Painting Brick Fireplace Facade

[Patricia]

Linda:

The smooth surface of the brick concerns me a little. But Benjamin Moore's Latex/Acrylic fresh start is a fabulous primer. I would put a coat of this on a spot of the brick and see how it reacts (i.e., wait and let it dry and see if it absorbs and drys properly). Then, you could add your top coat of regular paint if you need it. Or, you could do like we did and like the rough look of the primer so much that you decide to just leave that for a while! By the way, they will tint the primer your burgundy color for you so you can decide as you go whether you want to add the top coat. You could always go back and add some faux look with other colors by rag rolling, as you suggested. [8D]

As far as your cabinets, if you are going to replace the doors, you could probably just replace the cabinets altogether for only a little bit more money. I have painted cabinets before and it is really a big job. You have to take all of the doors down, remove all the hardware, strip the doors, sand them, prime and paint.....

Lorie:

Thanks for the compliments. I was really worried to do it and I could not find anything online about it so I just decided to try it. I liked it so much I thought I woudl share with everyone on Home Repair Forum. Anyway, the mantel was there when we started so I cannot say how difficult it might be to put it in. I can tell you that the joists holding up the mantel are "built in" to the brick wall of the fireplace so obviously someone professional put them in. I did do some mantel shopping though and found a lot of really pretty mantels (pricey, though, approx 200-2000 each) that you could install yourself which are traditionally shaped in the U. We wanted to do that but once we painted, we liked the new look so much we decided to just live with our little mantel for now and save our money for another home improvement project! Good luck!


Patricia

[amy]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your ideas. We were in hurry to get our brick walls painted, so we followed Patricia's original idea and used the primer to paint the walls. We went to Sherwin Williams and purchased their primer. (Actually the guy there tried to talk me out of this idea. He wanted me to stain the brick with concrete stain.) We had them tint it to a creamy white. We had borrowed a professional sprayer, so after vacuuming the walls with a brush attachment, we lightly sprayed them. We did not use a brush or roller at all. It looks wonderful! It gives it that aged look we wanted, where not every crack is covered completely. I would do this again in a minute! Thanks, Patricia, for your great idea!

[bfry10]

I painted my Brick Facade 6 yrs ago. Used a Concrete paint. I went to Lowes to select another color and it was suggest that it (the painting) might be a fire hazard. I really did not see a problem. even if you did light a fire it wouldhave to get pretty hot as in flaming to ignite paint. Is there anything to this fire hazard issue?
I plan on using gas stove before long, but what about the people that do use wood?

Thanks for the reply
Brian

[cowzillagirl]

Uh... masonry paint is what you guys should really be using.

[ReneeD]

Hi all! I wanted to respond because about a month ago, I turned a dark brick 30-year-old fireplace into a modern off white charm. You wouldn't believe the difference. It took years off the room and I'm thrilled with the result.

First, to clean brick, you have three primary options. You can buy an actual brick cleaner from a fireplace store, misx 50/50 water and vinegar, or good old-fashioned soap and water. Just be sure to go over it a couple of times AFTER vacuuming to ensure you have all the loose pieces up. Then allow the brick to dry completely.

I then used a white primer, which took three coats but it was well worth the work. Finally, you do not have to use a masonry paint (sorry) - a good satin latex is perfect. The satin will allow you to wipe off dirt and the latex will ensure durability.

I'll have to take some photos of the before and after. Like Patricia, I used a real dark color, deep blue, on either side of the fireplace, which made the new brick pop! I'm telling you, an old dreary fireplace can be undergo a facelift simply by painting it. Keep in mind, that you do not have to use white or off-white. Let your creative juices flow and have some fun. Good luck and contrats Patricia!!!

[SusanM]

I just joined in since I am undertaking cleaning and painting my fireplace while my husband is out of town. I went to Home Depot and they recommended cleaning the soot with a biodgradable cleaner called Simple Green. A little smelly but cleans really well. I used a wire brush to scrape away the tougher parts. You spray it on full strength, then scrub with the wire brush and then rinse with water. Wait 10 min. between applications and do this about 3 times. To back up, I prepped the area by shoveling the ash out and then vaccumming with a shop vac the rest of the loose soot - the walls and floor area. Now I'm ready to begin painting. I was advised that I could paint directly on the brick or prepare the surface with a good latex primer like Zinzer. Then use any paint you cbose - flat or gloss. I was planning to use the same paint as I did on the wood trim and mantle (the glossy paint will clean better). I was only going to paint the front facing and the brick on the floor in front of the fireplace. I don't think I'll paint the red brick along the inside from framing of the fireplace due to heat from the fire. I was told that if the brick does not get beyond 200 degrees, then you really do not need to use a masonry paint. Any other suggestions? I'm planning on tackling the painting tomorrow.

[michelleandtim]

I found this forum while I was searching the internet for ideas about what to do with our fireplace. We own an old home and the real fireplace has been closed off and covered with a fake brick fireplace. One of the previous owners painted the fake brick an off white color. We would like to paint this fake brick a more authentic brick red or burgundy. We just aren't sure how to go about choosing a technique that will make it look more authentic. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am sending a picture of what it currently looks like.



Michelle

[Todd]

You may want to do a faux finish with red, brown and maybe black. Whatever you feel like. It is best to practice on something and get the technique you like best. Behr makes nice faux finish paints.

T

[maestraw]

Michelle,

I really like your white fireplace brick, but wish you luck in the color change. The dark brick we have detracts from the lightness of our family room, so I will be painting it following the advice of this forum. Happy rennovating!

-Mo

Mo and Dave

[Barbara]

Hello everyone,
I just started searching the web to learn more about painting my brick fireplace. I have a brick fireplace that is painted off-white. I would like to change the color. Besides cleaning it prior to priming it, do I need to sand the existing paint.

Barbara