How to White-Wash a Brick Fireplace

When I bought my home, the fireplace was a pale pink, so I didn’t think anything of it. As much as I love white-painted and white-washed fireplaces, I was afraid of messing with the resale value of the house.

Therefore, I just painted my house millions of shades of gray – per usual. However, the gray really made the brick looks warm and out of place.

And this is how I painted my TILE floors

I finally made the decision to white-wash the fireplace. I was afraid of painting it, so I thought this would be a good step to test the waters.

Good news is – I love it! It was one of the easiest home projects I have ever done, and it looks amazing. The brick now compliments the wall, and everything is finally coming together!

What you will need:

Bucket

White Paint

All-Purpose Paint Brush

Terry Rags

Painters Tape

Plastic Covering (optional)

Getting Started:

The first step to white-washing a brick fireplace is getting the bricks cleaned! I live with two dogs, so this part is so important or the paint will all be dog hair!

Then, apply blue painters tape to all the edges! I am a more experienced painter, so I do not need as much as the average person. However, if you are new to painting, be sure to also cover your floors with plastic.

Then, using a hand broom, I dusted all the bricks off and then wiped them down with a damp rag.

Once that it is done, pour the paint into the bucket and water. My solution was three-fourths paints and one-fourth water. If you want a lighter wash, add more water.

Then, dampen a few of the terry rags.

The Process:

The worst part of this project is the dripping, so be sure to have tons of rags on hand! The paint comes off easily, as long as you catch it before it dries.

To white-wash, dip your brush in the solution and start on the mortar. I made sure the mortar was saturated, and then I brushed on the brick.

Paint only a section at a time.

Next, using the terry rags, wipe down the paint. You can wipe back and forth or you can dap! I prefer the look of dabbing!

It is your project – so paint as much or as little as you want to! The important part is to only paint a section at a time, so it won’t dry out before you wipe it off!

Then, bam – you are done! I only needed one coat because I started with a lighter brick, but if you have a dark brick, you will probably have to do a couple of layers.