Painting Brick Fireplaces

Introduction:

Almost everyone agrees, brick fireplaces are beautiful pieces of any home. But sometimes they stand out for the wrong reasons. Many great fireplaces are left neglected by their owners and are left in a degrading state due to poor and improper care. Now while usually the state the brick fireplaces are in, require professional help to clean and fix them up. However, one of the best things anyone can do at home and with little skill or money to spruce their fireplace up is to simply paint it back into splendor.




5 Tips to Remember While Painting Fireplaces

1.) Paint thinly

• Due to the heat being exhibited from the fireplace, the thicker your layer of paint, the more likely it is to split, blister and crack. Apply the paint lightly to create a thin layer overtop of the bricks porus surface.

2.) Scrub the bricks before painting

• Use some sandpaper and cloth to smooth out any irregularities you find on the bricks. You can also use soapy water and clean the fireplace with a scrubbing brush but make sure to rinse the soap off once your done and let it dry. This is important to remove any paint that was applied from previous owners or times.

3.) Apply a primer

• You can get specialized primers specifically for bricks and fireplaces. A latex primer would be a good bet as they are hardier and better suited for porus materials such as bricks then other paints. Allow the primer to dry. Usually only one thin layer is enough to get the job done.
  

4.) Make sure the color you choose is the color you want

• Removing paint applied to bricks is a very difficult and potentially expensive venture and once it is removed, the bricks will never look the same again. Choose that color carefully and wisely. Painted brick fireplaces have been known to actually reduce property values due to the wear they will go under.
  

5.) Use a high quality primer and paint

• Brands such as Behr and Benj may cost a bit more then the average can of paint but they do the job much better then generic brands. Also try to use a spray can rather then a roller as the roller will not infiltrate all the nooks and crannies of the brick but rather glide over the top of it. You need about a gallon of paint and primer for the average brick fireplace.