Ideas to Refinish a Fireplace

Paint

• Paint a dark brick fireplace white to brighten up the room and make it seem larger. Refinishing a brick fireplace with paint is not difficult, but you must clean the surface of the brick and remove any loose material before you begin. Scrub the bricks with a brush to remove loose mortar or brick pieces, then vacuum the surface to catch any small pieces that may be clinging to the surface. Finish the cleaning process by washing the fireplace down with household soap and water.

  After your clean fireplace is dry, apply a concrete sealer or a latex primer with a thick-nap paint roller. Thick-nap rollers will apply the paint in the mortar grooves between the bricks better than a brush or a thin-nap roller. When the primer dries, apply a coat of white latex paint to refinish the fireplace completely. If you plan to refinish the firebox, you must use paint that is especially formulated to withstand the heat.

Mosaic Tile

• Refinish your brick fireplace with mosaic tiles to add color and interest to your room. Mosaic glass tiles add a modern aspect to your fireplace and your room, while painted ceramic or porcelain tiles offer eclectic charm.

  Attach the tiles to the brick with a thin layer of thinset mortar. Apply the mortar to a small section of your fireplace with a trowel, and then press the tiles in place. Most mosaic tiles come in a 1-foot square sheet with a mesh backing. The tiles are already spaced correctly for the grout, making installation faster and easier than if you were to place the small tiles one by one.

  When your fireplace is covered in mosaic tiles, let the adhesive dry completely before you apply the grout. Grouting is simple; just press the material over the surface of the tiles with a grout float. As you press the grout, the material will fill the crevices. Cleaning the grout from the tiles before it dries is important, or your tiles may appear cloudy. You can wipe the wet grout away with a warm, wet sponge. Plan to go over the tiles with the sponge several times to remove all of the grout. It's a good idea to add grout sealer to your mosaic tile fireplace within three days of applying the grout.