Cleaning Stone Fireplace With Muriatic Acid

If you try cleaning off the mortar while it is still wet it just smears on the stones.

Cleaning stone fireplace with muriatic acid.

Never use muriatic acid on stone or masonry. An easy solution is to let the mortar dry and at the end of the project clean the mortar off the wall with muriatic acid. The stones absorb heat from the fire and radiate it into the room and they can remain hot for some time after the fire is out. This will totally neutralize the muriatic acid.

Before cleaning your stone with the muriatic acid test it on an inconspicuous area. Masonry projects that use cement products like mortar concrete and grout can be messy muriatic acid is a sure way to clean masonry surfaces this product is a very strong acid that will clean dried cement products off stones bricks and other masonry surfaces. When building a stone wall or other stone projects it is almost impossible to avoid getting mortar on the stones where you don t want it. Using a pump up sprayer spray a small area no larger than 3 x 3.

Rinse the stone with water and you re done. It s important to pour the masonry cleaner into the water instead of the other way around to prevent any burns from the acid. You can beautify and brighten a stone fireplace and add some protection to the stone and mortar by cleaning and sealing it. Avoid uneven or prolonged contact because etching uneven cleaning or streaking can result.

Let the solution dwell for five minutes. Dunk a clean soft sponge in the remaining tsp solution then apply it to the entire fireplace surround making sure to wet both the stone and the grout. These fireplaces also can accumulate soot dust and burn marks. Muriatic acid is available for purchase at home improvement centers and janitorial supply stores.

Acid will etch most stone brick masonry surfaces. Fill an eyedropper with the mixture and apply one to two drops to the stone. Prepare a diluted solution of your acid based cleaner. Dip a second brush into the masonry cleaner mixture then gently apply the brush to the brick.