How to Paint a Brick Fireplace
Sometimes decorating can be a challenge, especially if the fireplace in the room is unsightly or the wrong color. Tearing it down and redoing it is an option, but that can be quite costly. One solution is to paint it. Paint allows the homeowner to choose the color that best complements the overall style in the room. It can also cover up flaws or repairs that have been made to the brick which stand out.
Items Needed:
- A drop cloth
- Painter’s tape
- Sandpaper
- Vacuum
- Scrub brush
- Bucket
- Hand dishwashing liquid
- Warm water
- Interior latex primer suitable for use on bricks
- Latex paint
- Additional complementary paint colors
- Paintbrushes
- Paint roller with a one inch nap
- Paint tray
- Remove everything from the fireplace and mantle. Take the sandpaper and vigorously go over the brick to remove any debris, dirt or loose mortar. Vacuum up the dust from the sandpaper, making sure that none remains on the fireplace or the floor around the fireplace.
- Fill the bucket with warm water. Add a small amount of hand dishwashing liquid to the water and mix it in. Dip the scrub brush into the warm soapy water and use it to clean the brick. This will remove any dirt and dust from the brickwork. Allow the brick to dry. Vacuum again, to remove any debris or residue that was left behind from this process.
- Lay down the drop cloth and use the painter's tape to secure it along the base of the fireplace brick. This will prevent paint from seeping under the drop cloth and getting on the carpet or flooring. Take the painter's tape and secure it along the area where the mantle and brick meet, unless you plan to paint the mantle the same color. Outline the sides of the fireplace with the painter's tape to assure that the paint will not leave marks on the surrounding walls.
- Pour the interior latex base primer into the paint tray. Latex is best for porous surfaces as it breathes and moves, so peeling and cracking is less of an issue. Using the thick, one inch nap roller, apply a thin coat of the primer evenly over the brick. Use a brush to make sure that the mortar is covered with the primer as well. This is a necessary step as the mortar is often at a different level than the brick, which means that a roller will not reach all parts of it. Do not spend a lot of money on expensive brushes, as the brick will wear down the bristles. It is better to buy extra cheap brushes that can be thrown away when the bristles break. A single coat should be adequate for coverage. Allow primer to dry completely. Rinse out the paint tray and allow it to dry as well.
- Fill the paint tray with the latex paint color that was selected. Apply it with a roller, again using a thin coat. Use a brush to dab paint onto the areas that were not completely covered with the paint. Two or three thin coats may be needed for coverage. At this time, additional complementary paint colors can be dabbed onto the brick to add depth and a more realistic look, if so desired. Do this while the primary paint color is still wet so that the additional colors can be blended in. Allow to dry. Wash brushes, paint tray and roller.
- Remove painter's tape when paint is fully dry. Take up drop cloth and save for another project or dispose of it. If the mantle was painted, allow it to dry thoroughly before setting anything on it. This will usually take around two weeks for the paint to cure.