Okay, so I finally got around to replacing those fire bricks in my wood burner. It was a bigger job than I thought, but I learned a lot. I figured I’d share my experience, warts and all, in case anyone else is tackling this.
First off, I underestimated how many bricks I actually needed. I thought I could just grab a few spares, but nope. Turns out several were cracked or just plain crumbling. So, a trip back to the hardware store was in order. Lesson learned: inspect everything before you start!
Next, I had to get the old bricks out. This was… messy. Some came out relatively easily, but others were stuck like glue. I ended up using a combination of a hammer and chisel, and a lot of patience. I’d tap gently, then pry, then tap again. There was a lot of crumbling and dust, so I definitely recommend wearing a mask. And maybe some safety glasses, too. Dust got everywhere.
Once the old bricks were out, I gave the area a good clean. I used a wire brush to get rid of any loose mortar and debris. You want a nice clean surface for the new bricks to sit on. This took a while, let me tell you. I even used a small vacuum to suck up the dust in all the crevices.
Then came the part I was dreading: laying the new bricks. I used a high-temperature mortar, which, by the way, is sticky stuff. I applied a thin layer to the back of each brick before carefully placing it in position. This took a lot of fiddling. Making sure everything was level and straight was tricky. It’s a bit like a really intense, high-stakes game of Tetris. And getting the right amount of mortar was a real challenge; too much and it oozed out, too little and the bricks weren’t stable.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, all the new bricks were in place. I let the mortar set overnight, just to be on the safe side. I also cleaned up the remaining mess. Let’s just say, I had a mountain of brick dust to deal with.
The next day, I inspected my work, and apart from one slightly crooked brick (I’ll fix that later… maybe!), everything seemed good. The wood burner looks good as new, honestly. I even had a test fire that night. It worked perfectly.
The whole process took me about a day and a half, including the trips to the hardware store. It was hard work, for sure, but it was rewarding to see the finished result. If you’re thinking about tackling this project, just be prepared for a bit of a challenge. Take your time, be patient, and don’t forget the safety gear. And maybe buy a few extra bricks, just in case!
