| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Yogifarmgirl |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 10:37:42 PM
Hi all
I am trying to sell my house (it's been on the market since last April ugh!) I have vacuumed the soot off the hearth that dropped from the last log burning but I can't get it totally off the grey cement. Any ideas? My fireplace is a major focal point and my eye keeps gravitating towards that black spot. Please help!!
Jenn
www.sundariyoga.com
"Breathe in the Sunshine" |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| bboopster |
Posted - Mar 29 2008 : 10:38:55 AM
Jen, The foreclosure might make it tougher to get a home but most times you can explain the foreclosure and if you have good personal credit you may have to have mortgage insurance or a higher interest rate for a while but you should be able to buy a house. I was in a situation a lot like yours and after my divorce I went to the bank I had been with for years and they helped me to get on the path to a new house. I did have to have a year of 100% great credit, a single job history for one year and then write a ton of letters to explain the prior situation as to why I had such money issues and how they have changed and what my future plans were. But with in a year and a half I had a new to me home that house my 5 kids and their pets. Nothing fancy but mine. Good luck on cleaning the fire place and the sale!!!! 
http://www.bboopster.blogspot.com
3 Blue Star Mother and Proud of it!
Pray for our troops to come home safe and soon.
Enjoying the road to the simple life :>) |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Mar 29 2008 : 10:26:20 AM
glad I could help. Good luck on the sale.Hope all works out well.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
| Yogifarmgirl |
Posted - Mar 29 2008 : 04:30:13 AM
Thank you for all your help!!!
I'm gonna start with the childrens clay technique and work my way into the more elbow intensive ones after that if need be.
My house is only 8 years old so the fireplace is relatively new. I think it will hold up to most of the techniques well.
I met with a stager yesterday and she offerd a ton of great ideas for placement and staging the house so people want to buy. I am getting divorced and he does not work so the house is very close to foreclosure. I can't work anymore than I do at this point with two small children ages 5 and 8 (I own my own business) unfortuenely my house was built on my ex's prior 6 figure salary but he hasn't worked steadily since 9/11.
I am devastated over all of this because if this happens I won't be able to purchase another home for years. I am going today to look at an old farmhouse rental in Narrowsburg NY which is 1 1/2 hrs from my yoga studio business but I don't mind the drive if I can have the lifestyle Ive always wanted for me and my children...simple. I only have to be at my business twice a week, most of what I do now is administrative and can be done from home.
Any thoughts...ideas from other single moms out there?
You guys are all awesome...I always know I am going to get great inspiring advice from the "farmgirls"
Jenn
www.sundariyoga.com
"Breathe in the Sunshine" |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Mar 29 2008 : 12:11:07 AM
barring this..if need be you can paint the brickwork white. I have seen pictures of homes with white brickwork and it is rather attractive.
of course me personally..with the fireplace I have I woud never paint the brickwork as it is a lovely red color and the appraiser told us that the fireplace alone added $5,000 value to the home as it was.
Only thing I'd like to add is a nice solid wood mantle as I don't have one.But..if the brickwork looks like it needs help/perhaps painting would be a good idea...
0000000000000
Anyhow...good luck to you..and Spring time is a good time for selling.
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Have you considered a few things like:
Adding red flowers to the front yard?
Red flowers are eye catching and actually add a nice curb appeal to a home.
If the home is the proper color to do so..consider a bright red front door.
Add fresh flowers where you can to the yard..this adds visual appeal to folks.
When you have walk throughs..have a pleasant smell in the home..or a few candles in areas like the bathrooms and kitchen..all in the same scent.
Another tip is to bake a batch of cookies or homemade bread to create a sensory/homey feel.
Remove personal photos and personal "clutter.
Folks like to envision their stuff in a home.
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Anyhow..a few tips..toss them if they don't pertain..just trying to be helpful...(smiles.)
I wish you the best of luck in selling the home.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Mar 29 2008 : 12:01:07 AM
more info:
How to Clean Fireplace Brick
If you’re reading this guide, chances are good that you’re staring at a soot-stained fireplace and asking yourself how the heck you’re going to get it clean. The good news: we’ve got five different ways you can pick from, the bad news: it’s going to take some elbow grease.
Method #1
This method involves working a paste made of soap and an abrasive (salt) into the brick, allowing it to dry and adhere to the dirt, and then removing the dry material.
Materials: Rubber gloves, a cloth, dish soap, table salt, a stiff-bristled brush, and water
1. Mix one ounce of soap with one ounce of table salt in just enough water to make the mixture creamy.
2. Thoroughly rub it into the brick with a cloth.
3. Allow it to dry for at least ten minutes, then use a stiff brush to remove it.
Method #2
This method works in the same way as the first, but will be harsher on your brickwork.
Materials: Rubber gloves, dish soap, pumice, ammonia, a scrub brush, and water
1. Make a thick mixture of soap, pumice, ammonia (start with just a little), and hot water.
2. Paint the mixture onto the brick with a brush or cloth, and let it dry.
3. Remove the dry mixture with a wet scrub brush.
Method #3
This method uses the cleaning power of naphtha, abrasives, chemicals and muscle. Works particularly well on soot.
Materials: Rubber gloves. a bar of naphtha laundry soap, ammonia, pumice, a large pot, a stiff-bristled brush, detergent, and water
1. Shave the naphtha bar into a large pot and add three quarts of water.
2. Bring the mixture to a full boil and keep it there until the soap melts.
3. Allow it to cool.
4. Mix in one cup ammonia and one pound of pumice.
5. Brush the mixture onto all of the sooty surfaces and let it stand for at least one hour.
6. Scrub it off using a stiff-bristled brush.
7. Remove any remaining material with a warm water rinse, followed by a normal cleaning with a strong detergent.
Method #4
This method employs harsh chemicals and elbow grease – wear gloves and eye protection! Also be careful not to get this on your skin, carpet, furniture… well, anywhere except the fireplace brick…
Materials: Rubber gloves, eye protection, 1/2 cup tri-sodium phosphate (TSP – can be found at most hardware stores), stiff-bristled scrub brush, water.
1. Dissolve 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) Tri-sodium Phosphate (TSP) in 1 gallon of hot water.
2. With a stiff scrub brush, scrub the brick surfaces with the mix.
3. Rinse with plenty of warm water.
4. Repeat if soot or greasy stains are not removed.
5. More TSP may be added if necessary, up to 1 cup per gallon. This is a very strong solution; avoid getting it on your skin, carpet, or fabrics.
Method #5
This method uses oven cleaner, which was designed specifically to remove burnt food and scorch marks from your oven.
Materials: Rubber gloves, eye protection, your favorite oven cleaner, a towel.
1. There’s no need to preheat anything; just spray it on.
2. Let it soak for about 3-5 minutes, or follow the time recommended for that particular cleaner.
3. Wipe it off with a coarse towel.
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**** hope some of this info is helpful.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 11:58:02 PM
Well..I do know what helps get crayon off of the fireplace grout if your child has decided that he's going to help "decorate" the grout on the brick fireplace with bright yellow crayon against pretty red brick...and that is good old wd40.
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Cleaning Brick Fireplaces
Where there’s fire there’s smoke, so a working fireplace naturally accumulates smoke and soot. The stains and residue from smoke and soot can be especially hard to clean. If you are not careful, you might damage or discolor fireplace bricks. The following guidelines can help you clean brick fireplaces safely and effectively.
Smoke
Smoke is a difficult stain to remove. Try scrubbing with scouring powder (preferably one containing bleach) and a stiff bristle brush. You can also try alkali detergents and commercial emulsifying agents; apply these with a brush or spray and be sure to give them sufficient time to work. Test these chemicals on a small area that is not too visible before using them on a large area. (These compounds have the added advantage that they can be used in steam cleaners.)
For small, stubborn stains, a poultice using trichloroethylene will pull the stain from the pores. Exercise caution when using trichloroethylene in confined spaces. Ventilate the fumes.
Soot
For small areas of soot, press light-colored children's molding dough onto the brick and lift the soot away. (Be careful--you don't want to pull off any surface material.) Or dip a scrub brush into a pan of full-strength white household vinegar. Scrub a small section at a time, working up. It may take a lot of elbow grease and several applications to remove all of the soot.
Bucket and Brush Hand Cleaning
This is probably the most popular but most misunderstood of all the methods used for cleaning brick masonry. Its popularity is due to the simplicity of execution and the ready availability of proprietary cleaning compounds.
To select the proper cleaning solution (proprietary compounds, detergents or acid solutions) follow the steps outlined below:
1. For proprietary compounds, make sure that the one selected is suitable for the brick and follow the cleaning compound manufacturer's recommended dilution instructions. Brick-Anew fireplace cleaner is specially formulating for just this purpose, unlike many commercial cleansers. Although these other cleaning solutions generally perform in a satisfactory manner, you should test each product being considered in an inconspicuous spot.
2. Detergent or soap solutions may be used to remove mud, dirt and soil accumulated during construction. A suggested solution is 1/2 cup dry measure (0.14 L) of trisodium phosphate and 1/2 cup dry measure (0.14 L) of laundry detergent dissolved in one gallon (3.9 L) of clean water.
3. For acid solutions, mix a 10% solution of muriatic acid (9 parts clean water to 1 part acid) in a non-metallic container. Pour acid into water. Do not permit metal tools to contact the acid solution. There is the temptation to mix acid solutions stronger than recommended in order to clean stubborn stains. The indiscriminate use of any acid solution may tend to cause further stains.
Caution
Improper or overzealous cleaning may damage even new brick. If your fireplace brick is old and crumbling, any cleaning may cause damage. Test any cleaning material in an inconspicuous spot. To remove soot from brick that is not in good condition, mix a 50/50 solution of laundry bleach and water, pour into a spray bottle, spritz the bricks, then scrub with a soft-bristled brush. Rinse with water.
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***I have also heard that using an oven cleaner works.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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