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DIY Fireplace Overhaul Part 2

Painting the red brick white on an old fireplace can make a STUNNING difference.

If you have a brick fireplace that needs refurbishing painting it might be just the thing to bring it into the modern age and make it beautiful!

We completed this fireplace overhaul three years ago.

We are STILL delighted with it. The best part is, we did it right. This paint job has stood the test of time. The paint did not flake or peel. The fireplace paint still looks lovely.

Watch our This is our Home YouTube Channel to see our current enormous remodel. It’s transforming our whole house (including a complete basement transformation) into a wonderful family home we just love!

Welcome back to Our fireplace overhaul series (go here to get started) that shows all the ways we updated this ole brick fireplace. This post shows how we did the prep and painted our fireplace.

Our fireplace overhaul is moving forward and we love it.

You can read about our back story and the first step we did in our fireplace overhaul by clicking here.

If you have an old brick fireplace that has decent brick and it’s still holding together well, PAINT IT. Just look at ours to see what a HUGE transformation a bit of paint can make on a well prepped fireplace.

Don’t like white? Paint it whatever color you like. But BE careful about the quality of paint you choose. AND proper prep of the brick is important. Otherwise you may have flaking or peeling paint in the future.

This Week We Are Turning The Red Brick Into A Beautiful White Brick Fireplace!

HOW WE PAINTED OUR BRICK FIREPLACE:

Fireplace  Overhaul materials list :

Valspar Aspire Pure White Eggshell Paint

Duct Tape (for masking off carpet)

2 1/2 Inch Purdy paint brush

1/2 Inch brush (for smaller spaces)

Roller with a thick matte (long and thick fibers)

Bucket filled with water and a few drops of dawn dish soap

Scrub brush

Paint Scraper (for masking with duct tape)

THE STEPS:

  1. Masking off
  2. Washing the fireplace
  3. Paint!

The details:

One of the most important steps when you are painting in a living room full or beautiful carpet is to properly mask off the area.

Fireplace Overhaul-Use A Paint Scraper To Push Down The Carpet When Masking Off
Use a paint scraper to push down the carpet when masking off

My Dad is a professional drywall contractor so I always go to him when I need extra tips on how to get the job done right. He suggested we use a paint scraper to push duct tape down to protect the edge of the carpet nap. This is what that step looks like…

Use Duct Tape To Mask Off Carpet Edge
Use duct tape to mask off carpet edge

The next step is to wash all of the brick really well. This is very difficult if you have a sooty fireplace that has been used for over 60 years! there was a lot of scrubbing involved to get this baby clean enough to paint!

Use A Bucket Of Warm Water With A Few Drops Of Dish Soap (We Used Dawn) To Properly Scrub And Clean Fireplace
Use a bucket of warm water with a few drops of dish soap (we used Dawn) to properly scrub and clean fireplace

This is what we had to work with…that old fireplace was filled with soot and ash and a nasty old metal wood holder that was rusted beyond belief. That old purple candle was also something I found buried in the ash, wonder how long that’s been in there!

Cleaning Out The Inside Is A Huge Task That Must Be Completed Really Well If You Want To Paint In There!
Cleaning out the inside is a huge task that must be completed really well if you want to paint in there!

The next step is the fun part. Paint away.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the best paint you can find for this project so it holds up. We used Valspar paint.

I love this paint. My friends who are into doing home projects told me about it and I agree with them. It is the BEST.

I did not have to prime the fireplace at all. This was done in one coat and I love the results!! I found the paint at Ace Hardware.

When Painting The Bricks Its Really Important To Fill All The Cracks And Crevices. I Love The Paint We Used Because It Was Thick Enough That It Did Fill Everything Without Needing A Second Coat!
When painting the bricks its really important to fill all the cracks and crevices. I love the paint we used because it was thick enough that it did fill everything without needing a second coat!

We took two afternoons to paint our fireplace, we could have done it in one but we have a teething nine month old baby that likes to crawl in the paint so we are always chasing her around.

We love our fireplace so much now! The next step is creating the mantle and and building a wooden hearth for the bottom of the fireplace. Can’t wait.

Painted White Brick Fireplace
Painted white brick fireplace

This is now a fireplace that fits better in our lovely plastered living room. Painting it white lifted the whole room into a lighter, beautiful center for our home.

Painted White Brick Fireplace
Painted white brick fireplace

IN PART 3 of the fireplace overhaul! we are build the mantle and lay the wood hearth floor.

You Can See The Sides Of The Mantle That We Are Now In The Process Of Building! Also That Black Wood Holder Was The Nasty Old One That Was Rusted In The Original Fireplace. We Took It Out And Brushed It With A Wire Brush And Sprayed It With Rust - Oleum! Love It!
You can see the sides of the mantle that we are now in the process of building! Also that black wood holder was the nasty old one that was rusted in the original fireplace. We took it out and brushed it with a wire brush and sprayed it with Rust – Oleum! love it!

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Recent Posts:

Diy Fireplace Overhaul #2. Repainting Our Old Brick Fireplace Made It Gorgeous! #Diy #Fireplaceredo #Brickfireplace #Painting #Remodel #Fireplace

Courtney Fox

Thursday 12th of March 2020

Does your fireplace work? Gas or flame?

Kayti Lavergne

Thursday 12th of March 2020

Hi Courtney!

It's an old wood fireplace that is not currently working. I painted it white on the inside because I knew it would reflect back lots of light and make the fireplace a prettier and more welcoming centerpiece in our home. If it was a working fireplace, I would not have been able to paint it.

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Friday 18th of December 2015

[…] a bit of light home renovating since the move. I tell you about our Fireplace upgrade here , here and here. The final post is coming soon on our amazing fireplace mantle transformation series! We […]

DIY Fireplace Overhaul Part 3 - Homemade Food Junkie

Sunday 29th of November 2015

[…] left off with the painting of the bricks in DIY Fireplace Overhaul Part 2. So far we have been absolutely thrilled with how our fireplace is turning out! it looks fantastic […]

Jennifer Stewart

Tuesday 22nd of September 2015

My fireplace needs a reworking for sure. I have mine covered with fabric to hide it. Can't wait to try something like this! It adds so much to the room. Thanks for sharing with Saucy Saturdays

Kayti Lavergne

Tuesday 22nd of September 2015

Oh I hope you do get to redo it! It is so fun to watch the transformation take place :)

Quick and Easy Queso Dip - Homemade Food Junkie

Monday 21st of September 2015

[…] Delicious and easy queso dip that is loaded with hamburger, chilies, and melted cheese. This dip is a huge hit at parties and large gatherings. This is recipe is Not in the least healthy. But it IS Delicious Game Day Food; perfect for a big crowd of hungry Football fans.  Our lives have been super busy lately and we really haven’t had time to do anything beyond schoolwork and taking care of our 9 month old baby.  We are also doing a lot of work on our recently purchased older home. We absolutely love this place. We have so many projects we want to finish before school completely absorbs most of our time. We are currently working on our fireplace upgrade. […]