient.
- These fireplaces also can accumulate soot, dust and burn marks.
- Mix one pint of muriatic acid with a gallon of water in a five-gallon bucket.
- Fill a trigger sprayer and neutralize the entire fireplace with the ammonia-and-water solution.