How to Paint Fireplace Brick White with Primer and Regular Paint

Our DIY brick fireplace makeover began with building a brick hearth from scratch and ended with a wood beam mantle and a shiplap accent wall. The final step in this complete fireplace makeover project, however, is the paint! We knew from the beginning we wanted the brick to be white to make the space as bright as possible. After debating on whitewash, German smear, and solid paint, we decided that solid white paint in the same color as the shiplap would look the best in this space and be the easiest option. No need for fancy techniques or special paint, simply use whatever paint you like for this DIY with a quality primer. Here is a look at how to paint fireplace brick white with primer and regular paint!

Before & After Photos

The first photo shows our home when we first bought it, the next is after we painted the trim in our house white when we updated our whole home interior, the third photo shows this fireplace after we added DIY shiplap and a new wood mantle, followed by the photo of the fireplace after finishing the DIY brick hearth and adding new shiplap and a larger wood mantle – the final photo shows the fireplace brick painted white.

How to Paint Fireplace Brick White with Primer and Regular Paint

Step 1 – Clean the Brick & Prep the Area

Before you paint your brick, be sure it is completely dust free. You shouldn’t need to scrub the brick unless it is unusually dirty. A deep vacuuming of the brick with a good vacuum brush should do the trick. Mask off your mantle, the floor, and wall with painters tape and protective paper before painting.

Step 2 – Primer & Paint the Brick

First you will want to use a good quality primer. For this project I am using Benjamin Moore Advance paint which is a water base, so I am using a water base primer by Killz. As you are painting you will want to use a rough brush like this one and go between all the bricks and over all the grout lines first to make sure you really get the paint in there. Don’t be afraid to just smash the brush hard to get paint in all the cracks and crevices of the brick. Use the brush to do the sides and edges of the fireplace hearth as well.

Next, use a roller and roll the brick. Coat it completely with primer. The roller should do a good job of getting paint into the speckles of the brick. We rolled a couple light coats over the whole thing. Allow the primer to dry completely before moving to the finish paint coat.

You will follow the same technique for the finish paint as the primer in this step. We used the color Dove White by Benjamin Moore, it is the same color as the shiplap above. Be sure to paint the grout lines first with a brush and then roll the brick completely.

Step 3 – Caulk

Finally, after your finish paint has completely dried, caulk any seams or edges that need it. We needed to caulk around the entire fireplace and floor to hide imperfections of painting.

And that is it! Painting fireplace brick is actually super easy when you paint it with a solid color. All you need is to be sure you use a good primer over clean brick, and then finish with your paint of choice.