I'm someone who has stripped paint off 2 fireplace surrounds - paint that previous homeowners applied. Both projects gave me ample opportunity to say not so nice things about the folks who did the painting. You don't have to sandblast it off, but you will be investing $$$ in Peel Away products and alot of your time and energy.

I absolutely cringe when I hear people talk about painting fireplace brick.

In a previous home, I painted an UGLY brick fireplace and added a white surround I ordered online and it was the best thing I ever did. It changed the look of the room so much. As far as cleaning, it was very easy. When I vacuumed I just ran the vacuum tool over the crevices. I found that only the crevices toward the floor accumulated dust but we had a walkway in front of the fireplace and a yellow lab so that area just accumulated dust more than anywhere else. But even then it wasn't that bad. I never had to do anything with the crevices higher up.

I think if you know you want to make a change and want to consider cost, painting it is a quick and easy solution. I went with a semigloss paint and found it looked more like a satin finish on the brick. As far as tiling over it down the road, I don't know whether that would make it more difficult or not. I wanted to attach some pics for you but they were from about 8 yrs ago and I didn't own a digital camera then so they aren't readily available for posting!

In my old house I covered my small brick fireplace with a spackle-like product, painted it beige, built a mantle for it and my ex inserted a black Franklin stove. It turned out great and it really heated up the living room.

I say paint it, vacuum as necessary and a mantle/surround is also a good addition.

We painted our brick fireplace, mantel and hearth when we moved into this house 22 years ago. The brick was an unpleasant orange-ish rusty-red and brown. It dominated the room and would have affected every color choice I made. We have never regretted painting it.

All I did was to prime it first and then paint it the same flat latex cream finish as the walls, as I didn't want it to stand out. Since then it's been painted every time we do the walls. It's a backdrop for art work and that's all it needs to be.

About 15 years ago we stopped using it for fires. In our area, burning fireplaces are not considered "green" and although there's no law against them, hardly anyone lights them. Must confess that I never thought about dirt, so just went over and rubbed my thumb through the crevices, etc., and there was no dust at all. But a vacuum cleaner or microfiber cloth would no doubt clean everything nicely.

Ours was previously painted white by the PO and I've never had any trouble cleaning it. We don't use it except for lighting candles in it during the holidays. I just use a feather duster on the crevices, or sometimes to get the cobwebs off I hit it with the broom. Other than that, zero maintenence.

I had the ugliest brick surround and lived with for a year before painting it white. It looks so fresh and clean now!

If you eventually want to tile over it, don't paint it! I'm waiting to put fake stone over mine and I want to paint it meanwhile so badly...but, I know if I do that, I will have a ton of work to do later.

I had a ugly orange, rust colored brick. It competed with everthing. We white washed the brick. We hated it even more. I stripped it a couple weeks ago and now it looks great. Because of the stripper and paint it has a nice old gray brick look. It was a ton of work trying to get the paint off. Good Luck

Our fireplace has tile around it, but we have the white mantel and trim work. I do nothing but dust it.

tina

Painted our fireplace mantel and surrounding walls in high-gloss white (not brick but marble surround) -- and have NEVER EVER regretted it -- and we have a real wood fireplace! LOL!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage