Brick Fireplace-Before

Brick Fireplace-Before

Painted Fireplace using spray technique

After-Painted Brick Fireplace. R&J Painting used a spray technique

Is considering the task of painting brick fireplace or wall to a high-style bright white really a good idea? Just slap some paint on it and be done, right? Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as it seems and painting brick surfaces is not a simple task. Please weigh the following pros and cons before making the decision to paint or not to paint your brick wall or fireplace.

Cons: An immense amount of preparation and physical labor can be a challenge when painting brick. Since all bricks and climates are not necessarily created equal, suitable products to clean and prime the brick are required to effectively clean the efflorescence that accumulates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efflorescence.  R&J Painting will always make sure during our prepping process that all dirt, mold and mildew is removed with either a power washer on exterior projects or by hand tool cleaning for interior brick.  If the brick is not properly cleaned, any residual mold will continue to grow and no one wants that. Paying special care to detail is critical and therefore R&J Painting has found that spraying and back rolling is the best method for painting brick.
And of course, once the brick is painted, you can never go back to the natural brick look again unless you chemically strip it, which is very labor intensive.

Pros: An exceptional painter can update an old brick wall or fireplace so that it is more modern and it can help to brighten up a room. R&J Painting has had many customers that were thrilled and shocked to see the difference it made in a room once they saw their old dark brick painted.  Please see photo of our latest customers’ painted brick fireplace.

If you decide to tackle painting brick yourself, please keep in mind that you will need to purchase at least twice the amount of paint compared to painting a wall of the same size and make sure to purchase high quality cleaning solutions, primers and heavy duty brushes and rollers. High quality products are the only way to guarantee this type of improvement will look good for years to come.

In addition to painting brick, you can also limewash as well if you are looking for a different look.

If you are still unsure, please give R&J Painting a call and we can help you decide if this is a project that would benefit you. Painting brick can be a nuanced project, let R&J Painting help.