How to Repaint and Re-Stone a Fireplace

Re-Painting

• 1

  Paint over the existing paint. If the existing layer of paint is still in good shape, you can simply apply your new paint over it. Simply brush your new layer over the existing layer to immediately and easily change your fireplace look.

• 2

  Sandblast the stone to remove the paint prior to repainting if the paint is in disrepair. Though highly messy, sandblasting is the easiest way remove all of your paint in one step. Rent or buy a sandblaster, cover all other items located in the room, including flooring and the wall surrounding your fireplace with thick plastic drop cloths, and sandblast the stone. Wear a breathing mask when you do to ensure that you don't inhale any of the sand or stone and paint bits that fly off. This option is particularly attractive if you are gutting and refinishing the home, as you don't have to worry about damage to surrounding decor items.

• 3

  Apply a chemical stripper to remove the paint before repainting. Purchase a chemical stripper intended for use on stone and apply it to your stone, allowing it to sit per package instructions before wiping it, and the newly softened paint, away.

• 4

  Scrub the brick to remove the paint remnants. Though a chemical stripper will soften the paint, it won't allow you to easily wipe away all traces of the paint. If some remains, use an abrasive sponge to remove any that remains immediately after wiping away your first layer with your stripper. Apply more stripper to further soften the paint if need be.

• 5

  Prime and repaint the surface. If you removed all of the original paint, apply a layer of primer intended for use on stone. After the primer dries, repaint the surface.

Re-Stone

• 6

  Remove the original stone if you wish your re-bricked fireplace to rest up against the wall. While you can re-stone over existing stone, if the stone that surrounds your fireplace is already sizable, re-stoning over it may make the fireplace front stick too far out into the room. If you worry that this will be the case, remove the stone. Start by laying thick padding on the flooring that surrounds the fireplace, as falling stone will damage your floors. Then place your chisel in the junctions between your bricks, starting at the top of the brick stack. Hit the chisel head with a hammer to break up this mortar and slowly pull your bricks away.

• 7

  Chisel away any remaining mortar to create flat surface. If mortar still sticks to the walls, place your chisel up against the wall, sliding it under the mortar, and pry it off.

• 8

  Apply a layer of mortar. Use a putty knife to spread this mortar on your wall and prepare it to hold your re-stoning tiles.

• 9

  Place re-stoning tiles onto the surface. Instead of going through the process of actually creating stone stacks, use tiles intended to replicate the look of stone, pressing them against the mortar-covered wall to adhere them.