How to Paint a Gray Brick Fireplace

Cover old brick with paint.

When decorating, you can choose a wall color that complements your gray brick fireplace or you can opt to change the color of the brick. While painting the brick may not seem like an obvious solution, it expands your possibilities. Painting your gray brick fireplace a different color allows you to change the whole room's look. While painting brick is slightly more complex than painting surfaces like drywall and wood, you should be able to paint gray fireplace brick easily.

Things You'll Need

• Degreaser
• Sponge
• Low-tack painter's tape
• Drop cloth
• Spackling paste
• Putty knife
• Sandpaper
• Acrylic primer
• Paint pan
• Paint roller
• 2 roller sleeves with 1/2-inch-thick nap
• 1½-inch angled brush with synthetic bristles
• Latex paint in satin or gloss finish

Instructions

1. Wash the brick to remove soot and other deposits. Use a degreasing soap. Scrub tough stains with a sponge. Wipe off any soap residue with a clean, damp sponge.

2. Protect the walls and floor around the fireplace. Use a strip of painter's masking tape on the wall. A drop cloth will keep spatters off the floor.

3. Repair damage to the bricks and mortar with spackling compound. Spread it on with a putty knife. Use a damp sponge to reach into small areas and smooth out the compound. When it hardens, lightly sand the compound. Wipe away dust with a damp sponge.

4. Roll primer onto the masonry surface with a thick-nap roller sleeve. Start at the top of the fireplace and work your way down.

5. Use a small brush to apply primer between the bricks. Wipe up drips and thick areas of primer.

6. Apply at least two coats of paint, following the same procedure you used when applying the primer. Be sure each coat has dried completely before applying another coat. Masonry is a very porous surface and may require a third coat of paint for complete coverage.

7. Remove the tape when the paint has dried. Pull carefully to avoid taking any of the paint off in the process. Wash the brush with soap and water.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan to use a gallon of paint to paint approximately 250 square feet of brick.

References

• House Painting Info: Painting Interior Brick
• Ask the Builder: How to Paint