# Fireplace paint?



## woodie51 (Nov 5, 2011)

Greetings. I have a HO who wants to have the inside of her fireplace painted black to ready the house for resale. Surfaces are cream colored firebrick with border of red brick. SW guys have nothing to recommend. Any suggestions are welcomed


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

Is it going to be used?


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

journeymanPainter said:


> Is it going to be used?


Ditto. I don't get it. I've never heard of someone painting the inside of a fireplace. I think it's Rustoleum that makes high heat resistant paints for the exterior of woodstoves (only seen flat blacks), but I can't imagine anything going on the inside of a fireplace.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I have been asked rice in the past year. Metal surfaces= options. Otherwise, nothing out there.


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## Ric (Oct 26, 2011)

woodie51 said:


> Greetings. I have a HO who wants to have the inside of her fireplace painted black to ready the house for resale. Surfaces are cream colored firebrick with border of red brick. SW guys have nothing to recommend. Any suggestions are welcomed


Hey Woodie...

Virtually every manufacturer on the planet makes a silicone/alkyd, heat resistant matte black finish. Sherwin does also. I assume this HO wants to paint the brick 'cause it's no longer a clean cream color? ...rather, black char-stained cream color firebrick? If so, the brick can be painted - even spray painted with aerosol (Krylon BBQ finish from SW). These products generally will withstand temps up to 1200 degrees F., and will adhere fine to the brick once it's cleaned thoroughly.

Make your homeowner aware of this one, worst-case scenario, caveat though...when the fireplace is used, the heat will draw moisture through the brick's mortar (whether painted or not). If the mortar is not painted, this moisture simply passes through as vapor and escapes harmlessly through the chimney. Once painted, especially black, the moisture will still pass through the mortar and harmlessly up the chimney, but leave will crystallized salt deposits (efflorescence) on the mortar and visible on the black painted surface. Ultimately, these salt deposits, through caustic burn, will attack the coating and pop it from the surface requiring wire brushing, mild acid etching and repainting - only to do it all over again next season...but it should look great until the house sells.

Because of these invisible deposits on the mortar, you should acid rinse the surface before painting with a silicone alkyd...


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