How to Paint Brick Fireplaces - DIY

Not all brick fireplaces were made equally. Sometimes your perfect room may have a fireplace that has no other word to describe it but ugly. One of the easiest and most cost effective do it yourself home projects is to paint the bricks on the fireplace. Fireplace painting can significantly improve the look of your room, if done correctly. Just remember, a painted fireplace is easy to achieve, but removing the paint from a brick fireplace may take a professional.

Things You'll Need

• Brick cleaning solution
• Bucket
• Stiff-bristled brush
• Plastic sheet
• Painter's tape
• Caulk or spackling compound
• Oil-based masonry primer
• Thin high-quality oil-based paint
• Nappy roller
• Paint roller tray
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Clean the bricks with a commercial brick cleaning solution. It's important to get all of the old dirt and soot off the bricks. Follow package directions for application and cleaning procedure. Use extra care to not damage any of the mortar. Allow the bricks to dry thoroughly before applying the paint.

2. Remove the fireplace doors and screen if possible. This is a good time to clean them and repaint them if necessary. If they are attached, cover them with a plastic sheet and painter's tape to protect them from paint.

3. Apply painter's tape wherever the brick meets the wall so you don't get paint on the walls.

4. Fill any cracks or damage with a paintable caulk or an exterior spackling compound.

5. Prime the fireplace with an oil-based masonry primer to ensure no stains bleed through your paint. This also helps the paint go on smoother. Use a brush to ensure you get all the rough surfaces, including the mortar, covered with the primer. Let it dry thoroughly.

6. Choose a high-quality, thin, oil-based paint. Paints are not designed to be heat resistant. A thin paint will be less likely to blister and it will also lay on the porous bricks better. If you do not use your fireplace for a heat source, then any type of paint will work.

7. Apply the paint using a nappy roller meant for textured surfaces. Keep a paintbrush nearby to help you get into the crevices between the bricks and cover the mortar. You may need to jab the paint into some of the crevices. Bricks will normally take at least three coats to cover.

Tips & Warnings

• Brick is porous - be sure you have more paint then you think you will need.

• Use an old or inexpensive paint brush for this Do it yourself project.

• If you use your fireplace, then avoid using water-based paint. It blisters in the heat and the thick layer does not adhere well to the brick.

References

• Brick Anew: Cleaning Brick Fireplaces
• Rodda Paint: Paint an Interior Brick Fireplace
• Tingle Painting LLC: Interior Painting -- Painting a Brick Fireplace