So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.

I'm also a little nervous about running into a whole slew
of (expensive) code issues (I'm in CA). Is that likely to
derail the whole project?

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malcolm Hoar" wrote in message
...

So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

You can paint brick. Why not try that first in case
it meets your needs?

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

In article ,
(Malcolm Hoar) wrote:

So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.


Paint is very common. Hard to get an cheaper and easier than that.

In article , "Don Phillipson" wrote:

You can paint brick. Why not try that first in case
it meets your needs?

Yeah although I think it will look a bit naff. Kinda like,
ummmm, painted brick ;-)

Also, I'm concerned that the paint may rule out the option
of tiling directly OVER the brick. And screwing a
cementboard backer to the brick and tiling over that
starts to make the whole struture disproportionately
large.

I haven't totally ruled it out but was interested in
exploring something a little better. A natural stone
tile seemed like a viable approach that wouldn't bust
the bank.


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In article , Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
(Malcolm Hoar) wrote:

So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.


Paint is very common. Hard to get an cheaper and easier than that.

True enough -- but hard to get any uglier than painted brick, either.

On Jan 21, 10:57*am, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.

I'm also a little nervous about running into a whole slew
of (expensive) code issues (I'm in CA). Is that likely to
derail the whole project?

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar * * * * * "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Gary Player. |
|http://www.malch.com/* * * * * * * Shpx gur PQN. * * * * * * * *|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looks like a good candidate for tiling. I have seen some beautiful
fireplaces done in regular ceramic tile - nice handpainted tiles, or
patterns in the tile, etc. Not sure why you would want backerboard
unless you are worried about an uneven surface. -- H

In article , Heathcliff wrote:

Looks like a good candidate for tiling. I have seen some beautiful
fireplaces done in regular ceramic tile - nice handpainted tiles, or
patterns in the tile, etc.

Yes, although my preference would be for natural stone. Slab
would be great but the cost is prohibitive. But I've seen
some natural stone tiles that a reasonably priced.

Not sure why you would want backerboard unless you are worried
about an uneven surface.

Yes, the brickwork doesn't look that even to me. Also, on
the vertical surfaces, it would assure sound adhesion. I
think it's possible the bricks were at some point wiped
with linseed oil or some other color enhancement treatment.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Malcolm Hoar" wrote

So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

I'd get a mantle with sides down to the floor (looks like you have about 4
inches there?). This would be flush to the sides but not over the brick
(check code, your sides are quite minimal as it is).

Then probably tile the bottom part where the base extends, since that's the
main 'bad' there. Also, the base isnt very high. Not sure on code specs
where you are but I've not seen any that low here.

I wouldnt paint it if you plan to ever use it.

On Jan 21, 11:57*am, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.

I'm also a little nervous about running into a whole slew
of (expensive) code issues (I'm in CA). Is that likely to
derail the whole project?

It's not very attractive as is, but I think a lot of the problem is
that the paint around it is just too light. The contrast is too
great.

I'd pick out one of the lighter colors from the brick (I can see
terra cotta and perhaps peach) and paint at least the wall
behind the fireplace. You're definitely on the right track
with the color of the accessories on top.

A mantel would be nice; the fireplace looks a bit like a face with
no eyebrows.

As other posters have said, painted brick looks terrible. I wouldn't
go that way.

If you're determined to have a completely new look, then go ahead and
reface it or replace it. However, if that doesn't work out (time,
finances,
code, etc.), you always have the cheap and easy option to try a
different
color on the wall behind it.

Cindy Hamilton

In article , "cshenk" wrote:

Then probably tile the bottom part where the base extends, since that's the
main 'bad' there. Also, the base isnt very high. Not sure on code specs
where you are but I've not seen any that low here.

Interesting, thank you. I think maybe I'll call one of
the inspectors at City Hall before I go much further.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In article , Cindy Hamilton wrote:

It's not very attractive as is, but I think a lot of the problem is
that the paint around it is just too light. The contrast is too
great.

I'd pick out one of the lighter colors from the brick...

Thank you for an excellent suggestion. If refacing with
a natural stone tile doesn't work out for reasons of
cost, or code issues, we can certainly try to soften
the contrast with a quick paint job on that wall.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malcolm Hoar wrote:
So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.

I'm also a little nervous about running into a whole slew
of (expensive) code issues (I'm in CA). Is that likely to
derail the whole project?

Nobody else said it, so I will. That fireplace looks like a metal
prefab, and that brick looks entirely decorative, and probably
removable. (Looks a lot like my faux fireplace.) Is your outside
chimney brick, or sided like the house? What year was house built,
and/or the fireplace installed? Hard to say without a closer look, but
I'd almost bet all that brick would pop off there in about 20 minutes,
including the hearth. It would then just be a matter of building back
with something fireproof in a color you like. Only likely code issues
would be the required air space around the tin box, and required
distance of non-flammable materials for hearth and surrounding the
opening. Likely there is already backerboard behind the brick on the wall.

But I could be wrong.
--
aem sends...

"Malcolm Hoar" wrote in message
...
So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.

I'm also a little nervous about running into a whole slew
of (expensive) code issues (I'm in CA). Is that likely to
derail the whole project?

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm sorry, man, but that is one ugly fireplace. I don't suppose you can sue
the prior owner, because you bought the place. I can think of a few simple
things.

1. Put some dark paneling on the wall right behind. That might lessen the
impact of the bricks.

2. Those bricks must have been color-enhanced somehow. See what a bit of
sandpaper will do.

3. Paint the bricks with whitewash or limewash. You'll have white bricks
for a while, but the whitewash/limewash wil shrink and peel over time, and
leave a very attractive brick surface.

4. A mantel is a good idea. You can make a decent one from 2x8 pine with
some braces cut from the same board, then fancied up with a jigsaw.

5. Offer it to the next movie company to do a remake of the Brady Bunch.
Take the proceeds and move to Tucson, where you can learn the joys of adobe.

6. Or stay in CA, and explore the real joys of a doobie.

7. A stick of dynamite or a bit of C-4 is a last resort. Blow that mo-fo
out of there and claim it as a chimney fire.

good luck

In article , aemeijers wrote:

Nobody else said it, so I will. That fireplace looks like a metal
prefab, and that brick looks entirely decorative, and probably
removable. (Looks a lot like my faux fireplace.) Is your outside
chimney brick, or sided like the house? What year was house built,
and/or the fireplace installed? Hard to say without a closer look, but
I'd almost bet all that brick would pop off there in about 20 minutes,
including the hearth. It would then just be a matter of building back
with something fireproof in a color you like.

The house was built about 20 years ago and yes, I think you're
exactly right... those bricks should pop off quite easily.

I will try and speak with a city inspector to try and get a
handle on the code issues. I simply have no experience with
the fireplace codes and no feel for how stringent they are
aside from the common sense precautions of using only fire
rated materials in the immediate vicinity.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In article , "K" wrote:

I'm sorry, man, but that is one ugly fireplace.

No need to sugar coat it ;-)

Yeah, the house is mainly pretty decent but it came with
a few fairly gross features most of which are now history.


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OP might try cleaning brick with muriatic acid, its pretty bad looking
now, how much worse can you make it

In article , " wrote:
OP might try cleaning brick with muriatic acid, its pretty bad looking
now, how much worse can you make it

Hmmm, well I might just try a spot test with muriatic and
maybe even some bleach. A bleaching might just help.

Having said that, general observation suggests that bricks
retain their pigments even after very significant weathering
and UV exposure. Heck, I've seen brick buildings that are
still bright red after many hundreds of years.

I did try sanding a spot as suggested by another poster --
it looked a little lighter, until I wiped off the dust.

It will get replaced at some point. It's just a matter
of budget and whether to remove the bricks or simply
hide them with a new natural stone facade. Nothing that
can't be fixed with the application of sufficient $$$.

In the meantime, by the way, I do think it would be
quite simple to make the thing look a lot worse.
Painting the bricks is probably one way ;-)

Nevertheless, I thank everyone for their suggestions,
however crazy ;-)

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Jan 21, 11:57*am, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
So, I have an ugly brick fireplace that I'd like to "enhance":

http://www.malch.com/nikon/DSD_2769.jpg

Sadly, the budget is very limited. So, I'm thinking in terms
of a granite (or similar) tile.

I understand it is feasible to tile over the brick. However,
my gut feel suggests it would be better to remove the bricks
first, install a new cementboard backer, and tile over that.

I would maybe add a ready made (wood) shelf mantel.

Any thoughts on those approaches? Other suggestions welcome.

I'm also a little nervous about running into a whole slew
of (expensive) code issues (I'm in CA). Is that likely to
derail the whole project?

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar * * * * * "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Gary Player. |
|http://www.malch.com/* * * * * * * Shpx gur PQN. * * * * * * * *|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tiled over mine that was similar to what you have. I didn't have
the raised hearth to deal with but you could tile that as well or wrap
edges with wood of your choice. Of course check the code but I doubt
it would be an issue because you would be adding the would to the
outside edges of the hearth and not reducing the non-flammable area.

They way I attached my tile to the face of the brick was with good old
Liquid Nails.
Ran a good thick bead on the back of each tile
Pressed in place then pulled it off
put back in place and let go

Not a one has even thought about coming loose. I used tiles with
straight edges and didn't bother leaving a grout space, just butted
them together. Nothing that is going to win me a design award but way
better than most of the crap you see on HGTV.

Disclaimer: I have only used my fireplace once since I 'glued' on the
tiles a year ago but I doubt the minimal heat is going to affect
Liquid Nails if you use yours regularly. If it does then mix up some
mortar and slap them back up.

Cheap & easy way to cover up some ugly brick.

On Jan 21, 5:02*pm, (Malcolm Hoar) wrote:
In article , aemeijers wrote:

Nobody else said it, so I will. That fireplace looks like a metal
prefab, and that brick looks entirely decorative, and probably
removable. (Looks a lot like my faux fireplace.) *Is your outside
chimney brick, or sided like the house? What year was house built,
and/or the fireplace installed? *Hard to say without a closer look, but
I'd almost bet all that brick would pop off there in about 20 minutes,
including the hearth. It would then just be a matter of building back
with something fireproof in a color you like.

The house was built about 20 years ago and yes, I think you're
exactly right... those bricks should pop off quite easily.

I will try and speak with a city inspector to try and get a
handle on the code issues. I simply have no experience with
the fireplace codes and no feel for how stringent they are
aside from the common sense precautions of using only fire
rated materials in the immediate vicinity.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar * * * * * "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Gary Player. |
|http://www.malch.com/* * * * * * * Shpx gur PQN. * * * * * * * *|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

be really sure about that. i thought so too in my slump block
fireplace. popped the blocks out, and was left with a hole and nothing
to tile on. i had to rebuild it with bricks again.

you can tile granite tiles right over the bricks. if that isn't flat
enough, skim coat it with thinset, or thin wonderboard, and tile on
that.