Fireplace Painting: The Ultimate Guide

So you've decided to repaint your fireplace. First of all, congratulate yourself on having the courage to commit to this idea and follow through with it on your own. But, before you go charging in head-first, take some time to think through the process. We've created this guide to help you analyze a few important aspects of fireplace painting.

Main Parts of a Fireplace

Every hearth has two main parts that need fireplace paint:

• Facing – This area appears directly embedded into your wall and often runs from floor to ceiling – it’s also the most decorative area of your fireplace
• Firebox - Describes the surface area of the walls surrounding the fireplace chamber where the fire actually burns

Considerations for Painting the Facing

Because the facing is the most decorative part of your fireplace, it adds the most to your room’s presentation. As a result, you will want to be the most careful with this part of the process. Following are some points we recommend you consider:

• Type of facing – There are about as many different types of facings available as you can imagine. So, it’s up to you to figure out which look suits your taste best. Wood, stone, brick, metal, plaster, tile, and concrete can all be used to construct your facing.
• Paint – The type of fireplace paint you will use depends largely on the material it’s constructed from. Make sure you use high-quality primer and paint. Skimping on quality up front will harm the final look of your fireplace when your project is completed.
• Facing surfaces - For brick, keep in mind whether or not you want to keep a real brick look or a painted look. You can buy fireplace paint that achieves both looks. For drywall, standard latex paint works best. If you’re painting tile, an epoxy-based paint works best because it adheres to tile well.
• When to use heat-resistant paint – Typically, you only need heat-resistant paint in the areas right next to the firebox. Like regular paint, you get what you pay for, so make sure not to compromise on quality.

Firebox Painting Considerations

The firebox is where things get really tricky when it comes to fireplace paint. If your fireplace burns real wood your job is guaranteed to be a messy one. If you use gas logs, things will get messy, although not nearly as bad as wood. It takes a little longer to paint the firebox because you will have to scrub away all those soot stains. In addition to that extra step, keep these important points in mind:

• Heat ratings – Firebox paint must be heat rated up to 1000°F. However, we recommend 1200°F, just to be on the safe side.
• Real wood fireboxes – If you are burning real wood, we recommend using a black paint. No sense in painting your firebox a bright color, only to find it ruined by soot stains. Those stains will blend in well if you use black paint.
• Gas burning fireboxes – Consider the idea of using an off-white color. Off-white highlights your décor and shows off your logs. Take a look at a couple examples of this in action to see what we mean:
• Brick fireplaces – The methodology and technique used for each type of fireplace material varies slightly. For brick fireplaces, check out How to Paint your Brick Fireplace.

Quick Review

If you’re going to take anything away from this post at all, remember these four key points:

• Use latex paint on the facing/surround
• Consider using heat resistant paint around the opening and firebox
• What color do you want and which works best with your particular fireplace?
• Do you want your fireplace looking like brick or painted brick?

Keep these points in mind when it comes to fireplace paint and you will be just fine.

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

Painting A Brick Fireplace

There are many reason why people hesitate when painting a brick fireplace. Most people do not want a painted over look that take the actual look and feel of brick away from their fireplaces. They also don't want it to look like an amateur did the painting, although most folks don't have prior painting experience and if they do it is very little. What is wonderful about an inclusive brick paint product is that it is not like real paint from the local hardware stores, it is specifically formatted to be absorbed by your brick to help keep that look.

While many people are hesitant to try a new look on their brick for fear of getting stuck with something they are not happy with, the brick paint product sold by Brick Anew comes with a guarantee. If you are not happy with the results, and you have followed each step as it is given to you, they will give you your money back. How awesome is that? Not only will you keep your fantastic looking fireplace looking like brick, but you are guaranteed to be satisfied with the product.

Brick Paint has three beautifully themed colors - All which allow easy matching up with almost every decor you may have in your room with the fireplace.

• Twilight Taupe
• Misty Harbor 
• Frosted Sunshine

Can you paint your brick fireplace with any kind of paint? Well, I am sure you can but will it keep that brick look? With the paint offered here you can refresh your old brick and give it any look you want, modern, contemporary and regardless of your choice of color, you are sure to warm the room and give a comfortable feeling.

More Beautiful and Affordable Solutions to Make Your Fireplace Incredible:

• Fireplace Glass Doors
• Wood Fireplace Mantels
• Black Firebox Paint

How to Paint A Room Perfectly

One of the worst feelings is that of realizing that you have roller marks in your new paint job. Although this is a fairly common occurrence, there are some techniques you can use to keep your painted walls smooth and mark free.

• Get ready – Move all furniture out of the way. Cover furniture and floors with drop cloths to protect from drips and spills. Use painter’s tape to cover trim and other things you don’t want painted. Do not use masking tape since it can cause damage to walls and other surfaces, causing you more work.
  
  
• Do edging – Paint corners and edges with a paintbrush. Load enough paint into your brush to cover without dripping. Paint in 1-2 foot sections, skipping ahead so you are painting from a dry area to wet paint each time. When edging and doing corners, paint an area that is around 3-4 inches wide so you don’t have to scrape and mark walls by getting your roller into tight places.
  
  
• Roller paint large areas – After you have completed your edging, load your paint roller for the large areas. Fill your roller, completely covering the surface. Remove excess paint with the ridges at the top of the pan. If the roller is producing drips, it is overloaded. In order to avoid leaving roller marks, paint in a zigzagging pattern, covering only 3-4 sq. ft. of wall at one time. Starting at the top of the section, paint a capital M shape on the wall. Next, zigzag over that area until it is completely filled in. Work in sections, starting at the top and always painting from a dry area toward a wet area. Once you have painted 4 sections, roll over the completed sections to blend the paint before moving on.
  
  
• Paint trim – Follow the same edging directions as for walls. Then paint areas of 12-18 inches long from dry to wet areas. It is extremely important not to overload brushes, as drips will ruin your freshly painted walls. Paint slowly and methodically to ensure that your trim is as flawless as your walls so your entire room will look professionally done.

Nothing ruins the look of a room as quickly as streaks, roller marks, or drips in your paint’s finish. To avoid these blemishes and to get professional results, make sure you avoid overloading your rollers and brushes. You must also work in zigzagging patterns from dry areas to wet areas that have already been painted. Although this can seem much more awkward than rolling paint up and down on walls, it provides a much nicer finish. In addition, it will eventually become habit as you get used to painting the correct way. If you are planning on painting in your home, make sure you have a sufficient amount of time to complete the job before starting. An average room takes around 4 hours to paint properly, while the trim adds around 3 extra hours to the total time for the job.

Terry G. is a writer for Best-Careers.org. If you are interested in making your home beautiful and even getting your education while you are home to start a new career, this site is a great resource. 

Also Consider: 

Painting A Brick Fireplace

Fireplace Paint Color Themes

Masonry Fireplace Paint

Fireplace Remodeling and Makeover Survey

I’m looking for a little help on a project I’m working on.  I need input from any of you who are home remodelers, stagers, real estate agents, or DIY home improvement enthusiasts to get your feedback on how remodeling an outdated brick fireplace can impact the sale of a home. 

Simply fill out the survey below and send it back to me at tgforaw2012@gmail.com.  

I really appreciate your help!

Fireplace Remodeling and Makeover ROI Survey.

CLICK HERE: To Take part in our online survey

I thank you so very much for your valuable input and time.

Tanya Grimsley

The Difference Is Dynamic and I Did It Myself!

Here are my pictures as I promised.  I Thought I had a before that showed the whole fireplace, but I couldn't find it.  As I said in an earlier email WOW!!!! The results are better than we expected.  Great product and DVD/video instructions.

As you know, our fireplace was so dark and made the room look smaller. When I saw you had recommended the Brick Anew Brick Paint Kit I never would have thought that the difference would be so dynamic. It has brightened up the whole room, and makes it look bigger.  We had planned to cover the fireplace brick with sheet rock and tile.  I thought this might be a temporary fix,  but I love it so much I wouldn't think of covering it now.  You saved us a lot of money, not to mention time as it only took us about six hours to complete.  I would highly recommend this fireplace remodel to anyone before taking any drastic measures to replace, cover or destroy their brick fireplace. Thanks again.

Donna

Once An Eyesore, Now A Beautiful Centerpiece

We just bought our house a year ago, and we never liked the heavy red brick fireplace in the family room.  After exploring many different options, I had decided on a design that was going to cost me about $1500.  THEN, I stumbled across this blog. We viewed all the information and we decided to give it a try.  It took a weekend to complete, and was actually fun to do, we were very impressed with the results.  All our friends comment on how nice it looks, especially those who saw it before.  We're very pleased, and have already referred several friends and coworkers to the product.  We wanted to share with you our photo's because you are the reason we found this amazing paint!

If you have a masonry style fireplace or brick walls that you consider an eyesore, I would highly recommend trying this before trying to tear out your old brick or just using plain old paint.

Notes: 

Spend some good time taping all edges off

Clean the surfaces very well (vacuum, wet rag, etc) I recommend brick cleaner

Consider existing design elements when deciding what kind of look you’re after.  

Three paint themed colors (matte finish so it looks just like brick) to choose from.

I linked up this post at the following blogs: Please check them out. Thanks so much

DIY Project Parade - Every Monday

Link Part #10 - Jillify It - Every Tuesday

Create & Share at - The Trendy Treehouse - Every Wednesday

Catch A Glimpse Thursday - A Glimpse Inside - Every Thursday

Inspire Me Fridays - Joyful Stamper - Every Friday

Flaunt it Friday - at Chick on a Shoestring Decorating - Every Friday

Show and Tell Saturday - at Be Different Act Normal - Every Saturday

Whatever Weekend - Your Thriving Family - Every Weekend

Guest Comment by Home Inspector Websites

"Give it a Whirl" Anyone can do this!

Twilight Taupe color theme used

Recently I purchased the product you recommended on this blog to remodel my fireplace. I wanted to take the time to send you these photos because I was very nervous and skeptical about it.  It truly is difficult to tell in this before picture how the effect the paint had on the brick. It was originally red brick. We got tired of that and did not know what to do for brick so we just painted it a very shiny white enamel. It didn't take long to realize this was not the look we wanted.  I really wanted a lovely soothing focal point in our den. What I had was not soothing.


"I saw your blog post on this product while searching for a solution. Even skeptical I was willing to give it a whirl.  Man, I can not believe what you said was absolutely true, "Anybody can do this". I was completely amazed that I did not have to remove the existing paint and all we had to do was follow a video instruction. The fireplace came out more beautiful than I ever imagined it possible could be. I am over joyed and love your product. It was so easy and looks so much like natural brick my grandson thought we totally replaced the brick. That was huge!  I hope this will encourage others to "give it a whirl" because anyone really can do this."


Thanks so very much my friend!! I am telling everyone I know about this.


Lola

Also mentioned in this testimonial instructions on : Painting A Brick Fireplace  

May I also suggest a beautiful Fireplace Glass Door or Fireplace Door Replacement Glass


I am also linking up to:
  The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party
The Shabby Creek Cottage Transformation Thursday
Somewhat Simple Blog Link Party

Reluctance to paint that brick fireplace?

I sent my friend’s in Kansas a new brick paint kit, one that I have used for the last few years. They were very pleased with the results and I wanted to share with you their photos and thoughts.  

“Everything turned out great!  My wife and I were a little reluctant to use paint on our fireplace.  The brick paint kit had everything in it and it was very easy to use.  We should have done this a long time ago. Our friends and family are extremely impressed and can’t believe we did it ourselves. We can’t wait to install the Heatilator Fireplace Glass Door that you recommended. The whole room already has a new feel to it. We will send you more pictures when it is complete. Thank you so much.”

Here is what I sent them:

Color Themed, Matte Finish, looks like brick paint kit with instructions.

Affordable Masonry & Prefab Fireplace Glass Doors with video.
For more fireplace ideas check here.

Saturday Link Up at Be different act normal 
Sunday Link Up at Craft Envy

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

A Very Special Birthday Mantel

by Emily at 52 Mantels Our featured blogger this week.

My sweet baby girl had a fun party on Saturday! She officially turns one on Tuesday (sniff, sniff) but Saturday she celebrated herself silly.

We're talking cake on her face, skipping some naps, playing hard as she can, silly.

And, then she slept. For 14 glorious hours. And, I slept too.

A little birdie told me you'd like to see our "tweet" party mantel. Why don't you fly on over to our nest and...

Yes, I can go on and on like that (really. I can.), but, I'll spare you my word play and get to the details.

Like I mentioned on Friday when I gave a tutorial for our inexpensive invitations, the party was done in a bird theme. Hence, the large bird. And, small birds. And, birds' nests. And, birdcage. And, bird accents. And, bird picture frame. And, bird scrapbook paper. 

Yes, we stuck to our theme

CLICK HERE: 52 MANTELS TO VIEW THIS ENTIRE BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED MANTEL & MORE PHOTO'S

Related Articles:

Affordable, Stylish, and Durable

Strength in tempered glass doors

52 Mantels Birthday timeline