How to Reuse Bricks in a Fireplace

Preparing Bricks for Reuse

1). Put on gloves and goggles.
2). Fill a bucket with water. Add 1/2 cup of muriatic acid to the water. Always add acid to the water and not water to acid to prevent dangerous splashing.
3). Soak the bricks for 10 minutes in the acid solution to loosen mortar from the brick.
4). Chip mortar off the bricks with the brick hammer. Keep a few large mortar chips to match when you shop for mortar.
5). Mix 1 cup of detergent with water in a second bucket. Dip a scrub brush in the solution, and scrub dirt and grime off the brick to clean it. Set the brick aside to dry and move to the next brick.
6). Throw out bricks that are broken or cracked.

1). Go to a building supply store, not a local hardware store, with the mortar sample to match the color as best as possible. Mortar contains sand, which can have various colors. Local hardware stores don't have the same selection that building supply stores do. Buy the appropriate mortar.
2). Clean the fireplace bricks with water. A mild detergent is also effective to remove dirt and soot. Chisel away any excess mortar from the area where you will replace bricks to create a flat setting for placement of the the bricks.
3). Mix the mortar with water in a bucket according to the manufacturer's label. Generally, add enough water to achieve the consistency of a thick clumpy soup.
4). Spray the surrounding bricks with water so the dry bricks won't absorb the water from the mortar.
5). Apply a layer of mortar with the trowel. Set a brick on the mortar, wiping away excess mortar with the trowel. Repeat until all bricks are replaced and the fireplace repair is complete.
6). Wait 30 days before cleaning any sloppy sections of mortar. Mix 1 part of muriatic acid with 10 parts of water in a bucket. While wearing gloves, dip a sponge in the solution and carefully remove the excess mortar from the front of the bricks.