Why Paint a Brick Fireplace?

Since it's fireplace season, getting your fireplace ready for friends and family to enjoy is probably something you have on your mind.  Check out one our most popular posts that gives some food for thought on painting your tired, outdated brick fireplace.

Imagine the ideal living room with the family gathered together around the fireplace. It’s brick, right? Traditional, attractive, natural. So why would someone paint over that brick?

Many people are opposed “on principle” to the idea of painting a brick fireplace. Of course personal preference is a factor in any remodeling decision. However, there are several circumstances where painting a brick fireplace might be your best option.


1. Ugly Bricks.

If all fireplaces were as beautiful as the one you imagined in your ideal living room, there might be no need to paint them. But in reality, many fireplaces look just plain ugly.

Styles change. Even high-quality bricks may look dated and out of style. Painting with the right technique can significantly improve the look of your brick fireplace and your entire living area. The right technique can make the difference between a flat, painted fireplace and “real-looking” brick. Try a pre-assembled fireplace paint kit to get all the tools and paint you need as well as instructions for painting brick with the correct technique.


2. Cover Repaired or Discolored Bricks.Some older fireplaces may have “bad spots” with replaced bricks or patched mortar. Repaired or replaced bricks may not match the look of the original bricks in your fireplace. Even if every effort was made to match the repaired brick with the original, the repair might still be visible and may have aged differently.

Even cleaning fireplace bricks can change how they look. Have you ever tried to remove soot, residue, or even crayon from a brick? It may take strong chemicals, harsh abrasives, or serious scrubbing to get stubborn stains off brick. This can remove the exposed outer layer of the brick, making the cleaned brick stand out from its more “weathered” neighbors.

Painting your fireplace covers over these “surface” differences in brick, giving your fireplace a new, unified appearance. As a bonus, a high-quality base coat of paint will seal the brick and protect it from further damage.


3. Cover or Improve an Existing Paint Job.

Removing paint from a brick fireplace may sound like “the right thing to do,” but once you get down to it the process is messy, expensive, tedious, and potentially dangerous. Solvents and chemicals are often toxic and usually include dangerous acids that can cause severe damage to humans and pets. Sandblasting is generally not recommended for indoor brick and in any case can leave brick damaged or with an “uneven” appearance that you might have to paint over anyway. Obsessively scrubbing bricks and mortar with a wire brush could take weeks or even months. And after all that paint removal work, you might very well find damaged or unsightly brick—the reason it was painted over in the first place.

Other methods of dealing with painted brick have their own drawbacks. Tearing out a brick fireplace to replace it can cost several thousand dollars while leaving you at the mercy of a contractor. And granite or marble can be even more expensive.


What Are Your Options?

Option 1: Painting your fireplace brick with a solid coat of paint.

• Cost: $75 worth of paint and supplies should be enough for two coats of paint.
• Advantages: If you do decide to paint your brick fireplace, you can pick the color to match your décor. This will give your fireplace a clean, uniform appearance in a solid color.
• Drawbacks: Your fireplace will have an unmistakable “painted” look. Very difficult to remove paint from brick.
• Estimated time: 3 to 4 hours

Option 2: Remodel your fireplace brick for a “real brick” look using a do-it-yourself paint kit.

• Cost: $200 for an all-in-one kit with several colors of paint including a protective base coat/sealer, supplies, and instructions.
• Advantages: Easy and affordable. Try a pre-assembled fireplace paint kit to give your ugly fireplace a rejuvenated “real brick” look.
• Drawbacks: Very difficult to remove paint from brick.
• Estimated time: 5 to 7 hours

Option 3: Tear out and totally remodel your fireplace in brick, stone, granite, or marble.

• Cost: $3,000 to $8,000 to hire a contractor for complete demolition and replacement of the existing fireplace with a brand new one.
• Advantages: You will end up with a brand new fireplace built to your specifications. This may sound like a daunting project, but the results can be spectacular.
• Drawbacks: Expensive, time-consuming, messy, and you have to have a contractor do the heavy demolition and construction work.
• Estimated time: 3 to 5 days

Although a completely new fireplace may be an “ideal” solution to an ugly fireplace, you may find that a newly painted fireplace can be a huge improvement—at a fraction of the cost. Painting a brick fireplace is an inexpensive upgrade that can make a world of difference in how your fireplace looks.

Especially at a time when everyone could use a little extra equity, painting your fireplace adds a great deal of value to your home. Giving your space a more modern look will help attract buyers, just ask many home flippers who have been using this secret themselves. Take a moment to consider all of the fireplace paint products available and decide what works best for your space's decor.


Related Links:

Painting a Brick Fireplace: Against the Rules?
Is painting brick a bad idea? This article lays out the pros and cons.

Can Mr. Fix-It Remodel the Fireplace Himself?
An inexpensive and practical DIY solution for a fireplace that needs remodeling.

5 Things to Consider Before Remodeling Your Fireplace
Practical questions to ask yourself about the remodeling project you are planning.

Use Brick Fireplace Paint to Transform Your Fireplace

The fireplace captures everyone’s attention in the room, and the place where people gather to enjoy each other's company, a cup of hot tea, or a nice book. So you don't want an ugly, dated fireplace that's an eyesore instead of an enjoyment. Choosing the right brick fireplace paint transforms the look of your fireplace and makes it enjoyable again.

There are two main kinds of fireplace paint: High temp paint for the firebox, and brick paint for the exterior face of the fireplace. Any high temp paint you use should be rated to tolerate temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, and also come in colors other than black. Stovebrite offers high temp paint in eight different shades, each one great for dressing up your dingy old firebox. Check out these two newly painted fireboxes, one in off-white and the other in black:

How to Choose Brick Fireplace Paint

Choosing paint for your fireplace bricks involves a higher challenge. Do you want to go with a solid color, or for a real brick look? It's easy to choose a color and paint it onto your fireplace. The problem is that it just looks like painted brick. This isn't a bad choice, and it will look a great deal better than ugly, plain brick. However, you don't get the comfort and charm of real brick. We often get calls asking if Brick-Anew will work on a painted fireplace, since the owner doesn't like the look of painted brick (by the way, yes, Brick-Anew works on painted brick).

The key to getting that real brick look is to use coordinated applicators and varying shades of paint. This costs a bit more, but in the end you'll have the charming real brick look that you want.

Tips When Using Brick Fireplace Paint

• Use the right tools, including rollers, brushes, and sponges to get varying shades and patterns that are characteristic of brick.
  
• Use coordinated shades and colors of paint that blend together and give you that real brick look.
  

We highly recommend the all-inclusive Brick-Anew kit to make this job easy. It includes all of the applicators and shades of paint you need to paint your fireplace. Thousands of homeowners all across America have already experienced what Brick-Anew does for the look of a fireplace.

Brick Anew has a wide selection of fireplace paint you can check out any time.

Painting Brick Fireplace Ideas for the DIYer

We recently decided to start our newest project after researching all the options available for brick fireplace paint. My husband and I stumbled across your Fireplace Decorating Blog articles and all the people that have actually used this fireplace paint. We were impressed and nervous but we went on ahead an placed the order.

We chose Twilight Taupe - and painted the old brick fireplace in our den.  We are so happy with the results!!  We did a kitchen renovation (the kitchen and den are adjoined) and have received the most compliments on the fireplace - it is now such a great accent and a highlight in the space. - Kristen

Here are some more wonderful fireplace painting ideas

Fireplace Paint Metamorphosis - Before and After

 Tanya, I was so very excited to send you the

before and after pictures of my fireplace!!!

Brick-anew fireplace paint was very easy to use and it transformed my UGLY fireplace to a

beautiful center point in my living room.  

Everyone has commented on how

beautiful it is and when I tell them I did the transformation myself, they

are extremely impressed.  

Thank you Brick-anew...I love my new fireplace!!!

Kim - Roseville, CA

I was so please with getting these photo's from Kim last week I had to share.

Beautiful DIY Ideas for Your Brick Fireplace

Special Thanks to Hannah at Young & Crafty

This years tree and mantel is totally different than something I would pick out for myself. A friend of mine that moved gave me all of her Christmas decorations. Awesome, right!? I typically go for more of the woodsy, earthy theme but her colors were champagne, gold, and bronze with a a smidge of maroon. Way more glitz than I’m used to!

I must say, I am in love! Now I have two sets of décor themes and can switch it up each year if I want.

And now I will overload you with pictures of my tree and mantel.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE OF HANNAH'S BEAUTIFUL PHOTO'S

There are even more beautiful things like Hannah's that you can do with your fireplace this winter. Check out some that you can make that are affordable and DIY.

Fireplace Paint - For Your Brick Fireplace, It's EASY!

ALSO CHECK OUT OTHER PLACES I HAVE LINKED UP WITH THIS WEEK:

Delightful Order: Delightfully Inspiring Thursday Party

How to make your fireplace stand out - Guest Post

When it comes to our home's interiors, many people don't make the most of a room's internal features. Whether it's sash windows, cornicing or a traditional fireplace, making a room's focal point can not only make your home valuable and nicer to live in, they also make it more sellable too.

Most homes either have a fireplace installed or have the potential to have a fireplace fitted, so with that in mind here's some ideas for you to think about to make it stand out.

1 - Get the right floor

The flooring surrounding your fireplace can really help make it stand out. Components such as the hearth (which is also known as the fireplace floor) can also be used to accentuate your fireplace. It can be made of various materials such as tile, brick, cement or flagstones. With that in mind, you need to pick the right flooring depending on the style of your fireplace and its hearth.

Tiles work particularly well when it comes to accentuating your fireplace - especially those which are laid diagonally, rather than vertically.These Karndean flooring tiles can be laid to meet the fireplace either side of the surround, and continuing upward. In this way your fireplace will not only draw people’s eyes towards it as a main focal feature of your room, it will create a modern and contemporary feel. But remember, be sure to use colours that are already in place in the room to keep the design as seamless as possible.

2 - Paint your fireplace

Another way of making your fireplace into a stunning focal point is to paint the fire surround. Painting it a neutral colour will blend easily with a wide variety of home decors and styles and give your fireplace a new lease of life. Brick-Anew's Paint Kits come in many different colors - from Twilight Taupe for that natural sandstone feel (perfect for beige colour tones) to Misty Harbor for the contemporary room (perfect for black and grey) and furniture.

3 - Buy some art artwork

Many homes overlook the power of interesting artwork in accentuating features of a room. The space above your fireplace is critical and nothing will draw more attention towards it like a beautiful piece of art. A bold painting will pull together decorative aspects of a room - and get people talking too. But you don't need to splash out on an expensive piece of art - you could even place interesting objects inside it to maintain it as a focal point.

4 - Add a screen

Fireplace screens are more than just a mesh to cover your fireplace - they can help add safety to your room by giving it a decorative look too. You can buy fireplace screens in a wide variety of different shapes and sizes, so measure up your fireplace before you head to the shops.

5 - Treat the wall surround

Finally, you can help make your fireplace a focal point by treating the wall behind it. Instead of painting or wallpapering it, you could treat the wall itself with a textured wall effect to add an extra dimension to your wall. If you have a working fireplace, a textured effect will add a glow which will dance along the cladding.

Guest Post By: Liam Tarry

Five Changes Landlords and Leasing Offices Can Make to Improve an Apartment or Condo

Once your tenant moves out of your home, apartment, or condo, even if they were a clean and respectful tenant, the property is going to need repairs. Depending on the type of property, you could have as little as a week to make any changes necessary to spruce up the home or apartment. If you are short on time and budget but want to do a quick remodel that will impress potential tenants, here are some ways to add some life back into a tired space.

Painting and repairing damaged walls

Not only can you use this time as an opportunity to spruce up a tired room with a warm and fresh coat of paint, but you can also repair any holes tenants might have left in the walls from hanging photos, shelves, or other wall décor. Unless you have drab white walls, when you plaster over holes, you’ll have to repaint the walls to cover the dried white plaster. Use this opportunity as a way to really change the appearance of any room. You can also use low-VOC paint as an eco-friendly paint alternative that emits fewer pollutants have a lower odor than traditional paints. This can also be an advantage when trying to rent the unit.

Repainting the fireplace/replacing the doors

Even in the mildest of climates, if your rental property features a fireplace, tenants will use it. As much warmth and enjoyment as a fireplace offers, having one in your rental property also means you’re left with the task of cleaning the ash and soot left behind after a fire. To remove the black marks a working fireplace leaves behind, repaint your fireplace each year to make it appear new. This fireplacepaint system from Brick-Anew can restore your fireplace in a matter of five or six hours and for only $200. You can also replace the fireplace doors to give the entire fireplace a brand new appearance.

Removing spots and stains from carpets

Even the tidiest of tenants will take a toll on your carpets, especially if kids or pets are living there. After your tenants have moved out, do a deep clean on your floors to make sure the space is move-in ready for your next tenants. Move tables, couches, and other large pieces of furniture to see what stains might be hiding on floors. For superficial stains, you might be able to use a simple stain lifting spray. For set-in stains, you can either rent a carpet steam cleaner or use carpet cleaning services for serious carpet repair.

Changing out drapes and upholstery

If you are furnishing your rental property for your tenants, reupholstering furniture and adding new fabrics is not only a way to freshen up a space, but it also a way to appeal to prospective renters. Consider recovering couches, loveseats, and chairs with new fabrics in neutral tones. Not only is this a great way to potentially cover some older pieces of furniture without having to replace them completely, but it’s also an easy way to breathe some new life into your rooms.

You can also include more eco-friendly fabrics in the space to appeal to more environmentally friendly prospective tenants. Purchase curtains that block out sunlight to prevent excess heat from staying in the room. This will not only keep rooms dark when needed, but will also help keep your energy bills down as your thermostat won’t have to battle against natural sunlight to keep your space cool.

Deep cleaning the kitchen to remove grease stains

The kitchen is the heart of your home, so make sure that you give it some TLC after your tenants move out. Clean burners and any vents above the stove to get rid of any caked on grease or food that might be left behind. Deep clean the oven to remove any baked on grease, and make sure to remove any grease that might have accumulated on your kitchen’s backsplash. If possible, move the stove and clean the area between the stove, countertops, and walls to really give your kitchen a deep clean.

With all these changes, you can have your rental property move-in ready in a matter of days. Your tenants will appreciate moving into a space that has been well maintained and repaired, and it will give you peace of mind to know you’re providing a quality space for rent.  

Operation Fantastic: Den Dramatic

This is my neighbor's fireplace. She has been trying to decide for the last six months what she wanted to do with her awkward fireplace. She wanted to keep her den the same color-wise and she knew she couldn't refurnish the entire room so I pulled out all the Fireplace Makeover's that I have helped transform. It took a while for us to convince her husband but we made a go of it anyway.


As you can see the fireplace brick was covered in soot from the previous years of fireplace use and the brick left a lot to be desired. So, she chose a color (Twilight Taupe) and we decided to try one small brick. We followed the whole procedure, step by step as the kit said and it looked awesome. When we showed her husband he was finally excited and said go for it, so we did. Here are the amazing results.


Since this photo was taken she has since changed her carpet color to a chocolate brown and added new furniture and I am still trying to get her to let me take a picture!!!

Brick Paint Kit - Twilight Taupe
Black Firebox Paint
Brick Fireplace Cleaner
Economical Fireplace Glass Doors

Fireplace Paint That Can Renew Your Brick

To paint or not to paint—is that your question?

If it isn’t, maybe it should be.

Do you have an ugly brick fireplace in your home that you don’t know what to do with?

Have you tried unsuccessfully to clean your fireplace brick?

Have you thought about painting your fireplace in the past but hesitated because it seemed too difficult, or too expensive, or because you were afraid that once you did decide to paint you might not be able to go back?

Fact is, painting your brick fireplace is a bold step. Not only are you dramatically altering the appearance of the fireplace itself, you’re overhauling the appearance of your entire house. Add in the potential costs and the possible headaches involved in doing the job right and before you know it you’ve chickened out.

Anyway, as long as you don’t act today you can always act tomorrow—right? 

But what if you’re tired of looking at that burned out hole, day after day, and you want to do something about it as soon as possible? What if you do want to dramatically alter the appearance of the fireplace? What if you do want to overhaul the appearance of your entire home? And what if you could accomplish all of the above at relatively little expense and fantastic results—all using a process that’s not only easy but fun?

I found out that you can and just look at how my personal brick fireplace turned out with this easy 7 Step Brick Painting Guide and the beautiful matte finished color themed, specialized brick paint. The results were more than I ever expected.  I acquired a new sponsor in Brick Anew by showing off their wonderful Brick Paint kit. So...... drum roll please.................. Here is my fireplace before and after photos.

WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK? I used Twilight Taupe color theme. Twilight Taupe is a combination of taupe, tan, beige and cream. A popular color that blends easy and resembles tumbled marble or natural sandstone.

May I also suggest along with your fabulous new brick fireplace:

Fireplace Mantel Shelves

Fireplace Replacement Glass Doors with Tempered Glass or Ceramic Glass 

Fireplace Gas Logs

This project was fun & the photos don't do it justice!

Our fireplace was 22 years old, huge, and very dated. The brown walls and ivory furniture looked out of place in the old fashioned room. The project was fun, and because of the size of the wall it took a little bit longer then the average person. We love it. The photos don't even do it justice. I can't look at a red brick fireplace anymore without wanting to "fix it".  

Here is the kit I used : Twilight Taupe a combination of taupe, tan, beige and cream. The color blends easily and resembles tumbled marble or natural sandstone. 

First I got rid of all dust, dirt, loose mortar, and soot on the brick to ensure that the base coat/sealer completely bonded with the brick.

You can try using soap and water or household cleaners, but I recommend this particular fireplace brick cleaner. It dissolved my tough creosote and ash residues and no dangerous acids. OH, and don't worry about stains on the brick they will be covered by the base coat/sealer.

After I taped off the fireplace, I painted on the base coat/sealer over all the brick and mortar using the paint brush in my kit and like I was painting a wall.

Then I used the small roller or sponge to apply color 1, followed by the glaze, color 2 and color 3, letting the paint dry between each step. The written instructions and DVD that came with my kit will show you exactly how and where to paint to make your work look like a professional did it.

Then I applied the clear matte finish after allowing the paint to dry completely.

Now, I have a masterpiece!

Dark & Dreary to Bright & Cheery Brick Painted Fireplace

My husband and I just happened onto this brick paint product online when searching for what to do with our dreaded fireplace. We loved the bricks and didn't want to "cover" them as some design sites had suggested. We were thrilled when we found Brick-A-New online.

It took me a day to choose a color then we ordered right away. Thanks Wendy for taking our call and processing our order to Canada. The product came within a week. My husband and I completed the project in the evenings over a few nights. We have very bumpy bricks which was a concern for us when we ordered, but the standard fireplace paint kit covered our fireplace, it took about 1 hour or so to apply the base coat. Then I was able to apply the other colors two at a time over a couple of evenings.

What a transformation I would walk by our room that used to be the dark and dreary den and would do a double take when I saw the painted bricks even though I had done them myself. It was super easy and you can't make a mistake. Just apply and step back and say I did that! Then show all your friends your new room.

I would recommend this product to anyone. And I already have, friends, family and co-workers alike have been amazed when I show them the photo's.

We're just one step away from our fireplace being finished, we're saving up for our gas fireplace insert now.

Melissa,
Ottawa, Canada

RELATED ARTICLES:

Before and After: Fabulous Fireplace Redo's

Brick Painted Fireplaces

Fireplace Paint

My Brick Painted Fireplace is Stunning!

I painted the fireplace brick with an amazing matte finished paint kit and it  took me less than a day. The truly amazing part is that it doesn’t look painted – it looks like completely new bricks – just like the DVD said. Our floors are covered in Berber carpet and porcelain tile, and now the fireplace blends right in instead of sticking out like the red brick sore thumb it used to be. The creators of the paint kit have done a great job coming up with just the right combination of colors and application techniques. We wished we’d done this years ago! We ordered the Twilight Taupe color theme kit and it was like using a magic kit! 

Thank you,

Carin W.

Related articles:

Clean Your Fireplace

What you should know about painting brick 

Superior Fireplace Glass Doors
Ideas for painting a brick fireplace

Is your fireplace outdated and forgotten?

Is your fireplace outdated and forgotten? Do visitors overlook your fireplace instead of complimenting it? Do you want to change that?

If so, it may be the right time for fireplace remodeling. As figurative and literal sources of warmth, fireplaces remain the centerpiece of the living area. Therefore it is important that your fireplace is a pleasant place to spend time around.

Most people are reluctant to look into options for redoing a fireplace even though they know it will make a world of difference. They think of it must be a daunting, expensive, time-consuming ordeal. But it doesn’t have to be. Today there are many options for fireplace remodeling ranging from the complex (tearing out the existing brick and completely rebuilding) to the simple (using fireplace paint to lighten up and revitalize the outdated brick). This article explores several fireplace remodeling options to help you choose the right solution for your “problem” fireplace.

Starting From Scratch

One possibility for remodeling your fireplace is a complete rebuild. This means hiring a mason to disassemble the old fireplace and then install a new one. This is a big project that requires a lot of demolition—and the inevitable mess and hassle of having contractors in your house. The result is a fine new fireplace built to your specifications, but this it’s very costly—it is definitely going to run into the thousands of dollars. If you choose premium materials, design a custom fireplace, or build out an entire wall, the project could run into five figures.

Patching Things Up

Another option is repairing damaged brick, cracked mortar, or other fireplace issues without tearing everything out. These smaller changes are less serious and therefore cost less, but they still require a specialist. And while it is important to address structural problems or damage to your fireplace, it won’t necessarily improve the look of outdated brick.

Do It Yourself

If your fireplace problems are more cosmetic than structural, or if you are looking for a more economical alternative to a complete rebuild, you should consider a remodel option you can do yourself—not only will you save money (a lot of money) you will also get a great home improvement project to throw yourself into. By far the cheapest and simplest remodel is fireplace brick paint. The market’s newest fireplace paints very proficiently convert old and drab fireplaces into modern and lighter looking ones. These specially formulated brick paints are of such a high quality that it is nearly impossible to detect that paint, and not the natural brick, is what the eye beholds. The fireplace gains a fresh look, but the texture of original brick remains. Remodeling a fireplace with a brick paint kit saves you money and gives you the sense of satisfaction of a job well done. And you can do it yourself in a single weekend!

Bonus Tip: After you repair chips, cracks or other structural damage to your fireplace brick, you can cover up the repairs or mismatched bricks with fireplace brick paint.

Lighten Up

When picking out colors for fireplace paint or materials, don’t just choose something that matches the walls and floor. Consider the room as a whole. A lighter color for the fireplace makes your living area seem more spacious and complements natural daylight. Even after the sun sets, a light color maintains that sunny, pleasant feeling. Even in a room with no windows or limited natural light, lighter colors can dramatically increase the area’s brightness and  airiness.

The Centerpiece of the Room

Whichever option you choose, a high-quality remodel gives you a transformed room with a beautiful fireplace as the focal point.

Related Articles:

How to paint a brick fireplace

Update Your Room with Designer Themed Colors

Painting a Brick Fireplace

An Amazing new look on a previously painted brick fireplace

Color Theme: Twilight Taupe

Thank you very much for the amazing product that allowed us to renew our existing fireplace for a fraction of cost. It is used to be wall of white paint over the bricks and looked boring and ugly. 

Yes, it took me 5-6 hours and several layers to apply the base coat but it was well worth it. The second, third and fourth steps were easy and quick. I should mention that as I was applying coat after coat I liked how the fireplace was starting to change.  It worked like a magic. 

The last coat changed the look completely and gave us an amazingly looking new fireplace. Everybody who comes to our house can't believe that it is just several steps of painting and have to touch the bricks to prove it themselves.

Thank you for the amazing idea for the Brick-Paint Kit !

The Sickler Family

Related Articles:

Should I paint my brick fireplace?

Who would have thought painted brick could look this good?

Why paint a brick fireplace?

2-in-10: A Rule for Chimneys (and Big Brothers)

Chimney Code De-coded

Nothing says you can't add onto your home near the fireplace, bringing the exterior chimney brick inside. My oldest brother Kyle recently did just that when he walled-in his patio as a TV room, and I must say, it looks fantastic. A little bit of runaway ivy had to be peeled back from the brick chimney facade and clipped off, and he had to repair a few spots where the tenacious vines had attached to the mortar, crumbling it like a stale cookie, but with a few hours of labor and a little fireplace paint, Kyle made the backside of his chimney look like any other interior brick wall. Well, he had a little help from his kid brother, but we won't go there today...

All things considered, Kyle's addition was a pretty simple construction project, once we took into account certain fireplace and chimney construction principles. Specifically, I'm talking about the 2-in-10 rule, which dictates how high your chimney flue needs to extend in relation to other structures. Kyle wanted a super-high ceiling in his new room, until I told him what a bad idea that was. He was reluctant to listen at first, but once I threw him in a headlock, wrestled the blueprints out of his fist and explained a few basic rules of physics he finally bowed to my expertize.

The 2-in10 rule simply cannot be ignored.

In fact, I've been thinking about this basic tenant of home construction since I read this article this morning in the Seattle Times, which I thought I'd pass it along to those of you considering adding on to your house, or to anyone having mysterious fireplace draft problems, especially if you've recently done any construction in the vicinity of your chimney. It's fireplace 101, obviously, but it never hurts to have a little refresher course. In the end, it can save you not only a big headache but a lot of money.

As home inspector and columnist Dwight Barnett rightly points out, drafty fireplaces can often be traced back to flue height. More specifically, a fireplace draft frequently results from the height of the flue relative to other structures abutting, adjacent to or even in the vicinity of the chimney. To summarize, the chimney needs to rise at least 3 feet above the connecting roof, and at least 2 feet above any other structure within a 10-foot radius. If your chimney doesn't adhere to these basic rules, you're going to get drafts, resulting most often in smoke coming into the living area.

If you've already added onto your house in the vicinity of your chimney and have since been experiencing draft problems when you burn your fireplace, you need to measure. And if you discover you don't meet the rules spelled out above, you either need to extend your flue or extend the entire chimney. Meanwhile, if you're still just thinking about a home addition, you need to consider the 2-in-10 rule before you draw up your plans.

Alternately, if your kid brother happens to be a fireplace enthusiast who spent over thirty years in the fireplace industry, you could also just call him....right, Kyle?

Fireplace Getaway

Thinking about the fireplace makeover contest over at Brick-Anew got me thinking about their excellent line of fireplace paint products, which I’ve used before and which I plan to use again once I close on my mountain getaway next week.

That’s right, I haven’t mentioned it here yet, but when I wasn’t on the road this fall and summer talking to other fireplace enthusiasts around the country, I spent a good chunk of time up in the Smoky Mountains, looking for a home away from home. No, I didn’t win the lottery – far from it –but I figured if I got far enough off the beaten path and found a place that needed a little (no, a LOT) of tender loving care, maybe I could swing it.

Anyway, the place I finally found is awesome – or it will be, once I finish fixing it up. It’s got two bedrooms, a rustic kitchen and a front porch I absolutely cannot wait to sit on next summer. Not surprisingly, if you know me, this little slice of paradise also comes with a truly amazing masonry hearth that dominates the living room. I had a few pictures I planned on posting here at Fireplace Decorating, but last time I was up there I dropped my digital camera in the stream at the back of the property trying to snap a photo of a three-point buck.

Oh well. I’ll try to take a couple more pics when I head up there next month to clean out the old firebox and scrub and paint the fireplace brick. In the meantime, I’ve posted a picture of a vaguely similar fireplace so you can get the basic idea. Mine’s not in as good a shape, of course – like I said, I didn’t win the lottery -- but that’s what the fireplace paint is for, right? When I get done, mine’s going to look even better.

Valentine's Day: Think Outside the Firebox

Sitting by the fire is romantic. But is it enough?

Not to scare you, guys, but Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Websites are already posting Top Ten lists filled with suggestions for showering that certain someone with your affections. The Hallmark Store is doing record business. The candy aisle is still in pretty good shape at this point, but in about a week it will look like a gang of ten-year-olds came through on a sugar high. And that restaurant where you were planning to make reservations? You probably should have called yesterday.

Of course, if you’re here at the Fireplace Decorating blogspot, you probably don’t have much to worry about. Like most fireplace enthusiasts, you already know a thing or two about romance. How else do you explain the constantly flickering flames and the shadows on the wall? When it comes to setting the mood, you know the score.

But that doesn’t mean you’ve cornered the market on suave, fellas. As romantic as you might think it is to light the kindling and pour a couple glasses of bubbly—even if you head out back to chop your own wood and make sure the missus sees you splitting those logs from the living room window—you still might not be doing quite enough. After all, didn’t you try the same stunt last year? And the year before that?

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t build a fire again this Valentines Day. I’m not saying you should lay off the champagne or the candy or the flowers. And if you somehow managed to get in under the buzzer, don’t cancel those reservations, either. I’m just saying, this year, maybe it’s time to go the extra mile. Maybe it’s time to get creative. Maybe it’s time to think outside the firebox.

How about making yourself handy for once? How about refinishing your wife’s antique rocker? Or re-glazing the living room windows? Or fixing the—

No, better yet, better still. Why not just do something about the fireplace itself? As of this afternoon, February 5, you still have nine days to get your act together.

So pick up some fireplace cleaner, some fireplace paint—maybe go all out with a brand new set of glass fireplace doors. If you’ve got a little extra time, paint that ugly old brick this next week so it’s ready for the big night.

What’s that? You can’t find that much time on such short notice? You’re a busy man? Hey, no sweat. Imagine how happy your wife will be when she sees you hard at work, right there in the living room, on Valentine’s Day itself. Get that paint on before dinner and while you may have to wait a couple days to light the next fire, her heart will melt just as fast, if not faster, than it would have before the raging inferno. Under the right circumstances, even watching paint dry can be romantic.