Can You Use Latex Paint for Your Brick Fireplace?

Preparation

• Before you paint your brick fireplace, prepare the surface. Rid the surface of soot and dirt so paint will adhere to the brick. Vacuum the fireplace with the brush extension on your vacuum cleaner to remove loose dust and dirt. Clean the surface with a heavy duty cleaner that contains trisodium phosphate and rinse it thoroughly with water.

Primer

• Bricks are porous, which means liquids will soak into the material. You must address this quality before painting your brick fireplace. A masonry quality primer takes care of the porosity of the brick surface. The primer seals the brick and covers any pinholes or imperfections to make it easier for the latex paint to adhere to the surface.

Latex Paint

• A latex paint specifically made to cover masonry surfaces is nonflammable and contains bonding primers essential to adhere the paint to the bricks. Use a roller to cover the largest area of the fireplace and a paintbrush for crevices and corners. Add two coats of latex paint to cover the bricks completely.

Oil-Based Paint

• Oil-based paints contain an alkyd resin or oil that binds the paint and forms a solid layer. These paints adhere well to most surfaces, but the flammability of oil-based paints presents a problem for fireplace bricks. The alkalinity in bricks interacts negatively with the oil-based paints, reducing the paint's adhesion to the surface.

Cautions

• While latex paint is nonflammable, it's not suitable to paint the interior firebox. Additionally, the paint is susceptible to scorching if the fire should shoot outside the firebox.