Renovating Your Old Brick Fireplace: The Cost-Effective Method

Lennox Masonry - Thin brick veneer overtop of a dated brick fireplace

There comes a time in the life of many brick fireplaces and exteriors in which they appear both dated and unappealing. Luckily, apart from some minor modifications to their surroundings, they are typically quite cost-effective and easy to remodel. Brick is quite coarse in nature, so applying a new brick veneer or natural stone veneer overtop of it is really quite straightforward from a masonry installers perspective. In the following steps, Lennox Masonry of Victoria BC will discuss the process of remodelling interior brick fireplaces..

For Unpainted Brick:

Thoroughly clean and remove any impediments on the surface of your brick with a scrub brush prior to thoroughly soaking it with a wet sponge. If the brick has an unpainted and porous surface, you can apply your choice of brick veneer directly overtop of your fireplace while using the correct mortar. For a list of mortar types and their uses, please visit our blog post: Masonry & Mortar: A Guide to Different Types of Mortar and Their Uses.

If you intend on remodelling your brick fireplace with a natural stone veneer instead, we would recommend applying a galvanized steel mesh or lath and a scratch coat overtop of the existing brickwork prior to installing the stone veneer. Alternatively, applying a cement board overtop of the brick will also suffice. Given the weight of natural stone, this method will create a better bond and ensure that the veneer doesn't flex or move in the future. For an explanation as to why we haven't included cultured stone veneer in this article, please read the following blog post: Natural Stone Vs. Cultured Stone And Increasing Your Home's Value

For Painted Brick:

If the brick is painted, you can either go through the process of grinding, scraping, or washing the paint off with a chemical solution, or use the same methods above for the natural stone veneer. The reason being is that mortar needs a coarse and porous surface to bond with. Paint acts a repellant due to its smooth and slick surface.

Lennox Masonry - Natural Pangea Fieldstone Veneer Overtop of a Brick Fireplace

Of course, there are other options when it comes to remodelling your brick fireplace or exterior which are of the cheaper variety, such as whitewashing (pictured below) and lime washing, but those are articles to be left for another day and for the sake of removing the sight of the brick altogether, applying stone veneer directly overtop of it is by far the most cost-effective solution. 

Lennox Masonry - Red Hartford Tundra Brick Veneer Before Whitewashing

Lennox Masonry - Red Hartford Tundra Brick Veneer After Whitewashing

With years of experience in this field, Lennox Masonry is well equipped to assess and address your specific needs.

Give Us A Call At: 778-968-6574

As always, if you have any questions, please, comment below or write to us at sean@lennoxmasonry.com

To check out some of our other Blog Posts and obtain information for a wide-variety of additional Masonry applications, please click here.

Sean Lennox,

Lennox Masonry, Masonry Contractor, Victoria, BC

Lennox Masonry of Victoria, BC has been proudly serving both Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands for over a decade. We are small group of skilled masons with a great deal of passion towards our trade and for improving the communities we live and work in. We extend our gratitude to the lək̓ʷəŋən people for allowing us to share and work on this corner of the garden with them. We are thankful for the residents and businesses of Victoria, BC for supporting us in our endeavors!

If you’re in need of a professional and reliable masonry company for your next project, please contact us today!