How to Revive Your Old Brick Fireplace

If you’re lucky enough to have a beautiful brick fireplace in your home, you’ll probably already know what a talking point it can be as so many people admire the warm and welcoming atmosphere it creates. It will be the first thing your guests notice about the room, creating a simple yet stately focal point. However, with regular use, or even after a period of neglect, it can begin to have the opposite effect.

That’s why we’ve put together these simple ideas to help give those old, dull fireplaces a new lease of life.

#1 Heat Resistant Paint

If you burn wood in your fireplace you’ll soon find that the thick black soot can build up to make your fireplace look dirty, grimy and uncared for. Even once you’ve cleared out all the ash and cleaned the soot from the inside, it can still leave unsightly scorch marks and black stains that can be difficult to disguise. But if you get a special heat resistant paint you can cover up these marks, leaving your fireplace looking brand new. Most people choose black paint, to draw attention to the fire and completely hide the stains, but if you don’t plan on using your fireplace, painting the inside cream or white can really brighten up your room!

#2 Clean Up the Bricks

The bricks surrounding your fire will, over time, become stained and discoloured, but this is much easier to clean than you might think. One of the best home remedies for removing soot and grime is a simple solution of vinegar and water and a good scrubbing brush. It takes a while to scrub the bricks clean, but once it’s done your fireplace will be transformed from a dark and dreary eyesore to a bright focal point to be proud of!

#3 Replace the Mantle

Whether you have a an existing mantel or no surround at all, you can quickly update an old, tired looking fireplace with a beautiful new mantel to suit your home and décor. Finding the right fire surround is easy: there’s a huge range of styles, from simple, contemporary stone surrounds to more traditional, welcoming wooden mantels.

#4 New Tiles

If you’re really fed up with the old boring brickwork, you can always completely revamp your fireplace with some fresh new tiles. This may seem like a big job, but will actually only take a few hours, and, because you’re only tiling a small area, it’s not that costly either! There are so many tile designs available that you can pretty much create any style you wish. Using light coloured tiles can contribute to a chic, contemporary room, or you can use old fashioned patterned tiles for a more traditional look.

#5 Upgrade to a New Fireplace

So many people have beautiful fireplaces in their homes that are sadly blocked up and unused, and, although they still make stunning focal points, they are a wasted asset if not fully functional. So, if you’re lucky enough to have a disused fireplace that’s ready and waiting to be brought back to life, don’t waste it – restore it! Get a professional to check over the flue and sweep the chimney, and invest in a new fireplace that will give your room the character and warmth it’s missing. A solid fuel fireplace can have a huge impact on the atmosphere in your home – especially on cold winter nights. So revive your fireplace and get cosy!