My fireplace has a dark brick face that looks to me to have been
stained that color. Is there a cheap and easy way to lighten the
brick.

On Feb 17, 11:05 am, "Wyz" wrote:
My fireplace has a dark brick face that looks to me to have been
stained that color. Is there a cheap and easy way to lighten the
brick.

Easiest and cheapest way to change color would be paint, but that
doesn't achieve last part of the question, obviously.

If brick has indeed been stained, there is no sure-fire way, and
certainly nothing that I'd classify as "easy". Depending on just how
porous the brick is, it may be possible to strip/sandblast/etch some
of the color away, but if it is a rough, porous brick there may be
nothing that will make much difference w/o some serious effort.

You can go to an inconspicuous spot if there is one and try things
like muriatic acid, various solvents/strippers, etc., and see if they
make any difference, but be prepared for a mess and to have either
little or no success at best and a real ugly looking splotch at worst
besides the hoped for result.

The sand-blasting is the most safe in the sense of doing no damage to
the existing surface that is really bad, but it's not simple in either
application nor in trying to contain the debris so is rarely used
indoors unless on a complete guts-out job wherein you might as well
just replace the brick itself in many instances.

Just what you wanted to hear, I know...

There is a gritty spray paint if you don't mind doing the whole thing. It
comes in pretty nice colors. Much less mess than sand blasting.

--
Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate and Starbucks!!
BetsyB

"dpb" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 17, 11:05 am, "Wyz" wrote:
My fireplace has a dark brick face that looks to me to have been
stained that color. Is there a cheap and easy way to lighten the
brick.

Easiest and cheapest way to change color would be paint, but that
doesn't achieve last part of the question, obviously.

If brick has indeed been stained, there is no sure-fire way, and
certainly nothing that I'd classify as "easy". Depending on just how
porous the brick is, it may be possible to strip/sandblast/etch some
of the color away, but if it is a rough, porous brick there may be
nothing that will make much difference w/o some serious effort.

You can go to an inconspicuous spot if there is one and try things
like muriatic acid, various solvents/strippers, etc., and see if they
make any difference, but be prepared for a mess and to have either
little or no success at best and a real ugly looking splotch at worst
besides the hoped for result.

The sand-blasting is the most safe in the sense of doing no damage to
the existing surface that is really bad, but it's not simple in either
application nor in trying to contain the debris so is rarely used
indoors unless on a complete guts-out job wherein you might as well
just replace the brick itself in many instances.

Just what you wanted to hear, I know...