A Simple Guide to Brick Fireplace Restoration

Restoring furniture, fixtures, or any other part of your home can be a fun and affordable way to add to the longevity of these items. With a brick fireplace, though, you may think you’re out of options. They tend to be fairly simple in their construction, but not exactly open to restoration the same way a table, chair or even light fixture is. Fortunately, brick fireplace restoration is definitely possible and just as easy as other options. Here’s a guide to some simple methods you should try.

Consider a Coat of Paint

Perhaps the easiest form of fireplace restoration is simply adding a coat or two of paint to it. For a brick fireplace, make sure you start with a primer and you’ll most likely need a latex paint for it. However, with these two affordable materials, you can:

• Paint the fireplace a different color
• Weather it for an older look
• Dry brush it for an especially rustic appearance

These options will restore your fireplace by giving it a brand new and fashionable appearance.

Remove Build Up

It doesn’t take a scientist to understand that a fireplace faces a lot of wear and tear. Between the soot and smoke that may escape at times and the intense temperatures, fireplace restoration may not mean more than just giving it a good bath.

If the buildup isn’t so bad, dish soap might be enough to get the desired result. Just get some lather going and apply it with a sponge or scrub brush. The great thing about dish soap is that it’s designed to cut through grease, which is exactly what you’ll be battling. Plus, it won’t stain or harsh the bricks or grout. You’ll know in short order if this prescription is enough to cure what ails your fireplace.

Should your elbow get sore without any results to show for it, consider moving on to using a vinegar solution. All it takes is a mix of half vinegar and half water. Use a spray bottle to apply it to the brick and then let it sit there for a few minutes. This will allow the acid in the vinegar to work its magic. When the time is up, use your scrub brush or sponge to clean the area.

Straight vinegar will work in extreme cases, but many people find the smell to be a bit much to deal with when the cleaning is through.

Of course, you can also find cleaners specifically made for brick and grout at any home improvement store. Obviously, these solutions will cost a bit more than the DIY one above or dish soap, but especially stubborn issues may call for it.

Consider the Mantel

Whether or not your fireplace restoration plans involve cleaning or painting the brick (or both), you should consider what to do with the surrounding area too. For example, most fireplaces look great with a mantel (this isn’t always the best idea for a modern look). You can choose from all kinds of materials and installation typically takes little more than a drill.

If you already have a mantel, it might just need a little TLC too. Taking a page out of the advice above, clean it up or paint it and the fireplace may benefit too.

Give It a New Job

A lot of homes with fireplaces aren’t actually homes to people who use them. If that’s the case with you, fireplace restoration may take on a completely different life. Your fireplace doesn’t actually need to be used for fires. It’s your home, after all; use it for something else! There are a number of fun ideas to consider.

Many people use fireplaces to display flowers. Pick ones that come in red, orange and yellow and the finished product will even resemble the flames that used to call your hearth home.

Putting candles in your fireplace is also a fun way to put a new twist on it. You can still light them, of course, but they’ll look plenty cool all on their own as well.

If your room has a classic look to it, an antique summer cover can also be a really cool way to make use of that space. You can save money, too, by purchasing a modern version made to look old.

Fireplace restoration doesn’t need to cost a lot or be a ton of work. The above fireplace restoration options will all give yours new life that could change the look of the entire room.

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PeterJack is an expert article writer who has written many articles related to Gas fireplace.Currently he is writing an article on gas fireplace conversion.