Painting Over Red Brick

• 1). Clean the brick. Fill a bucket with warm water and all-purpose cleaner and use a scrub brush to clean off the fireplace or wall. This will help remove any dirt, as well as chunks of loose mortar or brick, that can lead to peeling paint later on. Let the brick dry thoroughly and use a vacuum with an attachment to suction off any remaining dust or dirt.
  
  
• 2). Tape off the ceiling and adjacent walls with painter's tape to protect these areas from splattering. Lay a tarp or large piece of plastic on the floor to protect it as well.
  
  
• 3). Prime the brick with a latex primer specifically meant for brick or masonry. Use a thick roller to cover large areas and a brush to work the primer into the mortar, as well as any cracks or crevices in the bricks themselves. Standard paint primers that you would use in other areas of your home tend to cause the brick to retain moisture, which can damage the mortar and brick itself.
  
  
• 4). Paint the primed brick with your choice of paint color. As with applying latex primer, use a thick roller and a high-quality paintbrush. Let the paint dry according to manufacturer directions and apply a second coat. Depending on the color, three coats may be necessary if you want to cover the brick entirely.
  
  
• 5). Tape off the trim, windows and doors, remove outlet and light switch covers in the rest of the room and paint the walls a matching or complementary color to the painted brick. Remove all the tape and replace the outlet and light switch covers once the paint is completely dry.
  
  

Painting Around a Red Brick Wall

• 1). Cover the red brick wall with plastic or a tarp, securing it in place with painter's tape. Carefully tape off the edges of the brick to protect it from splatters or slip-ups.
  
  
• 2). Tape off the rest of the room with painter's tape and remove any outlet or light switch covers, making sure to tape over the light switches or outlets themselves. Lay down a tarp or piece of plastic to protect your floors.
  
  
• 3). Paint the walls around the brick with a primer. This will help your chosen paint stay true to color and reduce the number of coats you have to apply.
  
  
• 4). Choose a color for your walls. Red brick is naturally a warm color, and it will typically look out of place against cool tones such as green, blue and gray. Warm beige colors are typically ideal, although any color on the warm end of the spectrum will often work, depending on your decor. In many cases, avoid painting the rest of your walls a dark color, as this can overpower the brick or the entire room. The easiest way to choose a color is to lay samples directly on the red brick to see which colors work best with the wall.
  
  
• 5). Paint your walls in a color of your choice. Use a paint edger to get a smooth line at the ceiling and floors, a high-quality paint roller to cover larger areas and a paintbrush to get into corners or for small areas. In many cases, two coats will be necessary for even coverage. Let the paint dry according to the label directions, remove the tape and re-install outlet and light switch covers.