Home > Painting Brick-Against the Rules?
Painting a Brick Fireplace: Against
the Rules?
A lot of guys think they know “the rules” about remodeling–things like never
painting a window shut, never mixing oil and latex, and never painting brick.
These Weekend Warriors are great around the house when you need to put up a
shelf or fix a banister, but how much does Mr. Fix-It really know about updating
ugly brick?
When you are remodeling an outdated living area, both of you want to do
things right. You might agree about everything that needs to be done from the
ceiling to the wall to the floor. And you both know that unless you do something
about that ugly fireplace, it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb.
But what’s the right thing to do?
Maybe this conversation sounds
familiar:
YOU: “We have to do something about that fireplace.”
HIM: (Looking away.) “Well, that’s a big job. Hiring a contractor, shoring up
the walls, tearing out all that brick...”
YOU: “Why don’t we just paint it? That would be cheaper.”
HIM: (Chuckling.) “You don’t paint brick.”
YOU: “Why not?”
HIM: “Honey, honey. It never comes off. You can’t get paint off brick.”
YOU: “I don’t want to take the paint off. I want to put the paint on, because
that brick is hideous.”
HIM: “And what if you don’t like how it looks when you’re done?”
YOU: “I don’t like how it looks now. And if we have to tear it out any way,
what’s the problem?”
This scene is played out in homes all across the country. Fireplace
remodeling experts know the routine by heart–women who want to remodel an ugly
fireplace, husbands who won’t let them paint brick. Is there really a “right
way” and a “wrong way” in this situation?
The reality is that ugly brick is not going to go away or improve with time.
Tearing a brick fireplace out and completely replacing it will give you great
results, but the downsides are considerable: lots of time and lots of money.
The good news is that painting a brick fireplace is an increasing popular
alternative to replacement. Painting the bricks is a quick and easy method to
update and enhance the appearance of your existing fireplace. You can achieve
pretty good results with two coats of paint from your local hardware or home
improvement store—a clean, solid look that matches your décor.
If you prefer the look of a brick fireplace, you may want to consider an
all-in-one fireplace paint kit. You can even get one that gives your fireplace
the appearance of real brick. This option has significant advantages:
• Turnkey Solution. Gives you all the tools, paint, and even
video instructions you need to remodel an ugly fireplace yourself in one
weekend.
• Satisfaction Guaranteed. Check out these testimonials from
satisfied customers.
• Return on Investment. A custom-painted fireplace can give
you a 200% ROI or more.
• Covers an Existing Paint Job. If your fireplace has
already been painted, the paint kit is a simple way to update or improve an
existing paint job.
• Almost Nothing to Lose. If you are
unhappy with the fireplace once you paint it, you can still go ahead and call a
contractor to tear it out.
The following chart breaks down your options and the relative cost, merits,
and drawbacks:
|
Option |
Cost |
Merits |
Drawbacks |
|
Do nothing. |
Free. |
It’s easy to do nothing. |
That old fireplace is still going to look as ugly as it
does now. |
|
Paint the fireplace with hardware store
paint |
$75 |
Remodeled fireplace in your choice of
color. |
Doesn’t look like brick. Hard to
remove. |
|
Paint the fireplace with an all-in-one kit like
Brick-anew. |
$200 |
Remodeled fireplace with the look of real
brick. |
Hard to remove. |
|
Demolish and rebuild the fireplace. |
Remodeled fireplace with the look of real
brick |
Totally new fireplace built to your
specifications. |
Expensive, messy, puts you at the mercy of a
contractor. |
Before you decide on which remodeling solution is right for you, be sure you
have all the facts. If you like the existing bricks in your fireplace, painting
them isn’t right for you. But if those old, ugly bricks are getting you down,
painting can revitalize your fireplace. And if you are considering taking the
whole fireplace out and replacing it, painting the bricks might be a cheap
alternative that gives you the look you want.
|