How to Whitewash Brick

4 Materials
$10
2 Hours
Easy
Give your old brick fireplace a face lift with a whitewash! A simple and inexpensive DIY project almost anyone can do!
Using a dry rag, wipe the brick down and make sure you remove as much dust/debris as you can.


Now that your brick surface is clean, mix together equal parts white paint & water in your plastic container. You’ll probably need about two cups total of mixture to begin the project. Your mixture should be a soupy consistency so that it will absorb into the brick’s pores. For tips on how to create the perfect paint mixture, visit our full post here!


Before you start applying the mixture to the brick, you’ll need to decide if you want to keep the color of your grout, or whitewash it all. Obviously this will determine where you paint on the mixture and wipe off. For my Dad’s we decided to keep the gray grout color, so I made sure to paint only the brick portions.
Using a paint brush, apply your paint mixture a few bricks at a time. Lay on a “wet” layer to the entire brick (and grout if you decide you want to whitewash the grout). Then, let it sit to soak in for 30 seconds.. Finally, use a rag to wipe away any excess. For more details on the technique I used, visit our full post here!
Continue to apply the paint mixture and wipe away excess until you have covered your entire bricked area (fireplace). Like I said earlier, if you find that your brick is still too dark, apply another coat. If you are happy with the coverage, you are done! Let the paint dry fully, and admire your DIY work!


Here is our finished product!!
Visit our blog post for more tips and tricks on how to white wash brick! Link below!
Suggested materials:
  • Rags
  • White paint
  • Paint bucket/cup
See all materials
Ari Goldberg |  VivaLasDiy
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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 2 comments
  • Wanda sinnema Wanda sinnema on Jan 06, 2017
    looks wonderful,, was there any black residue above the edges of the door? AND did you seal the brick after ? for future cleaning?? I have the same thing.. can't make up my mind to paint totally or whitewash..
    • Hi Wanda, I don't think there was much residue... but whatever there was we were able to wipe off with a wet rag. We didn't seal it since the brick remained very porous. I think I would need to seal it if we decide to paint it completely. I recommend white wash! It is sooo easy, and takes little time to complete. AND like you mentioned you won't need to seal or upkeep the brick :)
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