So far I've successfully avoided tile work, but now I've failed.
I have a lady who tore the marble facing off her fireplace (it was cracked and generally in bad shape), and then burned a bunch of back yard debris in said fireplace. She has a lot of energy if nothing else!
After pricing new marble <gulp>, she wants to cover the area with granite-faced tile. The fireplace now will be strictly ornamental; no more fires.
My biggest worry about doing this is that particularly just under the mantel, the underlying firebrick and block work is very stained and sooty. I have a jug of muriatic acid out in the shed, and am planning to take that over and try to clean up a layer or two of the gunk before trying to tile it.
How anal do I need to be regarding getting everything sparkly clean? And do I need to wait a day or two for it to be bone-dry before proceeding with the tiling, or is a little dampness acceptable?
Any other tips to help avoid shooting myself in the foot? That hurts; I have lots of experience at that.
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