Painting Your Fireplace
Did you know that you can give your room a whole new look by painting your fireplace? Many homeowners do not think about this an option for giving a room a face-lift and changing the interior décor.
It is less expensive to paint your fireplace than to replace the entire area with new materials. Painting your fireplace does not take long and it can compliment the rest of the room and your home.
Selecting a Paint
The best paint for painting your fireplace is exterior latex paint. Most people select the no-gloss or flat version of this type of paint. It is totally up to you though if you go with the high-gloss or flat exterior latex paint.
Take color samples from your room with you to the local paint store when choosing a paint color. If possible and your budget allows it, you might even want to get complimentary colors that you can use to make the fireplace two-toned. Use the samples to select the best colors to match your décor.
Wire Brush Cleaning
The next step in painting your fireplace is to completely clean the bricks with a wire brush. This will remove dust, dirt, grime and even old paint from previous projects.
Remove Mildew and Stains
Often there is some small amount of mildew on the bricks by your fireplace or even stains. You can take a solution of three parts water and one part bleach solution and mix it together. Using the wire brush and scrub pads, scrub down the areas of the fireplace that are stained or have mildew.
Allow to dry before continuing with the project. If you have not already selected a paint, now would be a good time to go to the paint store while the fireplace dries.
Sealing with Caulk
You might notice that there are a few cracks here and there in the bricks around the fireplace. These need to be scraped out with a putty knife to make sure that nothing is inside of them such as cobwebs, dust balls or dirt. Next, you will fill these with a caulk to completely seal them.
Priming the Brick
Before you begin painting your fireplace it is imperative that you prime the brick with a latex primer. This will make the fireplace hold the paint better. Apply an even coat of latex primer over the entire area that is to be painted. Allow to completely dry.
Painting the Fireplace
Once all the above steps have been completed you are ready to paint your fireplace. If you selected two colors decide which areas will be which color before you begin painting your fireplace. For example, you could do an outside and inside trim with one color and fill in the other area with the second color.
Using a paint sprayer or brush you can now begin painting your fireplace with the exterior latex paint. Some people prefer to use sponges but these can often tear apart on the brick surface and leave quite a mess.
Once you have applied the first coat of exterior latex paint to the fireplace allow it to dry for approximately twenty-four hours. Examine the fireplace and decide if additional coats of paint are needed.
If you want more paint on the fireplace go ahead and add another coat. There is no need to prime the fireplace again. You can simply paint the second coat on top of the first coat of paint.
Take Photos
Once you are finished painting your fireplace it is fun to take some photos of the fireplace and of the room. It will be a project that you can be very proud to have completed for your home.
photo by bez_uk -CreativeCommons Attribution