DIY brick furnace repair

In detail: DIY brick furnace repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

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The brick oven is designed for a long service life. But sometimes it can fail for one reason or another. In order to face the problem of serious destruction of a brick oven less often, it is necessary to carry out preventive and repair work on time.

You don't need to call the wizard to fix minor problems. You can solve such issues on your own, having a little skills in construction.

A standard brick oven consists of:

  • foundations
  • pre-furnace leaf
  • ash pan and firebox
  • grate
  • chimney and pipes

Attention: experts strongly recommend, before starting the operation period, to conduct a thorough inspection of the brick oven for its performance. Timely preventive and repair work will prevent fires and accidents.

All repairs to a conventional structure are divided into:

  • Scuffs that have appeared on the pre-furnace sheet. They can lead to serious problems and even fire. To solve the problem, the worn sheet is replaced with a new one. To do this, dismantle the deteriorated metal, protect the flooring with an asbestos sheet and attach a new sheet of metal of the required size on top.
  • Replacing the grate from the grate.
  • Lack of traction. If the draft is lost, most likely you are faced with a clogged chimney or lack of air flow. Inspect the chimney once a year for dirt, debris and foreign objects. Chemicals are used to clean the canals.

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Chimney cleaning with chemicals

To clean the chimney from soot, you will need to prepare:

  • Firewood
  • Sharp-edged trowel
  • Soot scraper
  • Clay mortar for masonry
  • Lime and whitewash plaster
Video (click to play).

The whole work process is reduced to heating the stove with wood. It is better to use alder or aspen firewood, as they quickly burn out, form good traction, and burn out soot. If you sprinkle the wood with salt, you can remove soot from the chimney and chimney. This procedure is recommended every three months.

Replacing the grate is reduced to:

  • Taking out old grates
  • Carrying out repair work on masonry and blowing, if necessary
  • Laying a new grate, remembering to leave 5 mm gaps
  • Backfilling gaps with sand or ash

Attention: the new grate from the grate must be exactly the same size as the old one. It must be laid in its original place without using a solution.

Renovation of masonry joints is also a medium-sized renovation work. They not only spoil the appearance of the structure, but also let harmful gases into the room. To detect problem areas, it is recommended to heat it. To solve the problem, you must:

  1. Clear seams.
  2. Rinse the walls with water using a brush.
  3. Fill visible cracks and defects in the brickwork with a new clay mortar.

So that after drying the clay does not crack, it is worth adding a little table salt to it. For one bucket of clay, it will be enough to add 300 grams of salt. If the gaps in the masonry are large and deep, they should be sealed with a refractory cord.

A loose fireplace door can be reinforced. If you notice that cracks have formed around the doors, and it staggers a lot, it's time to repair it:

  1. We clean the place of repair to a brick and rinse it with water
  2. We prime the surface
  3. We put a sealant in all the cracks
  4. We close it with a solution

To prepare the solution, we need to take:

  • Fireclay
  • Heat resistant adhesive
  • Portland cement
  • Sand

The prepared composition should be similar in consistency to sour cream.

After strengthening the furnace door, after 24 hours, heat the structure with a small amount of firewood.

  • Complete replacement of the lining
  • Converting a stove from one type of fuel to another
  • Repair and re-laying of brickwork

If you need to replace burnt bricks without disassembling the stove, prepare the following materials and tools:

  • Brick
  • Hammer
  • Masonry mortar
  • Water
  • Scraper and trowel

Instead of old burnt-out bricks, it is necessary to lay new material, having previously moistened them with water. Next, we apply the solution to the masonry.

Attention: the prepared mortar must be thoroughly lubricated with the place of the fallen brick. The new material is placed in its original place, pressed and sealed.

It also happens that the refractory brick, from which the masonry is laid, collapses and becomes unusable. In this case, it is necessary to repair it through the fire door. If the damage is small, clay solution will help to cope with them. If only a few bricks are destroyed, it is recommended to replace them by removing the old mortar.

To complete the work, you will need to prepare:

  • Spatula, hammer and chisel
  • Solution
  • Water
  • Refractory brick

The old mortar is removed with a construction tool, this place is wetted with water, and new bricks are laid on top.

When repairing the firebox, it is advisable to use the same mortar that was used during the construction. After repairing the firebox, it will be possible to use the stove only after a week.

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If you want to restore an old brick stove and return its aesthetic appearance, you should stock up on the following materials:

  • Heat resistant tiles
  • Paint
  • Whitewash or lime

When decorating the stove with tiles, it must be laid on a prepared and flat surface. Be sure to use bas-relief edging and murals. The advantages of this material include:

  • Ease of care
  • Presentable appearance
  • Durability

If you want to paint your oven, look for a material that can withstand temperature extremes. To give the product originality, use a stencil to apply drawings and ornaments with paints.

Whitewashing the oven is the most common option. Add salt to the lime to add a snow-white shine.

Before you start repairing a brick oven, be sure to take care of safety precautions:

  • To avoid heating and burning wood surfaces, use insulating materials adjacent to the heated part.
  • Choose consumables carefully. They must be of high quality and free from visible defects.
  • It is recommended to use greasy clay and heat-resistant glue to prepare the solution.
  • Place a sheet of steel in front of the vent before starting work.