However, most of the time, your fireplace will need a little work to get it looking just the way you want it. In this article, we’re going to go through everything you need to know how to paint a brick fireplace.

Supplies You’ll Need For Painting A Brick Fireplace 

Before you start on painting your brick fireplace make sure you have the following. 

Tools You Need:

Other Supplies You’ll Need:

• Painter’s tape for surrounding areas
• Bucket of water and old towel for quick cleanup
• Fan for faster drying times (optional)
• Brick-Anew Fireplace Paint Kit (includes base coat, undertone colors, and glaze)

What’s the Best Paint to Use When Painting a Brick Fireplace?

When painting a brick fireplace, using the right type of paint is essential for durability and a professional-looking finish. While many assume a basic masonry or stucco paint is the best choice, a specialized fireplace paint kit like Brick-Anew’s provides a multi-tone, natural brick appearance that standard paints cannot achieve. 

Our kit includes a primer-like base coat and specialized undertone colors that mimic the depth and texture of real brick. This method results in a realistic transformation without the need for costly renovations.

Brick Fireplace Paint Kit 5.0 (158 reviews) A versatile kit for painting brick fireplaces a fresh and modern look at economical prices From $229 View product

How To Paint a Brick Fireplace: Step-By-Step

Now you have all the tools and materials in place, it’s time for us to show you how to paint a brick fireplace. Here are the 5 steps you need to go through:

1. Apply the Base Coat
2. Apply Color #1
3. Apply the Glaze
4. Apply Color #2 & #3
5. Touch up with Base Coat

Before You Begin: Prepping Your Brick

Proper preparation is key to ensuring the paint adheres well and lasts long. Follow these steps before painting:

• Protect surrounding areas: Use painter’s tape around the fireplace edges and lay a drop cloth on the floor.
• Remove loose debris: Use a small broom or shop vac to clear dust and loose mortar.
• Clean the brick: Scrub the surface with a brush and mild soap. Rinse with a damp cloth and allow the brick to dry fully.

If your fireplace is previously painted:

• Lightly sand glossy or oil-based finishes before applying a primer.
• For flat latex paint, a light sanding may be needed if there’s a sheen.

Step 1: Apply the Base Coat

The base coat acts as the foundation of your new fireplace finish, covering the existing brick and mortar color and setting the stage for the layered undertones.

• Shake the paint container before opening.
• Pour some base coat paint into a tray.
• Using a large brush or roller, evenly apply the base coat over all brick and mortar.
• Ensure full coverage, especially in crevices.
• Allow the base coat to dry before moving to the next step. A fan can help speed up the drying process.

Step 2: Apply Color #1

Once the base coat is dry, you’ll start adding undertones to create a natural brick effect.

• Shake the first undertone color before use.
• Pour a small amount into a paint tray.
• Using a dry applicator technique (very little paint on the sponge or roller), apply the first undertone color across all bricks in a random pattern.
• Allow the base coat to peek through in some areas for a realistic look.
• Let dry before proceeding.

Step 3: Apply the Glaze

The glaze enhances the depth of the painted brick, giving it a more natural appearance.

• Pour a small amount of glaze into a tray.
• Lightly dab a sponge into the glaze, removing excess before applying.
• Using a dry applicator method, apply the glaze over the bricks, allowing it to settle naturally.
• Let it dry before adding the final colors.

Step 4: Apply Color #2 & #3

To further build depth and variation:

• Repeat the dry applicator technique with each of the final undertone colors.
• Apply these shades lightly to create a subtle, blended effect.
• Avoid heavy coverage—each layer should enhance the depth rather than conceal previous work.

Step 5: Touch Up with the Base Coat

Once all colors are dry, go back with a small brush and touch up the mortar lines or any areas where too much undertone color may have spread. This final step refines the appearance and ensures a professional finish.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What kind of paint do you use on a brick fireplace?

When painting your brick fireplace, you have to make sure you use paint that is appropriate for interior brick surfaces. Using the right paint will prevent unwanted occurrences like flaking or chipping. Make sure you speak to a professional about the right type of paint to use for your brick fireplace and ensure you get the right products. 

Is painting a brick fireplace a good idea?

Painting a brick fireplace is a great idea if you want to upgrade your home’s interior design. It’s a great way to give the room a fresh, new look, and painting your fireplace is a great do-it-yourself project for you and the family to help out with. If you have all the right safety and protective equipment, painting your brick fireplace is a relatively easy undertaking. 

What is the best color to paint a brick fireplace?

Most people think that simply painting over your bricks in any color you want will give them the desired effect. However, there are specific paints and painting techniques that work a lot better than others.

Brick Anew’s paint kits give you the same look you would get from a professional without having to fork out thousands for them to do it for you. They’re easy to use and come with a step-by-step guide on how to use them to get the most out of the kit.

Brick Fireplace Paint Kit 5.0 (158 reviews) A versatile kit for painting brick fireplaces a fresh and modern look at economical prices From $229 View product

There is no getting around the fact that removing paint from brick is no simple task. Most methods for removing paint from brick have considerable drawbacks: they can be caustic, expensive, time-consuming, and can permanently damage your brick.

This article explores several of the options available for removing paint from brick—especially indoor brick, such as that in a brick fireplace—as well as less dangerous and invasive solutions to ugly painted brick.

Doing It the Hard Way: Standard Options for How to Remove Paint from Brick Fireplaces

Most options for removing paint from bricks in your home are dismal at best, dangerous at worst. You be the judge: Would you like to experiment with any of the following techniques in your home?

• Power washing and sandblasting: This almost seems ludicrous to mention for interior applications, but if you are flipping a house or remodeling, you could conceivably sandblast interior brick. But consider the following before renting that equipment: 
• Sandblasting or power washing brick is the most damaging way to remove layers of paint from brick and mortar due to its forceful nature. 
• Sandblasting brick erodes the protective exterior of the original brick you’re trying to expose. This can lead to further damage later. 
• Power washing brick must be done by professionals, which is not very cost effective to remove brick paint affordably.

Even after you sandblast or power wash brick, you will still probably need to go over the remaining patches of paint with a wire brush to remove them by hand.

• Lye: Yes, Lye! Lye is a very volatile, very toxic and very risky acid. Sodium hydroxide is the same ingredient found in products marketed to dissolve clogs in drains. Some people use it to remove paint from their brick and they must be rather brave considering the following factors: 
• To make the lye-based solution to remove paint from your brick fireplace all you do is mix some water with the powdered lye solution. But remember to put the lye into the water, because if you forget and do it the other way it will explode or catch fire! 
• If you still want to remove paint from bricks with lye, you will need something akin to a hazmat suit—this chemical really is that caustic. Any contact with skin requires immediate first aid. Consider wearing long sleeves, a mask, and possibly even a raincoat. 
• Lye can also require repeated treatments. Sometimes the process can take weeks. 
• Once again, have a wire brush handy to finish the job as lye generally leaves unsightly patches of paint on the brick—even after several applications.

If you do decide to try lye to remove paint from the surface of the brick, be sure to review the material safety data sheet for sodium hydroxide to review the risks and potential dangers.  Also use drop cloths to protect the surrounding area!

• Paint stripper, paint thinners, and other solvents. A quick internet search should make it obvious that there is no magic bullet when it comes to removing paint from brick. Of course, people have come up with their own homemade recipes—generally involving even more caustic chemicals that were not even designed for use with brick. These include paint stripper, paint thinner, and even a type of marine stripper including several caveats about how dangerously strong it is. The problems with these pseudo brick paint removers are numerous:
• As they are not designed to work with brick, they can ruin the brick, compromise the brick’s integrity, and even ruin the mortar.
• Due to the relative weakness of some of these products, their endorsements often include that it took weeks to complete, was tedious, and even required scrubbing the brick with a toothbrush due to the porous surface retaining paint.
• The products can have dangerous chemical reactions with pre-existing paints, tints, or treatment.

A Better, Safer Way to Remodel Ugly Painted Brick

Despite anyone’s claims to the contrary, there is no safe, easy way to remove paint from brick. But there is a safe and easy alternative to remodel a fireplace with ugly paint—and one that gives you the look of natural brick.

Brick-Anew is a patented painting process that is specially formulated for painting brick. Unlike the odious task of removing brick paint, Brick-Anew offers a more practical and efficient solution that can be done quickly, easily, and safely. You can paint over existing paint, and being acrylic based, you can do so without the fear of hazardous fumes, the danger of unexpected chemical reactions, or the expense of having to hire outside help.

The obvious advantages to using Brick-anew when dealing with brick paint:

• Brick-Anew is a brick paint kit that is formulated to approximate the look of real brick.
• Brick-Anew will make your painted brick look like real new brick.
• Brick-Anew is a latex based paint, thus it is very safe and not reactive to other substances.
• Brick-Anew is a simple, do-it-yourself process requiring no outside help.
• No explosions or even any threats of explosions!
• Inexpensive.
• No scrubbing the brick with a wire brush.
• The specially formulated paint is fire-resistant and perfect for your brick fireplace.
• You can get great results in a single weekend instead of toiling away for a month.
• Is a great solution if you are even thinking about redoing your fireplace.
• If you don’t like it, you can always paint over it, and you’ll get your money back.

If your brick fireplace seems beyond help, Brick-Anew is a great way to try to remodel and revitalize it with very little investment of time and money. Check out these testimonials from actual customers including pictures of brick fireplaces that have been “brought back from the brink.”

Of course, if you WANT to spend hours on your hands and knees inhaling chemicals or scrubbing bricks with a wire brush, you can get some pretty good results. Otherwise you might want to tackle your brick remodeling project in a novel and efficient manner with the end result looking like real brick.

Remodel your outdated, drab brick fireplace with….you guessed it, Brick Paint!

Fall is just around the corner.  Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here and relatives will be knocking on your door.  Don’t be embarrassed another year by that ugly old fireplace.

Nicole was dealing with that same situation a few months ago.  She was looking for a way to remodel her fireplace and update the look of her dull drab brick. She didn’t want to spend a lot of money so she knew her choices on how to do the project would be somewhat limited.

“I thought about resurfacing the fireplace with cultured stone or a brick veneer,” she explains. “So I contacted a brick mason to check out how much it would cost. The price he gave me was ridiculous.”

That’s when she started researching “faux painted brick”.  Brick painting was something she had been interested in learning more about.  After looking around on the internet for a while, she says she stumbled onto the Brick-Anew website.

Looking over all the before/after pictures, Nicole was impressed by the “everyday people” who had created beautiful marble-looking fireplaces just by painting their existing brick.

“I just knew Brick-Anew brick paint couldn’t be that easy to use but thought I’d give it a try. After all, what did I have to lose?”

But guess what? She says the process ended up being so much easier than she thought. “The end results were shocking and incredible. “I had so many compliments from friends and family. When they asked who I had hired to paint my brick, I just pointed to myself.” I’m so proud.”

The Brick-Anew brick painting kit can transform any outdated brick fireplace in a snap.  With easy step-by-step instructions and all the materials you need to do the job, you don’t need to be a DIY pro.

Bridget Navarro wondered what to do with her dingy reddish-brown brick fireplace.  She described the fireplace as looking “old and dirty,” definitely not what you’d want in the middle of your family room.

She and her husband discussed stoning over the brick but reconsidered after getting an estimate for over a thousand dollars.  Bridget explained that they had a smaller fireplace in their bedroom that she had whitewashed.

After searching online, Bridget came across the Brick-Anew paint kit.

“It took a couple of weeks for me to talk myself into placing the order but the price looked good since everything was included in the kit to do the project. My husband figured if the Brick-Anew didn’t work out , we could go back to our first plan to renovate with stone.”

Bridget did the project herself, using the Brick-Anew paint twilight taupe color, and it only took one day. Now, after the fireplace is finished, Bridget is happy with the beautiful results and her husband is especially happy with all the money they saved. The outdated dingy brick now looks fresh with a new and adds a modern vibe to their living room.

We are proud of you, Bridget…you did a fantastic job!!

Color Used: Twilight Taupe

This is how the fireplace looked before. Yvonne’s client was sick and tired of the dark, speckled brick and wanted to make a change without spending a fortune. Yvonne had used Brick-Anew before so she knew just what to do.

I chatted with Yvonne last week and  here’s what she had to say:

“I work in the home remodeling industry and my Brick-Anew project turned out really great. I will definitely use it again. The homeowner wanted to replace the fireplace brick with stone but it was really expensive. I talked her into trying Brick-Anew since it was a much cheaper option. She used the money she saved on other projects in the house. We decided that worst case, it’s just paint. What did we have to lose? My client ended up loving the new look. The project worked out perfectly!!”

“Brick-Anew Paint Kit to the Rescue!”

Carmen and John are both actors and have limited time to devote to each of their home renovation projects. (Maybe you’ve seen John riding a motorcycle with Flo in those cool Progressive Insurance commercials!)  They have to be able to go for an audition on a moment’s notice so they weren’t real thrilled of adding another complicated project to their already long list.

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Let me just start by saying, we did not paint our fireplace blue. However the owners before us did. We knew we had to do something about it and we had to do it pretty quickly. After surfing the internet and not satisfied with the things we saw, we stumbled onto the Brick Anew website. I could not believe my eyes when I saw a previously painted brick fireplace looking like brick again. The texture, the definition, it was exactly what we needed.

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We absolutely love our new fireplace.  We had been considering painting it
for several years, and then we came across your product and decided to go
for it!  The brick paint color we chose was Twilight Taupe. We couldn’t be happier.  It brightens the whole room and makes us feel like we have a new home!

Thanks again,

Ava and Steve

Painting the inside of a fireplace is a great way to mask ash and soot and get a fresh look without spending a fortune. There are a few considerations when painting the inside of a fireplace.

1. Use the Right Kind of Paint Inside a Fireplace

If you are painting your fireplace, you need to know that fireplaces regularly reach temperatures of 1300 degrees and more. When you paint, you need to use a high temperature, fire retardant paint like this black firebox paint.

2. Clean Your Fireplace

Before you paint your fireplace, you will need to clean it. Use soap and water and a brush or cloth. This will allow for a smooth area to apply paint. Make sure the fireplace is completely dry before applying the paint.

Here is a great example of a blog who redid their firebox:

http://itsgreattobehome.net/2012/06/05/how-to-freshen-the-inside-of-your-fireplace-with-paint/

3. Metal or Brick Lined, or Gas?

Consider which you have and make sure you use the paint that is specific to your fireplace’s interior.

4. Be Prepared

High temperature paints, the kind used for painting the interior of fireplaces, are very toxic. You will want to make sure you have rubber gloves, a proper face mask for guarding against toxic fumes, and proper covering for your skin and clothes. Make sure and follow the manufacturer’s directions.

You will also need:

• A paint brush
• Trisodium phosphate
• Firm-bristled brush
• Painter’s tape
• Paintbrush
• High-temperature paint

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

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.

Choosing the right paint for any job is a hassle when you have thousands of options in front of you. However, it’s not difficult to narrow down your choices when you know what you’re looking for.

Why Paint Your Fireplace Brick?

Quite simply, brick gets ugly over time, and eventually you’ll get tired of looking at dated, ugly brick. Even if your brick isn’t ugly, changing up the color of your fireplace brings new life to a room. You could also paint your brick to cover up an obvious repair.

What To Consider When Choosing Brick Paint

Before choosing your paint, consider the characteristics of your fireplace:

•  Is the brick rough or smooth?
•  Is it interior or exterior brick? 
•  What look do you want to achieve?

When buying paint, you’ll notice paint retailers have many grades available from good to better to best. The one you choose depends on how much you’re willing to invest in the painting project. Also keep in mind you don’t have to buy a specially formulated masonry paint. A high grade latex paint will get the job done.

The surface and texture of the brick play a role in which paint you’ll choose. Porous brick and/or brick with an uneven surface are demanding, as they soak up a lot of paint. Use masonry paint in this case, or a primer with several layers of premium latex paint. The latter choice works in all but the most extreme cases. Use a high nap roller and a brush to get those hard-to-reach pockmarks.Smooth surfaced bricks are much easier to deal with. They require less paint, and you can easily roll or brush the surface.

When to Use Interior Exterior Paint

Exterior paint is typically weatherproof and more durable than interior paint. It also has a mildew prevention agent. Outdoor projects are typically bigger than indoor ones, and therefore require more paint and time. For application to rough outdoor brick, use high nap rollers to minimize application time. The main issues to consider include:

• Weather
• Size of your project 
• Durability of the paint

The Final Look

Last but certainly not least, you want to love the look of your finished brick. Most people want their brick paint to emulate real brick. Random patterns and shades make brick look distinctive. This look takes time to achieve with brick paint, and typically isn’t feasible for a large outdoor project. For an indoor fireplace or brick back splash  it can do wonders for your décor. For this reason, we highly recommend Brick-Anew, which is an all-inclusive kit that helps you achieve the real brick look most people love. 

It’s that time of year again, the family comes to town, entertaining for work, neighbors and friends and your stuck with that eyesore of an ugly brick fireplace.

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