How to Paint a Brick Fireplace

Level of Difficulty – Intermediate

Time – Eight hours

In just a few simple steps, you can breathe new life into your home's fireplace. Brighten up your family room by painting your brick fireplace.

TIP: Doityourself’s painting consultant Pam Estabrooke, of ProTect Painters, suggests, “Pick a color that will accent the room. A rich, dark brown will create an instant focal point. A warm, cream will lighten a dark room.”

Step 1 - Prep Your Bricks

Before proceeding to paint your brick fireplace, you need to protect the surrounding area. Use a drop cloth or heavy plastic to protect the floor from water, spatters and paint. Now prepare the bricks. Use a thick sheet of sandpaper to loosen any caked-on grime or loose mortar. Next, use a hard-bristled scrub brush and a homemade cleaning solution of liquid soap and warm water to give the bricks a thorough cleaning. Should you come across any exceptionally stubborn dirt or soot deposits, you may need to use a wire brush. Lastly, seal off any bricked areas you don't wish to paint with thick tape.

Step 2 - Apply Primer

Allow the bricks and motor to dry thoroughly from their cleaning. Now that you've made all the necessary preparations, it's time to apply your masonry primer. Use a small paint roller to apply the primer to the surface of the bricks in smooth, even strokes. Next, use a small paint brush to apply your primer to the grout. Be patient. This is an important step and it can take a while to work the primer into all the groves.

TIP: Pam suggests, “Tint the masonry primer to the final top coat color to get better coverage.”

Step 3 - Paint the Brick Fireplace

Having given your primer ample time to dry, you're ready to apply your latex paint. Perform this step in the exact same fashion as your primer application, using your roller for the bricks and your brush for the grout. In about a day’s work, you’ve changed the look of your living room with just a bit of elbow grease and a couple coats of paint.

Pam Estabrooke, district manager of ProTect Painters, contributed to this article.