HOW TO WHITE WASH YOUR BRICK FIREPLACE
4 EASY STEPS!
The first project I tackled in the new house was the fireplace. I had been toying with different ideas- painting it, covering it, leaving it as is, german smear, or whitewash. Whitewashing seemed the most difficult, but I knew that was the look I was going for. So I did my research on the blogs, and decided to go for it. That’s the fun part about diy. You try it, and if it doesnt work out, just cover it up with something else!
STEP 1: Thoroughly clean the fireplace, especially in between the bricks. I used a wire brush from Home Depot and scrubbed off all the dirt and dust buildup. I mixed in a little Dawn dish soap for the tougher areas.
STEP 2: Tape off the areas where the fireplace meets the wall and ground. I suggest taping down a drop cloth in the front of the fireplace just in case any paint drips from the brush. Because we were getting our hardwood floors refinished, I didn’t bother taping it off.
STEP 3: Mix together 50/50 with water and white paint. I used ceiling paint because I had some leftover. You want the mixture to not be too runny like water, but not too thick like paint. It should be similar to the consistency of milk.
STEP 4: Start with a small section of a few bricks, and apply the 50/50 mixture to the brick. I added a little more to the grout lines because I wanted them to be bright. Then take a large sponge and gently wipe the mixture off the brick. Continue moving in small sections. Depending on how light you would like the fireplace, you may need to do a few rounds of this. I did 4 rounds, and then added a few extra layers on some of the darker bricks where the red came through.
And that’s it! 4 easy steps to create the fireplace you envisioned. I didn’t like the look of the purple and green flagstone on my fireplace, so I spray painted it matte black. Make sure to use a high-heat spray paint for the inside of the fireplace!
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
