I’d like to reface my 1950’s brick fireplace but each brick currently on the face has a “stripe” through the middle that is irregular heights. I guess they thought it was decorative at the time, but it’s not so great now. I’m not sure how I would get a solid level surface to work with. As part of the project, I’d like to put a flat panel TV in as well.
Anybody have any great ideas for dealing with this?
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Replies
Bump
(JimMcD - Newbie - FIRST POST...hope somebody here can help him. I'm trying to mentally picture his set up!)
DUM SPIRO SPERO: "While I breathe I hope"
Here are some pictures of what I'm dealing with. You can see the brick detail and just how much of it there is to cover. Would appreciate any suggestions.
I'm not a mason, hopefully one will come to your rescue.
Short of a tremendous amont of grinding / chipping with the associated dirt and noise, I do not know the answer. The layer of paint may be more problematic than the ridges. Ridges could be knocked off with less chipping.
The answer may be to leave the ridges, attach Tapcon fasteners and brick ties and ignore the paint. Do not procede on my advice!
Good luck.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
PS: Think about / provide for the wiring necessary for that flat screen TV before you get too far. I'm sure you don't want it exposed as it crosses the new facing.
The brick on your fireplace are called Romans - the horizontal stripe comes from where you break them apart, they came in sets of four in a square set. When I was a kid I spent hours breaking these apart as a hod carrier. These were popular in the 60's, even into the 70's.
I also had these brick on the fireplace in my first house. I tore them off, and layed up a new face. It took about two hours with a rotohammer to tear them off, and 2 more to clean it up. Its messy and you should get a mason to do the rebuilding.
Another option is to cover them with a slate, tile, flat (fake) brick or stone. To get a flat surface, you could morter (thin-set) and screw concrete board over the brick, then lay the tile on it. You could also afix a mantle onto it as well. This would be a lot easier, cleaner, and likely cheaper.
If you are putting cultured stone on, you could screw wire lath to the brick, put a morter scratch-coat on, then lay up the stone.
Good luck.
options
A - move into a house that has what you want
B - grind down - lots of dust will ruin your attitude about living in this house
C - plaster over all to create a smooth wall with real plaster on expanded metal lathe
D - use same base of lathe and scratch coat to apply false brick or cultured stone to give you what you want to see.
E take a different mind set and learn to love what you have
I'd go with C or D
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D - use same base of lathe and scratch coat to apply false brick or cultured stone to give you what you want to see.
Just thinking out loud... What if he painted the area around the hearth black and then created the cultered stone (or brick or whatever) look around that? Add a bit of depth to the fireplace. Could add a beefy mantle plank in there too. Maybe have the flat panel TV above the beefy mantle plank.
jt8
"Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. " --Theodore N. Vail
Demo it.
I could do it in a day or so with a helper and an electric hammer.
Clean out those bookshelves, lay homasote on the floor, make a plastic room around the chimney all the way to the ceiling. Get a full face respirator and have at it.
I would think there is block beneath that veneer.
That IS ugly!!
Eric
It's Never Too Late To Become
What You Might Have Been
[email protected]
I think U R right
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Some good suggestions. Thanks. I knew there were no easy solutions. Seems like plaster or cultured stone might be the least hassle and most in keeping with the rest of the room. How would I attach the expanded metal lathe to the bricks?
Yes, it is ugly.
I would use Tapcons
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
"Yes, it is ugly"
Don't feel too bad...it's cousin is in my house...
:-(
please POST pics of your reworked F/P when you're thru. I need inspiration!!! (pretty please?)DUM SPIRO SPERO: "While I breathe I hope"
I have a feeling that it has lots of cousins across the country. 1953 must have been a bad year for bricks. lol. I'll be sure to post pictures of whatever I come up with.
Tks, that'd be great.
(Maybe we can get Wane to post some b4/after pics of his too???)
DUM SPIRO SPERO: "While I breathe I hope"
Hey
The outside of my house has the same kind of bricks.....:>)
I do agree... they are ugly. Also, the bricks we have on the outside are soft. They break easily. We also had a similar situation on the masonry fireplace. We had a major foundation settling problem 10 years ago and the insurance company paid to have that fixed along with a remodel to the entire home due to tons of damage due to settling.
We got a cut stone fireplace in the remodel. It looks much nicer.
Wish you the best with your project.....
just did the same thing, demo'd it, finally gave up on the flat screen tv though, too many people told me the heat would cook it in no time .. ps you could just brick over the old ..
The bricks are removable. The first photo shows us working on a similar project. With a small air hammer you can have those bricks off in a few hours. We also removed the hearth as it was irregular and replaced it with a 2" slab of slate.
This firebox, like yours, is offset. Ours supports a fireplace on the opposite wall. We used the "offset" box to our advantage by building an automated slide to hide an LCD tv.
In the second photo, you can see the a panel directly over the fireplace (the one with the Porsche poster that my son added temporarly). It slides to the right. There is 5" of depth behind the panel. Enough room for a 42" LCD. It is stationary and mounted to the bricks. I don't have any photos of it in the open position, but it does seem to add to the wow factor for new guests. The motor assembly is housed inside the hearth.
Hope this helps. I have a few in-process shots if you are interested...
Dean
Wow. What a huge improvement! I'd be interested in seeing whatever in-process shots you may have.
Dean
We did something similar, had a bigger budget though! :)
This mantle/over mantle has a remote that makes that Carpathian elm panel right above the mantle move up to revel a flat screen TV.
The fireplace is in the master BR. Doesnt look like it gets used though.
Doug
No dis intended...........I think I like the brick more!It's Never Too Late To Become
What You Might Have Been
[email protected]
I'm just glad that I dont value your opinion all that much!
Doug
I couldn't get if you mean to reface with more brick , or what...? I've had a similar situation, and just slapped drywall mud over everthing - tho I'd suggest mortar in your case. Otherwise hide it all with drywall. But, seeings it's a brick veneer, take it off and start with new.
All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.
JIM THIS IS THE FIRE PLACE THAT I JUST REFACED WITH CULETURED STONE I NEVER DID ANY STONE WORK BEFORE /IT WAS ALOT OF WORK BUT ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE.
DAN
JIM
THIS IS THE FIREPLACE I JUST REBUILT I TORE OFF ALL THE OLD FAKE CEMENT STONE
AND ATTACHED WIRE MESH WITH CEMENT SCREWS . THEN I MOTORED CULTURED STONE.
IT TOOK ALOT OF TIME TO FIT THE STONES BUT I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT I NEVER TACKLED ANY STONE WORK TYPE JOBS BEFORE AND THIS WENT PRETTY SMOOTH
GOOD LUCK! DAN
Edited 10/28/2005 4:03 pm ET by DK
Don
Some how you got that posted twice.
It looks great. Got any pictures from further back? I'd like to see the shelving units.
And take off your caps lock!
Doug
Doug,
Here are a few more pictures of the shelves and fireplace . DAN
Looks good Dan.
Proportionately well done!
Doug
I was wondering why you couldn't screw tile backer board (Durock, Hardiboard, etc.)to the brick with Tapcons for a base for whatever you wanted to do next--tile, brick veneer, cultured (or even crude) stone, etc.?
I suppose you could. The uneven quality of the bricks would make it difficult to get the backerboard flat. It also depends on how much you want the face to be built up.