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  Check out one our most popular posts that gives some food for thought on painting your tired, outdated brick fireplace.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.

The Romantic Fireplace

It has become a cliché, but that's probably because it’s true—the most romantic spot in the house is front of the fireplace. Dim the lights, get a cozy little fire going, pull a couple chairs up to the hearth or maybe open a bottle of wine and stretch out on the floor.

The fireplace is the place to be for an intimate evening at home.

But any hopeless romantic will tell you that these things need some planning. For example, if you've got an ugly fireplace, is that going to put a damper on your romantic evening? Would you want to snuggle up in front of this?

Painting an ugly brick fireplace is a great remodeling idea that can transform an ugly fireplace into the centerpiece of a room. Try a fireplace paint kit for an easy project that you and your mate can do in a single weekend. You can make a fun project out of painting that ugly fireplace, and then later on you can enjoy your handiwork when you get some alone time. Or surprise a loved one by painting that ugly fireplace one weekend when they are out of town—it’s the perfect spot for the end of a romantic evening.

So if you have an ugly eyesore sticking out into your living area, consider a quick remodel to transform it into a cozy place for you and a loved one.

Related Post: Handcrafted Mantels

Ideas for Renovating & Remodeling Your Home

When it comes to renovating or remodeling any place in your home, there are a million different things you can do. Of course, what you can actually do depends entirely on your budget and your imagination- not to mention your skills and the amount of free time you have to dedicate to renovating and remodeling the home. Sometimes, all you need is a good idea and some dedication, and your home will be remodeled and renovated in ways that may have never been imaginable before. In case you have a brain drain when it comes to renovation and remodeling ideas, here are some different things you can do in all the major rooms of the house:

Renovating and remodeling the living room
The living room is a great place for a renovation or remodel because it is the primary room that people see when visiting the house, and it is the prime spot when hosting any guests of any kind. Also, the living room tends to be the biggest room in the house, and thus has the most possibilities for renovation and remodeling per square foot. The living room also tends to have the most furniture in it, when compared to other rooms in the house, which adds just that many more renovation and remodeling possibilities.

1. Change the carpet- this can be costly, but can do wonders in the room.
2. Rearrange the furniture- a simple switch-around can do a lot to change the feel of a room.
3. Rugs- a new rug can really liven up a room, you may be surprised by the result.

Renovating and remodeling the bathroom
The bathroom may be one of the smallest rooms, but it is also one in which you may have a lot of guests- and is therefore a great place to renovate and remodel. The space may be limited, but the possibilities are not nearly as limited as you may think- there are all kinds of things that can be done to make a bathroom sparkle.

1. Cabinets- changing up the cabinets can make a bathroom look brand new.
2. Toilets and tubs- getting a new toilet or tub can change the whole feel of a bathroom, and will really make it sparkle like new.

Renovating and remodeling the bedroom
The bedroom is the most private area of the home, and the goal of a bedroom design should be to make you feel comfortable and at ease as much as possible.

1. Cleaning up the closet- The closet tends to be the most cluttered part of the room, and maybe even the most cluttered part of the house.
2. New dressers- a shiny, new dresser can really liven up a room and breath fresh air into it.
3. The walls- Putting up a nice piece of artwork or something on the walls can add a whole different level of peacefulness to a bedroom.

Alexis is an interior design maven. She writes for a variety of sites and loves looking at preferred builder floor plans.

Before & After - From drab to fab!

I Just wanted to send you a few photos of my before and after project with the Brick Anew Paint Kit. I can't believe the difference. I am so pleased with the results. I LOVE my new fireplace look and it has helped me to change the entire feel of the room/space. The color I chose was Misty Harbor. What a fabulous product and I would absolutely recommend it without hesitation.

Many many thanks,
Carla

Related Articles:
An Amazing Transformation
How to transform your home using good lighting
Fireplace Improvements: Add Value to your home

Get Fired Up About Home Improvement

Guess What This Fireplace Looked Like Before...

You've gotta hand it to people like Todd and Marlene Capron, an enthusiastic Brooklyn couple featured in today's New York Times. Despite being renters, the Caprons had the initiative to negotiate a labor-for-rent-reduction deal with their landlords. They also apparently care enough about design to refurbish their dilapidated rental tastefully. Indeed, when you look at the fruits of their labors you realize their landlord got a pretty sweet deal, too.

The Caprons ripped out walls, re-tiled bathrooms and, yes, restored the fireplace. In fact, if you flip through the slide show that accompanies the article you'll see they actually restored two fireplaces -- one in the living room, the other in the bedroom. In both cases, they took what appeared to be a pretty desperate situation and turned it upside-down. I mean, seriously: go look at the before-and-after pics.

These guys knew what they were doing. That, or they did their homework. Either way, it shows.

What I like most about people like the Caprons, however, is their attitude, which I find inspiring. I've restored a few houses in my time, but I'd be lying if I said I've always enjoyed it. Apart from restoring fireplaces, I frequently find home improvement work tedious, if not downright frustrating. It's not that I can't do it or don't know how; it's that I don't really want to start a new project in the first place.

Take down an old mantel and repair some damaged brick, as the Caprons did? No problem. Scrub the old brick and throw on a little fireplace paint? Piece of cake. I could do that kind of home improvement every day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it. But that's easy stuff, if you ask me, and the rewards are dramatic and come pretty quickly. Re-tiling a bathroom, on the other hand, well, I'd rather hire a professional.

But then I read about a couple like the Caprons and I realize home improvement is home improvement, whether you're looking at a busted-up hearth or a broke-down bath. Yeah, I happen to be schooled in fireplace renovation and know a thing or two about masonry, but that doesn't mean I can't tackle other home improvement projects with comparable gusto.

In the end, anything I do to improve my home should be worth it, and nothing should deter me. Besides that, a restored fireplace should look even better in a fully restored house. My wife's going to be thrilled...

A Fireplace Too Far

This Once-Cozy Fireplace Became...A Theater Screen?

This just make me want to cry: Old Fireplace Transforms into 105" Screen Wall.

Don't get me wrong. I like watching movies as much as the next guy. I also wouldn't mind having a home theater...assuming I had the kind of bucks it would take to put one in. But no matter how much I might enjoy watching Caddy Shack or Blade Runner on the big screen, in the comfort of my own home, and no matter how much cash Santa leaves me in my stocking this year, there is absolutely no way I would brick off a fireplace just to put in a projection screen.

I know people who put flat screens above the hearth in place of a traditional mantel, and while that's not my thing, I can see the appeal. It's a modern update on traditional values and aesthetics. I get it. But ditching the entire fireplace in favor of a giant television? Well, to me, that's just sad.

But then, hey, I'm just an old-fashioned log burner with a thing for a good crackler, and I put my TV clear at the other end of the room. So what in the world do I know about modern design?

Fireplaces of the Rich and Famous

The Rich and Famous Like Fireplaces Too

Sometimes you just gotta laugh.

I had a small fire crackling here at the blogspot this morning—it makes the coffee taste just a little better and does wonders for the creativity—when a friend in the business forwarded me a link to a story about celebrity homes. “Did you know Jerry Seinfeld’s house has thirteen fireplaces?” he asked, and while I wasn’t exactly surprised, I sent back a quick response. “No I did not,” I said. “It’s amazing how much money you can make off a show about nothing.”

Now, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a 1954s era bungalow with two fireplaces. My grandmother’s turn-of-the century Tudor-style house, meanwhile, had four—though two of them were sealed off during the Great Depression. And these days, while I’d love to have an extra hearth at which to thaw my ice cube toes, perhaps one in the bedroom or even a third one, in the dining room, where we like to entertain, the one single hearth we do have, right there in the den, where we spend the most time as a family, is actually way more than sufficient.

We just spent a little time and money making it the best fireplace it can possibly be. And now that it’s been dressed up with glass doors and a new mantel—ever since I got over my anxiety and just painted the daggum thing, once and for all—I can’t imagine what I’d need another one for. The truth is, even if my house was 23,000 square feet like Oprah Winfrey’s Santa Barbara mansion, or it featured an outdoor theater like George Clooney’s Italian estate, you’d still have a pretty tough time getting me off the couch where I’m sitting right now. Modest as it may be, my fireplace is my pride and joy. After all, I remodeled it myself.

Firebox Paint

A Fireplace with no firebox paint can look barren.

With the economy in the shape its in, we are always looking for ways to improve your fireplace, while saving money as well. A great quick fix could be to just paint the inside of your fireplace with a black firebox paint. This immediately transforms the interior of your fireplace from an old ashen look to a fresh clean black.
Any paint used to paint a firebox must meet strict safety and environmental standards. Regular fireplace paint doesn’t quite cut it when you’re talking about temperatures as high as 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Intense temperatures call for a specially designed firebox paint that won’t crack, peel or, worse, emit harmful chemicals into the living area.

Interior fireplace paint should always meet the following criteria:

• Withstand temperatures up to 1200 degrees
• Contain a silicone protectant
• Rust-resistant
• Won’t scratch

Amongst other changes, this fireplace now looks
great with its new coat of firebox paint.

Firebox paint is not expensive, and is as easy to apply as any other paint. You may have to put a little more prep time into getting the firebox cleaned, but the end results of using the right interior fireplace paint greatly outweigh the efforts.

Video - Thermo-rite Fireplace Doors

At the 2008 Hearth, Patio, and Barbeque Expo we met with a representative from Thermo-rite manufacturing, the originators of tempered glass fireplace doors.

Visit the Thermo-rite website, and stay tuned for more videos from the Hearth, Patio & BBQ Expo in Atlanta.


Related Links:

2008 Hearth, Patio, and BBQ Expo
Videos from the 2008 tradeshow in Atlanta--Fireplace Decorating was there!

Choosing the Right Fireplace Glass Door
This article explains many available options for fireplace glass doors to help you choose the right one for your fireplace.

Fireplace Mantels
A wide selection of fireplace mantels including unfinished mantels you can stain, seal, or paint yourself.

Mountain Cabin Decorating Ideas

For natural beauty and relaxation, it's hard to beat a cabin in the mountains. This can be the perfect getaway spot for a romantic weekend, a family vacation, or just some R & R to recover from the stress of everyday life.

When decorating a mountain cabin, one of the challenges is striking a balance between the simple, rustic look appropriate to the setting and creating a space nice enough to make the indoor experience as pleasant as the outdoor scenery. A recent Southern Living article entitled Dreamy Mountain Retreat featured a couple who decorated their house in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The thoroughly modern living space featured many indigenous touches, especially around the fireplace. The rough hewn hardwood mantel and designer fireplace screen fit well with the contemporary amenities of the house while providing the rustic feel of a mountain cabin.

Just as the fireplace should be the centerpiece of your living space, the fireplace is an absolutely essential element for a mountain cabin--the focal point and gathering place after a day of hiking, exploration, or relaxation. Be sure to spend the time and energy to decorate it accordingly.


Related Links:

Rustic Fireplace Mantels for Modern Homes
More information about hand-crafted hardwood mantels with a rustic look including split log and rough-hewn mantelpieces.

Rustic Mantels from North Georgia Logs
A great selection of rustic mantels hand-crafted in the North Georgia mountains.

Fireplace Makeover: Cheryl

These pictures show the "before and after" for an actual fireplace makeover sent in by Cheryl.

"I love the results!" wrote Cheryl. "I was concerned since I'm not very artistic, but it turned out great."

No need for concern. Her new mantel shelf, fireplace glass door, and fireplace brick paint truly transformed this hearth into a showpiece.

If you have a real-life fireplace makeover to share with us, send the "before and after" pics along with your makeover story to:
fireplaceblog@bellsouth.net


Related Links:

Before and After
More "before and after" pictures of do-it-yourself fireplace makeovers.

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

Glass Fireplace Doors
The glass fireplace doors that Cheryl used in her remodel.

Prefab Fireplace Doors
If you don't have a masonry fireplace like Cheryl.

Choosing the Right Fireplace Glass Door

If you don’t know what you’re looking at, the many options for glass fireplace doors can be confusing and even overwhelming. What does zero-clearance mean? What is tempered glass? How can you tell if a glass door will fit your fireplace? This article explains many of the available options so you can know which fireplace glass door is the right one for your fireplace.


Masonry or Zero-Clearance?

Before you start shopping for glass fireplace doors, you need to know what kind of fireplace you have. There are two kinds of fireplaces:

• Masonry fireplaces are made of brick and mortar. If your fireplace chimney is made of brick and mortar, you have a masonry fireplace.

• Zero-clearance fireplaces (also called factory built fireplaces) are prefabricated in a factory and are made of metal, although the hearth may be lined with firebricks. If your fireplace chimney is a metal pipe, possibly topped with a round metal chimney cap, you have a zero-clearance fireplace.

It is important to determine which kind of fireplace you have since a glass door for a masonry fireplace will not work for a zero-clearance fireplace and vice-versa.


Zero Clearance Fireplaces: Find the Make and Model

If you have a zero-clearance fireplace, these require a specific size door. This ensures the correct amount of airflow is allowed into the fireplace to keep the unit operating properly. The best way to get the right size door for a zero-clearance fireplace is to find the manufacturer and model number. Look for a metal tag inside the fireplace with the manufacturer and model number.

If you can’t find this information, contact a fireplace door dealer for assistance.


Masonry Fireplaces: Measure to Fit

If you have a masonry fireplace, you will need to measure to ensure the fireplace door you buy is a good fit. There are two options for masonry fireplace doors:

• Inside Fit means the door mounts inside the hearth opening.

• Overlap Fit means the door mounts outside the hearth opening.

The fit depends on the design of the door itself. Inside Fit and Overlap Fit require different sets of measurements. Thermo-rite, a manufacturer of glass fireplace doors, has a free brochure that tells you how to measure your hearth for a fireplace glass door.


Trends and Options for Fireplace Doors

Recent advances have given consumers a wide array of choices from simple doors to designer and decorative products that can make your fireplace sizzle. To get more information about the latest trends in fireplace glass doors, we turned to Ray Repasky, vice president of Thermo-Rite.

According to Ray, custom fireplace doors are the next big thing. “Today, people can choose the glass color, the metal finish and the width of the frame,” he says.

A few of the recent trends in fireplace glass doors:

Finish – Once the most popular option for fireplace doors, brass fittings have recently been less fashionable in home interiors. Many people have turned to earthy finishes such as iron, stainless steel, pewter, brushed nickel and black. These are the same choices that have become more popular for lighting, faucets and other home fixtures.

Design – Trackless fireplace doors with thin frames and folding doors are the top choice. Some frames fit well with a modern décor, while others are more traditional. Many of these fireplace doors can be customized to fit your hearth perfectly.

Glass Color – Now consumers have alternatives to clear glass in fireplace doors. Bronze glass and other colored glass let you see a fire when it is burning, but hide the interior of the hearth when there is no fire. “Many people are discovering the beauty of bronze glass,” says Repasky. “When you aren’t burning a fire, you don’t see into a dirty fireplace.” Other alternatives to clear glass include gray, mirrored and beveled glass for fireplace doors.

Dealers are giving consumers more choice than ever in fireplace products. Whether you are shopping for a masonry fireplace glass door or a zero clearance fireplace glass door, be sure to do your research to get the fireplace glass door that’s right for your hearth, your home, and your budget.


Related Links:

Prefab Fireplace Glass Doors
Articles and information on prefab fireplaces.

Fireplace Glass Doors: Conserving Energy, Saving Money
An article showing how fireplace glass doors save energy and money.

Real Life Fireplace Remodel
Before and after pictures from Cheryl who remodeled her fireplace with brick paint and new fireplace glass doors.

Fireplace Glass Doors
Masonry and zero-clearance fireplace doors. Many different styles and sizes to choose from.

5 Things to Consider before Remodeling Your Fireplace

The sub-prime mortgage crisis and the resulting clouds on the horizon for the economy may have cooled the real estate market, but savvy investors know that renovations are still a great way to increase the value of your home and give you an edge when it comes time to sell. The best way to maximize the return on your investment is to Do It Yourself. And a fireplace remodel is a great project you can tackle yourself—possibly in a single weekend!

Of course, it’s easy to make mistakes when choosing the right fireplace remodeling option for your home. If you spend too much, you might not get a good return on your investment. If you do something wrong or attempt a remodel that’s too complicated, you might have to call in a contractor to fix things up.

Here are five things to consider when picking the fireplace remodel that’s right for you:


1. It’s Not a Competition. MTV’s Cribs and other television shows may be all about one-upsmanship, but that is a terrible way to plan a renovation for your own home. Don’t try to outdo your friends and neighbors; choose the remodeling option that you want, the one that’s right for your home. A huge, ornate fireplace in a tiny living space will end up looking out of place. And an expensive remodel may not give you the best return if the estimated value of your home is already higher than most others in your neighborhood. The website zillow.com can provide an estimate of home values by address for comparison purposes.

2. Pick an Option You Can Live With. A recent Newsweek article titled With Lust in Our Hearths said, “Homes are an appealing form of wealth: after all, your 401(k) may be a better investment, but it can’t host a barbecue.” When investing in a fireplace remodel, be sure to take into account how you want to use the fireplace in your home. Want to curl up in front of the hearth? Be sure to get a fireplace screen or fireplace door. Want a working fireplace without the hassle and mess of wood? Consider gas logs. Don’t need a working fireplace? A fake fireplace might be just the thing for your living area.

3. Have the Right Tools for the Job. A major fireplace remodel may require some heavy-duty tools. For example, cutting bricks from a fireplace may require a custom saw blade or grinder along with a good shop vac to control the dust. If you plan on crafting a wooden mantel or surround from scratch, you can’t just start sawing boards with your circular saw—at the very least, you’ll need a good miter box to cut lumber and moldings accurately. This applies to tile and stone as well. If you don’t have your own workshop, you might want to consider a custom crafted hardwood mantel that you can install yourself with the tools you already have in your toolbox.

4. Make a Budget. This may be the key to your investment. Businesses don’t start a new project without a budget and a plan, and neither should you. Write down your budget and study it before you start spending money. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Have I listed all the materials necessary and the total cost for each?
• Do I have the tools for the job? If not, is it worthwhile to buy them?
• Have I budgeted for unexpected expenses?
• Will this give me a good return on the money I’m spending?
• Can I afford this?

5. Know Your Limitations. It’s easy to turn on This Old House or HGTV and think, “I could do that!” But before you commit to a project, take a good look everything involved including the time and the level of expertise necessary. It can be good to challenge yourself, but don’t bite off more than you can chew--you will regret it in the end. If the remodel you are considering looks like it’s too much for you to handle yourself, you can either hire a contractor or consider a simpler option such as painting fireplace brick.


Taking the time to review your fireplace remodeling options and create a written plan and budget will help to ensure a successful fireplace renovation—one that you can enjoy while living in your house, and one that gives you a good return when you decide to sell.

Choosing a Fireplace Screen

Fireplace screens provide an extra measure of safety and protection for your working fireplace. Home improvement expert Bob Vila advises consumers to “always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces.” But you don’t have to settle for an ugly screen or a “one size fits all” screen; newer styles offer many finishes, designs, and sizes to fit your fireplace and your living area.

The first step in picking the right fireplace screen is determining which type of screen works best for your hearth. There are two types of fireplace screens:

• Single Plate – Single-plate screens consist of one single panel to cover the fireplace opening. The plate will either be curved so it can stand on its own, or it may include stands. The screen can be glass or mesh.

• Folding – Folding screens are hinged for easy adjustment. They usually consist of a large center panel of either glass or mesh and two smaller, folding panels on either side. The individual panels can be flat or curved.

Get the Right Fit

Screen distributor John S. Adams tells buyers to measure their fireplace opening and get a screen that fits. Ill-fitting screens (too small or too big) look wrong and can potentially create a safety hazard. “The screen should cover the entire opening,” Adams says. “You want good coverage with narrow, fine mesh—not great big holes.”

Since fireplaces come in all shapes and sizes, measure the dimensions of your fireplace opening before shopping for screens. If you are looking a single-plate screens, get a screen with a few inches to spare in both width and height for a snug fit. If you are considering a folding screen, look for one with up to 10 extra inches width and 5 extra inches height. This will allow you to set up the screen to cover the fireplace opening fully without overextending it. A folding screen that is too open may tip over.


Finish the Job

Just like fireplace tools and fireplace doors, you can select from a wide variety of finishes and styles for your fireplace screen. Adams notes that the most popular finish choices are natural iron, brushed steel or pewter, and basic black. Traditional polished brass is still an option, but many consider the look old-fashioned.

Style-wise, you can choose the look that is right for your fireplace and your living area. Do you have a simple, streamlined, modern look? Maybe a simple iron screen would work for you. Do you have mission-style furnishings? Perhaps a fireplace screen with mission-style designs in the metalwork would work for your living area. Or, if you are looking for something more ornate, check out fireplace screens with curved, floral designs.


Stay Safe

“A lot of families are looking for protection for their kids and pets, whether the fireplace is gas or wood-burning,” says Adams. “Even if it’s a gas fireplace, the glass enclosure gets unbelievably hot.” Luckily today’s manufacturers provide a product that is safer than ever and available in a wealth of choices to fit the color and décor of your home.

A Peach of a Fireplace Remodel

The before and after pictures really say it all: a fireplace built into an oppressive wall of ugly brick transformed into a vibrant, bright showpiece in less than a day. Virginia artist and designer Suzy Spence did all the work herself despite her husband being "completely opposed to painting the brick."

The results speak for themselves.

Check out the details of Suzy's family room remodel on her blog GeorgiaPeachez.

If you have a real-life fireplace makeover to share with us, send the "before and after" pics along with your makeover story to:

fireplaceblog@bellsouth.net


Related Links:

Before and After
More "before and after" pictures of do-it-yourself fireplace makeovers.

Why Paint a Brick Fireplace?
Sometimes painting over ugly brick is your best solution. This article explores several scenarios where you should consider painting interior and fireplace brick.

All-In-One Fireplace Brick Paint Kit
The brick paint kit that Suzy used.

Superior Fireplace Doors for Superior Model Fireplaces
All you need for your prefab Superior Fireplace.

Get Your Fireplace Ready before the Holiday Rush

Many people avoid thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas before November. But if your entire family is coming to visit, you can save yourself some stress by preparing your home—and your hearth—ahead of time.

The holidays are about family, and the best place to gather your family together is around a cozy fire. A remodeled fireplace is a natural backdrop for photos. Be sure to get the stockings in the picture!

Here are some remodeling and decorating ideas for your fireplace that you can get done before the last-minute holiday rush:

• Replace your mantel. A monumental undertaking? Something only a contractor could do? Actually, if you’re handy with tools, you can order a custom-crafted hardwood mantel on the internet, have it delivered, and install it yourself. You can get a factory finish to match your décor, or you can finish the wood yourself.
• Replace your fireplace accessories. New fireplace accessories such as screens, hearth rugs, and tools make a world of difference. Don’t let filthy, sooty screens or tools detract from the appearance of your fireplace. You can choose from many different designs to find out that goes perfectly with your living area.
• Replace your gas logs. Think about upgrading to designer ceramic and concrete log sets for your gas fireplace.
• Paint over ugly brick. Painting fireplace brick is a popular and inexpensive alternative to replacing or rebuilding a fireplace. This is a great do-it-yourself project that can give you startling results for a very small investment of time and money.
• Hang Christmas cards. Instead of lining up cards on your mantel, try hanging Christmas cards from garlands or tinsel draped below or across the front of your mantelpiece.
• Use stocking hangars. Don’t want to hammer nails in your hardwood mantel or drill holes in your fireplace brick? Try these handy fireplace brick clips that attach to bricks without damaging them, allowing you to hang stockings right on the fireplace.
• Digital photo frames. You can choose from a wide variety of digital picture frames to put on the mantel. Load the memory with digital photos of past holidays. Many frames allow you to create a slideshow of pictures—that’s like having your photo album displayed all the time on your mantel.

If you have an ugly or neglected fireplace that you are tired of seeing every year in your Christmas pictures and videos, give yourself an early Christmas present and remodel it before the holidays. Santa will thank you.

Fireplace Remodeling and Return on Investment, Part Two

Part one of this article defined R.O.I. (return on investment) and gave some tips on determining if an improvement project was right for your home and your future plans. In part two we will explore several projects that offer high returns on your investment.

Investing in your home should be an ongoing process. Certainly large, costly improvements such as adding rooms increase your home’s resale value, but you should also consider smaller projects—especially do-it-yourself jobs like painting or remodeling an ugly fireplace. Often a smaller investment offers a bigger percentage return, especially in the short run.

Here are three areas where you can make a big difference with a small to moderate amount of time, money and elbow grease:

1. Maintenance. It’s not glamorous, it’s not exciting, but it might just the best thing you do for your property. If a potential buyer wants an inspection, that inspector is going to find any outstanding maintenance issues, and the buyer might want to fix these or take the cost off your asking price. Worse—they might walk away.

Always stay on top of the following:

• Leaks – A stitch in time saves nine. Fix a leaky roof or a plumbing leak before you get any water damage. This will certainly pay off in the long haul. As a preventive measure, check your roof for loose roof tiles and damaged flashing.
• Fireplace – Check for cracks, chipped brick or other damage. Clean off soot and smoke. Clean the firebox or repaint the firebox black. Be sure to use approved heat-resistant firebox paint.
• Furnace – Replace filters regularly.
• Gutters/Downspouts – Clean out any clogged gutters. If your spouts are loose or disconnected, secure them before water gets into your walls (causing paint to blister and peel) or pools around your foundation (causing cracks or seeping into your basement.) Replace damaged gutters.
• Foundation – Repair foundation cracks immediately. Locate the cause. If part of your foundation is sinking, you may need to dig it out to repair it before the damage gets worse or spreads to the structure of your house.

2. Exterior. First impressions may not be everything, but the way your house looks as a potential buyer pulls up sets their expectations. A house that looks good from the street makes a potential buyer want to see more. (Real estate agents call this “curb appeal.”)

Pay attention to the following if you want your house to look great from the outside:

• Paint – Often the first thing a potential buyer sees. Damaged or faded paint makes a bad first impression, giving your house a “fixer-upper” feel even if the interior is perfect. If a paint job is in order, the buyer will probably deduct this cost from their offer.
• Vinyl Siding – The same is true for siding. Try pressure washing to clean dirty siding, but do not be afraid to replace it if necessary. Siding usually provides a good return on your investment (85%-90%) and it helps sell the house.
• Lawn – Well-maintained lawns improve the appearance and value of a property. You don’t have to manicure it down to the last blade of grass or spend lots of money, but a few well-chosen plants and flowers along walkways or in front of windows can work wonders.

3. Interior. Buyers often imagine themselves living in a home they are looking at, mentally arranging furniture and placing possessions, but they don’t necessarily want a blank slate. If you are still living in your home when you put it on the market, keep it neat. If the house is unfurnished, you should still have the basic elements (lights, doors, fireplaces) already in place. It should look ready for someone to move in.

Here are some projects for the interior of your home:

• Walls – Paint the walls. This instantly makes a room feel clean, vibrant, and updated. Light colors usually work better in living areas and kitchens or any room that doesn’t get much natural light. If you decide on a dark color, try white or a lighter, complimentary color for the trim. Paint the walls yourself to save money.
• Kitchen – Buyers take note of kitchen remodels, but you do not have to redo everything to make an impact. Think about it one component at a time—a new sink or cooking station might give you a better return than all-new appliances. New countertops can rejuvenate a kitchen. Try under-cabinet lighting or a ceramic tile backsplash for an upgrade you can do yourself.
• Fireplace – Fireplaces are big draws for buyers. If the fireplace in your house is ugly, paint the fireplace brick for a quick project you can do yourself in a single weekend. With a fireplace paint kit available for about $200, you can achieve an upscale, “real brick” look—and give yourself a nice return.

Whatever you decide on, always consider the bottom line. And don’t forget that investing in your home can add to your family’s enjoyment as well as adding resale value.

Fireplace Remodeling and Return on Investment, Part One

One of the best investments you can make is investing in a house. But home ownership is not static. Upkeep and maintenance are critical, but savvy owners know that improving your home can be a great investment as well. Smart remodeling choices can give you great R.O.I when you put your house on the market.


What Does R.O.I. Stand For?

R.O.I. is Return On Investment, a key concept in any investment. The idea is to get the maximum return for the minimum investment—not just investment of money, but also of time and effort.

When deciding which home improvement project is right for you and your investment in your house, you should make the distinction between Lifestyle improvements and R.O.I improvements.

• Lifestyle improvements are important to your family that may not be worth as much to a potential buyer, such as an inground pools or tennis courts. These projects may improve your home for the members of your family, but they often do not provide a good return on your investment when you sell your house.

• R.O.I. improvements are specifically designed to increase the perceived value of your house to a buyer. Since ROI improvements are all about money, you have to look at the bottom line—the return on your investment. Additional bedrooms or bathrooms, minor kitchen remodels, and improving the appearance of your fireplace are all good investments that increase the sale price of your home while making it more attractive to buyers in general.

Understand that you should not view all Lifestyle improvements as useless or bad and all R.O.I. improvements as good. If you and your family really want something, it might be worth doing even if the improvement may not offer a great return.


How Do You Decide on the Right Remodeling Project?

As part of the decision-making process, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Where do I want to be in the next two years? If you plan to sell your current home in the next 1-2 years, some projects will not give you a good return on your investment. You may want to concentrate on maintenance along with quicker and cheaper projects improvements that are attractive to buyers.

If you plan to live in your house for several years, then projects such as adding a second story, a deck, or an upscale kitchen or bath may work better for you since your family can enjoy them while your home appreciates in value. This appreciation can offset much of the renovation cost.

2. Does the project fit the neighborhood? The houses around you can have a big impact on the value of your home and which projects will give you the best return. For example, if your neighborhood consists mostly of two bedroom, one bath houses, then adding multiple bedrooms to your house may not give you the same return you would get in a different neighborhood. This is called “overbuilding,” and it means the smaller, cheaper houses around yours will lower the value of your house—no matter how nice it is. In this case, you may want to improve the existing components of your home, such as replacing windows or remodeling an ugly fireplace.

3. Is the project worth the money, time, and effort? This is the key consideration. If you want to calculate the R.O.I. for a project, you should take the increased value of your home after the improvement and divide that by the cost.

The chart shown below details many home improvements and their average R.O.I.:


In the next post: home improvement project ideas offering good returns on your investment, including fireplace remodeling projects.

Modern Design Options for Fireplaces

Modern design is clean, sparse, and often geometric and simple. While critics have charged that this style is “cold,” you can lend some literal—and figurative—warmth to a modern home with a well-designed fireplace. This article explores many popular options for modern fireplaces including some easy, simple remodeling ideas for “modernizing” your existing fireplace.


It’s a Gas!

Modern fireplaces can be radically different from the traditional hearth with a brick surround and a wooden mantle. An increasingly popular component of modern fireplaces are gas logs. Cement or ceramic “logs” radiate heat from clean, efficient propane or natural gas flames. You get the warmth and visual appeal of a wood fire without the dirt, hassle, and expense of woodpiles. This makes them the ideal choice for a condo or apartment. You can choose the style of gas log and the venting option that works for your home.


Plasma (Flatscreen) TVs Mounted above the Fireplace

Since the fireplace is often the focal point of a room, many people choose to mount their flatscreen television above the fireplace. Naturally, this leads to concerns about damaging the expensive equipment or discoloring the screen or surrounding plastic. This article from the Plasma TV Buying Guide website provides some easy guidelines to determine if you can safely mount a plasma TV above a working fireplace or on a mantle.

Many retail outlets offer licensed and bonded installation services for mounting flatscreen televisions. If you choose to do the work yourself, be sure you have the tools and the expertise necessary—the job can be complicated and, if you aren’t careful, could even be a fire hazard.


Paint Over Ugly Fireplace Brick

Ideally, you would be able to design every aspect of your modern home, including a custom-designed fireplace to fit your living area. But in reality, budget constraints might make remodeling an existing fireplace a more practical choice.

If you are trying to come up with an inexpensive remodel to bring the existing, ugly brick fireplace more in line with the modern look of your home, you might want to consider painting the brick. A painted brick fireplace offers a clean, updated look, and painting with the right technique can provide the look and feel of real 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—all at a fraction of the price of putting in a new fireplace.


Fireplace Doors, Mantels, and Accessories

Traditional components of a fireplace—fireplace glass doors, mantels, and fireplace accessories—are not necessarily out of place in a Modern home. For example, a rustic log fireplace mantel would fit right in with “Modern Primitive” design. And today’s manufacturers offer a wide variety of fireplace accessories and glass doors to match any décor. Update: We found a fireplace door website just for Majestic Fireplace doors!

Faux Finishes for Fireplace Brick

Faux finishes are all the rage these days. You can’t pick up a home improvement magazine or watch a decorating show on cable without running across some version of faux finishing. Much of what you see will proclaim that you can “do it yourself,” while the opposite camp will tell you that you need a professional to do it right—or they might even offer extensive, expensive training so that you can call yourself a professional faux finisher.

The term has been applied so broadly and to so many areas of decorating, it’s easy to become confused. What exactly does faux finishing mean, and how can you do it to fireplace brick?


It’s a Fake!

Faux finishing literally means fake finishing, and it’s a process for visually simulating the look and texture of a material using paint. The technique has been around for centuries, but recently its popularity has surged.

What materials can you simulate? Anything really. That is why faux finishing can be applied to almost any decorating situation. With the proper paints, brushes, and techniques, you can create a very believable finish that looks like marble, wood, stucco, plaster, or brick.


Do You Need Professional Faux Finishing for Your Fireplace?

If you are unhappy with the look of your brick fireplace, you can hire a professional faux-finisher to update your fireplace to make the décor of your living area by painting the existing brick to “mimic” the look of real brick. This can give you some great results, but there are a couple drawbacks to this approach:

• Is your professional really a pro? Since faux-finishing has become popular quite rapidly, many people have jumped on the bandwagon to call themselves “professional” faux-finishers. Since there is no universally accepted accreditation for this, always ask for references and look at samples of previous work before hiring a finisher.

• Is your professional worth the cost? Because most faux finishing is labor-intensive and faux-finishers consider themselves artisans rather than housepainters, they often charge exorbitant rates. According to the article "How to Update Your Fireplace" by Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Vierria (reprinted on the HGTV website), Sacramento faux finishers Brigette and David Logsdon charge $800 to $1,200 for a typical faux-finish job on a fireplace.
  

Do It Yourself

Before you shell out big bucks to hire a professional faux finisher, why not try your hand at it? Order a fireplace paint kit to get all the paint and supplies you need to remodel your ugly brick fireplace and give it a “real brick” faux finish that fits your living area. The kit even comes with video instructions that take you through the entire process step by step—you can do the whole thing in a single weekend. And best of all, the entire kit costs only $200. What have you got to lose?