Painting a brick fireplace

Lynn
by Lynn
I read all the pointers concerning painting a brass fireplace and a brick surround white. Just wondering if anyone else has any new ideas or suggestions? We would then like to add a wood mantle and built bookcases with/without doors?
Any advice?
  5 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 25, 2016
    Ok so exactly what are you asking? I think maybe you need to post a picture to explain what you are trying to accomplish.
  • Moxie Moxie on Feb 25, 2016
    you might want to look at the wood mantels that have the sides and top as a unit; get it larger than your firebox opening and also get a facing kit of marble, slate or stone you can apply to the brick, the wood surround lips over the top of the facing and then whitewash the rest of the brick outside of the mantel unit...google mantels and there are sites that sell the products with gallery pics that may offer one you really like...shop around some are super expensive and some are pretty reasonable. I also really like the look of the planking people are doing. As for the doors; if you have a fireproof hearth (you can get those with the kits also) it of course is preference...I like the idea of doors just for safety but they are a hassle to clean. They also have some amazing doors out there to.
    • Lynn Lynn on Feb 25, 2016
      Thax Moxie. I'll check all of this out. I appreciate your input.
  • Lesley Lesley on Feb 26, 2016
    I painted my ugly brick fireplace last Fall. I lightened it up with a kind of latte color. My walls are Chef White. I did primer plus paint from Lowe's. It takes 2 good coats no matter what anyone says. It looks so much nicer and it makes the family room look so much larger. I'd love to have a mantel also, but that can wait!! I did a large clock for now.
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    • Lesley Lesley on Feb 26, 2016
      @Lynn: I have bookshelves on the sides also. I left them as is, dark oak, but I'm going to paint the space between the same as the fireplace. I will definitely look better. I'd love to do the oak also, but I'm going to live with this a while first!
  • Megan Smith Megan Smith on Feb 26, 2016
    For years I lived with a white painted brick fireplace. If you use the fireplace,I would not paint it. It's much to difficult to keep clean. Eventually I filled over out with Carrara tile. Love it. If your fireplace is just decorative. .paint away.
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    • Megan Smith Megan Smith on Mar 01, 2016
      My fireplace is wood burning. Actually it's an insert, wood burning stove set into brick fireplace. I don't think that would make any ddifference though. The bits of ash and coal that fell out onto the hearth blackened the paint and wouldn't clean up. I use the fireplace almost daily so I really need something durable.
  • Barbara Parsons Barbara Parsons on Feb 26, 2016
    I had a very light and airy family room with this big brown brick column going right up the middle, and it made me crazy. So despite everyone telling me not to, I painted it. I actually bought a few bricks to experiment with, first. I took the wall color paint (a very creamy color) and mixed it with spackling compound until it reached the consistency of pancake batter. The bricks took the paint in two coats, and I never looked back. It was a good durable paint, the dark column in the wall is gone, and it is a perfect backdrop now for seasonal decorations or accessories of my choosing. I have never regretted it, and actually have some friends who followed my lead and did the same thing.
    • Lynn Lynn on Feb 29, 2016
      I just painted two coats on the fireplace. I absolutely love it. Thank you for your advice.