Fireplace Makeover Tip: Clean Your Fireplace Refractory Panels

BY Collin Champagne Feb 14, 2023

Have you thought about doing a fireplace makeover? Are you interested in renovating your wood fireplace but don't know where to start? If you are interested in bringing life back to your current fireplace but aren't ready to invest the time and money into a full renovation, let us suggest a quick and easy alternative.

Cleaning your fireplace liners is a great way to restore the look of your current fireplace. Some people approach the idea of a fireplace remodel and get overwhelmed with all the options out there. White washing takes a good amount of time and doing a total renovation can be expensive. Though, cleaning your liners is a cheap way to brighten the look of your unit and restore it to its former glory.

$Fireplace Makeover Tip: Clean Your Fireplace Refractory Panels$: Hearth Products Seville Brick Liners

Many fireplaces that are made in a warehouse come with a cast concrete liner that looks similar to firebrick. Sometimes the ?brick? is a traditional deep red color while other times the brick looks like it has been white washed. The liners can get dirty for many reasons, one of which being your fireplace logs not being positioned correctly. If they are put too close to the back wall, you will notice more soot build-up in a shorter amount of time.

To remove the build-up, you need to take the gas logs out of the fireplace. If your liners are easily removable, then it may be good for you to take them out and set up a spot outside where you can clean them. If not, then the next step is to prepare your mix of cleaning solution. All you need is a blend of muriatic acid and water where the acid is diluted to 15%.

$Fireplace Makeover Tip: Clean Your Fireplace Refractory Panels$: Empire Gas Fireplace with brick panels

Word to the wise: Make sure you pour the water first then add the acid. The chemical reaction of adding water into acid instead of acid into the water can make the water boil and splash out of the bucket. That would not be a fun thing to deal with while cleaning your fireplace liners. So, just remember you should always add acid to water and not the other way around.

Once you mix your solution properly and get a good scrubbing brush, you are ready to go to town on your liners. When they are cleaned to your satisfaction, let them dry before putting them back in your fireplace and/or before adding your gas logs.

$Fireplace Makeover Tip: Clean Your Fireplace Refractory Panels$: Hargrove Refractory Panels

If you happen to have fireplace liners with metal interiors, you should not use the muriatic acid/water mixture to clean them. These types of liners will need 120 grit sandpaper to get them looking good again. Other than that, these are all the tips you need to make your fireplace come back to life & sparkle like new.

Should you have any questions about what we shared today, please give us a call at 800.203.1642. you can also look through our catalog of articles to find more info on fireplaces, renovation tips and anything else hearth related.

About the Author

Collin Champagne

With over 13 years in the industry, Collin is a National Fireplace Institute (NFI) certified technician and managed content for the eFireplacestore and eCanopy brands. He has achieved the highest NFI certification possible as a Master Hearth Professional and is certified in all three hearth appliance fields: wood, gas, and pellet. With experience with sales and in-field installations, his expertise shines through his technical knowledge and way with words.