I painted the outside bricks of my fireplace with satin latex paint. It would look better with matte finish. I took 2 coats and looks very nice. I chose “Squirrel” from Behr Paints and receive many compliments.
I do have a problem that I hope someone can help me with. I painted the inside of the fireplace with black high heat paint. I was bored with the color and – because the fireplace has never been used and I did not intend to ever use it or to move – I painted the inside with a color using latex paint. :o Now I am moving and the inspection indicates the paint should be addressed. :smack: Do I need to removed the latex paint or can I paint over it with the high heat paint?
It’s not just the fire danger of leaving latex in the firebox, the fumes might be an issue, too. Granted, most latex doesn’t have the issues of an alkyd or lacquer, but it’s still a different formula than the high heat paint designed for having fire near or touching it.
Check local code/ordinance for the specs required. There may be a specialty primer that addresses your specific issue, but I don’t know of one. For paint removal, a stripping agent, a wire wheel on a drill, scrapers, etc… all have different advantages and drawbacks.
A real paint store, not a big box store, will be a great place to get area specific information. Look for the stores that have painting contractors as customers. You might even get one of those painters to come over and give you a bid.
Not really a good job for most DIYers, unless you’re VERY experienced with coatings.
Our California house was built with a brick fireplace, probably much like yours. The second owner faced it all with irregular sandstone and a slate hearth top, which probably looked beautiful until the third owner painted it. I don’t know what he painted it with - some kind of rubberized marine epoxy is my guess - and in slightly off-white it was hideous, like a wall-size fungus. In ten years I was never able to find a way to remove it. It resisted even my small-scale sandblasting attempts and it was clear I’d have to wear the rocks down considerably to finish the job.
So in the end I painted them again - mortar gray, then did a stipple paint in a couple of colors to emulate real rock. It came out beautifully, although it did not try to pass for real rock.
The third owner had also painted the red-brick front of the house, the dull yellowish the rest of the exterior had been painted. I don’t know what the hell his problem with brick was. Anyway, I painted that, too - again a mortar gray, then a careful, low-sheen brick red. It got compliments from neighbors and visitors for many years.
So if you’re going to paint something kind of natural - a nice red-brick finish with details, or change the color to white brick, or such, at least try to make it look natural. Start with a thorough coat of a flat mortar-gray, then paint the bricks individually. That leaves room to accent a few in different colors or put stencils or inset tiles in a pattern.
Just don’t spray the whole damn thing white, m’kay?
ETA: Oh, the fireplace had a full insert, so the interior/fire resistance/code issues didn’t really apply.
I painted the inside of the fireplace with black high heat paint. I was bored with the color and – because the fireplace has never been used and I did not intend to ever use it or to move – I painted the inside with a color using latex paint. :o Now I am moving and the inspection indicates the paint should be addressed. :smack: Do I need to removed the latex paint or can I paint over it with the high heat paint? 
