Method of repairing hot refractory brick walls

A method of repairing a damaged internal surface portion of a wall of a normally closed chamber, the wall being constructed of refractory brick joined by a heat resistant mortar and normally being maintained at an operating temperature of at least 2000.degree. F., the method comprising the steps of

• initially opening the chamber and cooling the wall to be repaired to a temperature internally of the wall below about 1900.degree. F. and to a surface temperature in the area to be repaired of no less than about 500.degree. F. and maintaining the temperature of the wall within this range throughout the repair,
• entering the chamber and removing the damaged brick defining the internal surface portion requiring repair,
• manually rebuilding the portion of the wall from within the chamber by replacing the removed brick with new brick utilizing a high temperature resistant mortar, the new brick having a coefficient of thermal expansion compatible with the existing brick in the wall upon reheating the wall from such cooled temperature to its normal operating temperature, and
• closing the chamber and reheating the refractory wall to its normal operating temperature.