Painting Brick Fireplaces
Sometimes after people update the color scheme in their living room, they run into a slight problem. Even though the room has a fresh new look, they still have to look at the same old fireplace. Many people just decide to live with it, and never even consider painting brick fireplaces. This can be a great way to complete the new look of your room. How you go about tackling this project will depend on a couple of different factors, such as whether or not you use the fireplace and if it was already painted. Here are some tips for painting brick, specifically brick fireplaces.
Planning And Preparing
When considering painting brick fireplaces, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself. Do you use the fireplace? If you do, this project may become a bit tricky due to the bricks heating up from the fire inside. The paint on a fireplace that gets used may blister and peel because of the heat. If your fireplace only serves decorative purposes, as many do, this won't be a problem.
If your fireplace was previously painted, you'll need to strip off the existing paint and re-prime it before painting. If this is the first time the bricks will see paint, you need to realize that once you paint it, there's no turning back. Due to the fact that they are so porous, once you begin painting brick, you'll always have to paint them. Once bricks have been painted it's very difficult to remove.
Proper preparation is always important, but when painting brick, it's even more so. The first thing you need to do is check the bricks and mortar lines for any chipping or other damage. After that, the bricks will need to be cleaned thoroughly. Give them a good scrubbing with trisodium phosphate, which can be found at most paint stores. Allow to dry completely before you begin painting brick.
Selecting Primer And Paint
After the brick is clean and dry, you're ready to apply the primer. You should choose a latex primer that is suitable for masonry applications, preferably a stain blocking primer. The primer can be applied with a thick nap roller, and one coat is usually sufficient. Before you begin painting brick, the primer should be allowed to dry thoroughly. Whatever color you choose for your topcoat, make sure it is an acrylic latex paint that is suitable for painting brick. At this point, you can either use a roller and paint all the bricks the same color, or you can be a little more creative. It will be more time consuming, but some people use a combination of colors. Choose two colors, and use them on every other brick. It's tedious work, but the end result is quite impressive.
