How to Change Brick Fireplace Facing

Cover the floor in front of the fireplace with a drop cloth to catch the debris created with facing material.

Measure the facing legs and the header space for the fireplace using a tape measure. Make sure that you get both the height and width of the legs and heading pieces. Use the measurements to order face plates for your fireplace in the exact sizes needed in the fireplace facing material of your choice.

Put on safety goggles, a face mask and a pair of heavy work gloves to protect yourself from injury when removing the brick facing.

Remove the mortar from the joints between the existing brick facing on the fireplace with a chisel and hammer. Chip away the mortar lines between the brick facing pieces with the tip of the chisel, striking the chisel head with the hammer to drive the tip into the mortared joints.

Place the chisel against the base of the bricks, using the emptied joints to reach the base with the chisel tip. Aim the chisel tip at an angle toward the joining of the base of the bricks with the fireplace. Strike the head of the chisel to drive the tip under the bricks, wedging them up and away from the fireplace. Continue to drive the chisel point under the brick piece until it pops free, repeating the removal process for all of the other brick pieces.

Chip away as much of the remaining mortar as possible with the chisel and hammer. Remove any mortar residue. Smooth the surface of the face of the fireplace with a rotary sander. Wipe the smoothed surface clean with a piece of cloth.

Cover the rear of the fireplace facing leg pieces with two parallel beads of construction adhesive, running about 1 inch in from the edges of the legs down the length of both legs. Press the legs to the sides of the fireplace. Use a carpenter’s square placed across the tops of the fireplace legs to make certain the tops of the legs are level with one another.

Cover the rear of the fireplace face header with three beads of adhesive, two along the edges about 1 inch in, and one down the center. Place the header on the fireplace atop the legs, butted tightly in place between the legs and the mantle.

Place the trim pieces for the facing on both sides of the fireplace against the edges of the facing, with the top trip piece on top of the sides. Press them firmly into position. Secure the trim pieces in place with trim nails every 6 inches through the trim and into the fireplace surround to hold the facing pieces in place and conceal the facing edges.