huge fireplace issues

krynstar

I was looking for some help deciding what to do with my fireplace. Our home was built in the early '70s so it is floor to ceiling brick(clay oranges and browns) in the middle of the wall as you enter the living room and actually goes halfway up the wall on either side of the fireplace with brick. There are also shelves built in(not well) on top of the brick on either side. I have painted those to match the wall color(grey stone color) and we do have quite a few knick-knacks on them. The fireplace does have a "mantel" - a piece of black stained pine about 4" wide that has been bricked in as a permenant fixture. Do I paint the fireplace to minimize this feature? then what color do I go with? I am in a conundrum. Open to ANY suggestions.

joewho

I've run into this. Paint all the brick then sponge another color on the individual bricks.

Color is in the eye of the beholder. my eye says not to paint the brick the same as the wall. If you paint it the same as the wall without sponging, it will not look good. If you paint it the same color as the walls, then sponge, it won't look right either.

IMO, paint the fp and shelves white or an off white. Then sponge another color on the bricks. The wall color or a darker variation of the wall color should work with the sponging technique.
Try to leave a fine pattern rather than a thick pattern with the sponge.

Hope this helps.

krynstar

thanks! That sounds like a good option. I'm just a little scared to paint the brick. Is there something I can put on top to help take it off if I don't like it?

joewho

I'm not aware of anything you can do to make the paint removable from the brick. It's a permanent change.

slickshift

There's no good DIY way to take it off, no

krynstar

Thanks for all your help. I talked to my husband about painting and now he says he'd rather make some built-ins out of oak that would cover the brick and give us great storage, too. I think that would work too and help minimize the look of all that brick.

slickshift

Great Idea!

redline

Fur it out with wood and install drywall over and then paint.

nailfun

im a freak but it works for me. I dont live in my flip homes of course.....but i leave the old carpet in place and do a quick pressure wash of the fireplace and then remove old carpet on the inside which is wet. In the end your fireplace looks cool and you are the freak no more. I do replace the immediate sheetrock around the fireplace as it is usually required anyway. Rip out the old mantle. You can replace it with a simple $12 nice board you can stain. You are now the master.....
ps i TURBO DRY THE WHOLE AREA AFTER THE PRESSURE WASH. Your $30 max looks like a $2000 fireplace job. clean brick and all. yes its messy and wet at first but it looks cool in the end.

nailfun

please never paint brick. you cant take it back. enhance the old brick but dont paint anything. Ever condsider when it gets hot paint peels in a fireplace. even heat resistant paints dont last long.
I chose for you to clean your old brick and enjoy your life while you can still simmer in the nice sear of the warm homestead place. After that your kids can worry about it. For now enjoy life. You have suffered for this.

joewho

Doesn't the plywood subfloor delam from all the water?