How to Whitewash a Brick Fireplace

Whitewash on a brick building exterior

If you are looking to give your brick a face-lift, but you aren't sure about slapping on a coat of paint to cover up the whole fireplace surround, consider whitewash. Whitewash has been used on brick for more than 100 years. Using whitewash will maintain the traditional appearance of your fireplace while still brightening up the brick and giving it new life. Whitewash is also a great way to blend two different materials, such as wood and brick.

Things You'll Need

• Pressure washer
• Paintbrush
• Lime
• Salt
• Bucket
• Sponge
• Putty knife

Instructions

1. Clean the brick well. Add 2 tbsp. of dish washing soap to a bucket and fill with water. Sponge the fireplace clean. Rinse with clean water. Allow the brick to dry.

2. Mix the whitewash. Combine 5 parts lime with 1 part table salt. Lime and salt can be found at your local home improvement store, in the masonry section. Add enough water to the mixture to form a paste roughly the consistency of pancake batter.

3. Brush the whitewash onto the brick using a paintbrush. You can choose to roll on the whitewash, but the paintbrush will allow you to apply less whitewash at a time so that you can customize the look of the brick. Apply a small amount of whitewash, allowing some brick to show.

4. Step back and evaluate the whitewash job. Determine whether you want more coverage or less. Apply more whitewash to cover more brick. Use a sponge to wipe away whitewash if the covering is too heavy. Allow the whitewash to dry for two days.

5. Flake off some of the whitewash with a putty knife. Scrape away whitewash to give it a natural, weathered look. Once cured for about a week, your whitewash will be firmly bonded to the brick and the finish will last for years.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have chosen to paint your fireplace brick with whitewash, you are probably trying to simulate the appearance of an antique that is coated with years of weathered paint. Apply whitewash sparingly to begin so that you can still see a good amount of the original brick through the whitewash coat. You can always add more whitewash later if you want more coverage.

References

• AsktheBuilder.com: Whitewashing Brick