How to Paint Over Brick

You have an ugly brick fireplace and you want to do something about it. Maybe you thought of remodeling your brick fireplace, but the expense was too great. Maybe you thought about painting your brick, but had seen one too many drab, flat looking painted fireplaces. There are a few other options, and one of these is painting your brick with a textured look, or a faux finish to get a new looking fireplace, at a reasonable price.

Painting with Multiple Colors

Here is one site’s solution, which involves painting your fireplace in several steps:
http://www.prettyhandygirl.com/2010/08/painting-brick-fireplace-from-white-to.html

They actually save a brick fireplace from its flat white appearance, and use a multi-stage-process to add some texture to the brick.

Painting with One Color

Another site paints their fireplace white, and although we generally frown upon the painting of a fireplace with just one color, their results are still nice:
http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/01/how-to-paint-a-brick-fireplace/

Supplies and Preparation

In order to paint your brick fireplace, you will first need the proper fireplace supplies, and this includes:

• Masking tape
• Drop cloth
• Paint brushes
• Paint (one color, or perhaps a brick painting kit)
• Face mask and protective gear
• Fireplace brick cleaner

You will want to mask off the area around your fireplace you do not want painted, the addition of a drop cloth will help prevent any excess spills from getting in your house. Then, you will want to clean the area you are painting. This helps prepare the brick to be painted – make sure the area is fully dried before you begin painting.