Pls Advise on Brightening Brick Fireplace

16 years ago

Hello all:

I've been searching for information here, on the fireplace forum, and on the internet in general, on how to brighten up my red brick fireplace. It was built in the early 50's, and I love it, but want to brighten it up a bit. It appears to be already spattered in some areas with white paint, and I'd like to maybe sponge a little more white on to lighten it up a bit. I've seen Reno Fan's amazing transformation -- but I'm looking for something a little less dramatic. However, I can't figure out what the best product is to use -- glaze or thinned paint? Oil or latex? Stain or paint? Even my Benjamin Moore dealer is non-committal, saying pretty much any of these choices would be fine.

This is a gas fireplace that we definitely use in the winter. We would only be painting/glazing/staining the exterior and the hearth, not the firebox. Any thoughts or recommendations?

Thanks so much in advance, and thank you, oceanna, for your informative fireplace postings!!

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Comments (6)

teacats
16 years ago
Check out HGTV's website -- and do a search on there for fireplace transformations on shows like Decorating Cents, Divine Design or Design to Sell. Might be some more ideas there! :)
amsunshine
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks so much, teacats!! I have already checked hgtv, which has given me a few ideas. However, I still have not really figured out the right product to use -- i.e., which is really the best, heat resistant, longest lasting, product to use? Paint, stain, glaze, oil, latex, etc??? Or maybe I'm over-thinking this issue?
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"Nothing special". Hmmm. Just want to point out, in case yall have missed it - the fireplace structure itself is quite attractive with the brick brackets to hold up mantle and it is a substantial structural element that fits in quite nicely in the space. If the color has to change fine but pls do so with respect for future and long term viability! Either a masonry stain or colorwash effect ( can be gray or dark color not necessarily white) esthetically better than a paint film which sits on top of the brick and is more durable. Paint becomes ugly over time and can only be painted over again and cant be removed from pores of wood. If you want more opaque look the mineral paints aka silicate paints can be opaque - and btw the us distributors can mix to match colors of any major paint brand. US sources include Keim-usa, Limeworks, Romabio, some others less user-friendly. Oh can someone advise how I can keep from getting these notifications of new posts. I dont want to keep beating the proverbial dead horse but its hard to resist when this same message keeps rising to the top again and again! Good luck OP with whatever you decide.
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Frankly, I agree with all the posters that are advising against tiling the fireplace..I, for one, don't see any reason for that. It looks good already. You might want to add mantle; but even without mantle, art that you love will have the biggest transformation ..quotient so to say, and will have the biggest potential to make you the happiest. Now, what's the inner reasoning of your husband for tiling it? Since it's a new build I'm sure it's up to code already. If he just likes stone, feel of stone, texture or veining of stone etc-maybe introduce it in the room in a different way. Stones are incredibly popular right now too. You can find coffee/side tables, lamps, clocks, trays that will consist of/integrate some stone as an important element..some of these are indefinitely cool too. They'll allow for bigger variety in materials and textures, and they'll give your room that vibe that probably appeals to your husband, without unnessesary spending money on a big element that looks great as is.
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Since this is a a home built in 1910, I'm going to guess it is Craftsman style. Natural colored woodwork would be most authentic. If everywhere else in the rest of the house it is already painted white, I guess you could paint it, but that makes me cringe. In the '80's - '90's when my friends and I were all buying our first homes, the people who got old homes spent hours removing paint from woodwork. Now apparently the Millennials have come around and painted it all again. :-) Everything goes in cycles. My suggestions would also vary based on how you're going to use the room. Would taking the room from dark and depressing to warm and cozy work? That wouldn't necessarily be light and airy, but would be suitable for a home office or TV room if that's what you're going to use the room for (unless the person using it for a home office likes light and airy). Your floors are a warm color, therefore be careful to use warm colors on the walls. The gray is definitely oppressive. Look at BM Historical colors. In character with Craftsman style would be ochre, a rusty orange, or olive. If you're not as interested in replicating a historical color scheme, just use a warm white. However, don't paint this room without taking into consideration how the rest of the house is painted so the whole is coordinated. If you do decide to paint the woodwork, paint the walls a slightly darker color for contrast so the trim has a little pop. IMO, the wallpaper suggested above is not in keeping with the style of this house, so unless it is going to go with the rest of your house, I would explore other options. There are definitely Craftsman wallpapers out there, but they're usually not done in light colors.
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oceanna
16 years ago
I just did mine with craft paint from Michaels and my kitchen sponge.
amsunshine
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the replies! I've been researching this issue for the past month, and have just come across another method to achieve the "brightening" effect that I want. It's shown in the link below, in an hgtv episode. It involves using sanded grout, pushing it into the mortar lines, troweling it over the bricks, and then finishing with a sealer to avoid cracking. Anybody have any thoughts on this? Will a sealer really take care of potential cracking? Are there any heat issues with grout for the areas immediately surrounding the firebox?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sanded Grout to Brighten Old Brick Fireplace
robin_g
16 years ago
I have no idea if this stuff is any good but I contemplated using it on my 1950's red brick fireplace in my last home. We ended up moving due to an unexpected job change so I never used it.

I had friends in two extreme camps--leave it alone and paint it NOW. But I don't like the look of painted brick, and sounds like you're looking for something less dramatic too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brick-anew
amsunshine
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks robin -- I have been considering brick-anew, but you are right, I am looking for something less dramatic. I actually like the look of my red bricks, and brick-anew is only offered in beiges or a grey tone. I don't want necessarily completely cover the bricks, as I would like some of the warm red tone to come through.

I've thought of just spattering/sponging on some white paint or glaze, but this use of sanded grout intrigues me as it might look a bit more "authentic" than using paint. It also has the added benefit of lightening the mortar color, which right now is a dark grey.

Pls Advise on Brightening Brick Fireplace

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Pls Advise on Brightening Brick Fireplace

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