My wife and I bought our home 2 years ago and we recently had water damage in our basement. After getting a sump pump and drain installed, we decided to redo the basement which includes a fireplace. The previous owners of our property decided that it would be cool to cover their fireplace with mirrors (I don't recommend doing this). I was able to remove the mirrors but the bricks are left with adhesive/glue residue.

What is the best way to remove adhesive from bricks? I tried a few different chemical solutions that yielded no results.

I was able to scrape off some of the glue with a putty knife but the brick is left with 'light' spots and the wall would look like a dalmatian (light spots at random intervals). Is it better to sand down the entire fireplace so that the color is consistent? What's the best way to sand brick?

[![Fireplace Wide View.](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FPb5c.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FPb5c.jpg)

[![Close-up of Adhesive.](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gl6OQ.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gl6OQ.jpg)