How To Install Tile Over A Brick Fireplace

Can you tile over a brick fireplace? Yes! Tiling over brick (even painted bricked!) is an easy DIY project as long as your brick is in skillful status. Learn how to exercise information technology yourself with this uncomplicated tutorial.

If y'all've been following this unabridged fireplace makeover process on Instagram, let me remind yous of what nosotros started with:

More recently, I painted the brick white and it was a huge improvement

But the "mantel" that was in fact a shelf was too narrow for the surround and drove me crazy. I have such a thing about symmetry and proportion and it really did make me cuckoo looking at it every day. PLUS, I dreamed of cute shadow boxes and marble tile...then I nosotros came up with a programme to make information technology happen.

And this is where nosotros ended up.

Now permit me walk y'all through all the steps that got usa here!

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The Blueprint Program

OK - so I originally drew this by hand simply it is such a mess now since it's full of scribbles and measurements that I thought I would merely recreate it digitally for you. The plan for the surround and the mantel was very elementary.

1. Build out the vertical sides of the environs that they they were no longer flush with the wall and could thus back up a deeper mantel
2. Widen the mantel and then that information technology hung over each side of the surroundings by 3 inches
3. Add shadow boxes vertically and horizontally on the surround also as on the front and sides of the hearth.
4. Tile all the brick.
5. Install outlet inside fireplace to accommodate new electric insert.
6. Create a box for the electric fireplace to remainder on (and be screwed into).

The Process

Stage ane: Demo. Sort of.

The demo portion of this makeover was minimal since the plan was to build out the surround and so that it was no longer flush with the wall and then place a deeper mantel over it. Since in that location's a lot of woodwork going on on this wall, nosotros chose to go along all the proportions (width wise) the same and just build out. That way, the the vertical lath over the mantel wouldn't look weird once it was congenital out below the mantel.

Y'all don't even know how excited I was to encounter that wimpy mantel shelf ripped off the wall!

Phase ii. How To Tile a Brick Fireplace

What You'll Need

• Moisture Tile Saw (we rented one at Home Depot for the 24-hour interval)
• Tile Adhesive
• Sponge
• Notched Trowel
• Pair of scissors
• Tile of your choosing (we used Marble Herringbone and Marble Subway Mosaic)
• White non-sanded grout
• Prophylactic grout float

If you lot beloved brick then you probably already hate that I painted mine. I'g not a brick fireplace lover. I've wanted marble on this fireplace since the 24-hour interval nosotros moved in and since this is my house and non yours, I'thousand doing what makes me happy :-)

For the face of the fireplace I chose a small herringbone blueprint marble mosaic from Home Depot. It has the perfect amount of white and gray and really beautiful. I did rummage through virtually 6 different boxes in the shop to pick out the sheets I wanted since some had yellows and beiges which I did not want. This is actually important when it comes to choosing marble tile. Since it's a natural stone, there's a lot of variation. If you don't want those colors, you need to be careful picking it out.

We rented a tile saw for the day, also at Habitation Depot. We originally rented the smallest one thinking nosotros were only cutting trivial sheets of marble only ended up needing the largest size to accommodate the 12 x 12 sheets. Which was fine, information technology was but a pain going back and forth. Don't be intimidated by the tile saw. It's actually actually piece of cake to employ. Earlier we started, we read these how to cute tile tips by Sarah of Thrifty Decor Chick which helped a lot.

I similar working with these mosaic sheets because you tin can cover a lot of surface in a short period of time and you don't demand to use spacers. It's easy to remove an individual piece if you need to by just cutting the backing material with a pair of scissors.

The nifty thing most tiling right over brick like this is that you don't even demand to notch the tile agglutinative. Because there's already grooves in the brick, the tile adheres really well. You don't need a lot of tile adhesive, just enough to stick it on. Peculiarly with these fiddling mosaics, if you put too much adhesive on, information technology will come through the sides of the tile and be a huge pain to scrape out before you lot can grout.

I similar to brand my life as easy as possible. Come across how I just started with one sheet of tile on the summit left? I could have made a cut to the left side of the tile to commencement with a straight edge instead of having those little gaps. But I knew that when I grouted everything, you wouldn't find them and then I didn't bother. The less cuts the better!

Now, when it came to working down the fireplace environment, nosotros did have to cut the right side of the canvas so that we had a nice straight edge where the fireplace opening is. But, having to only cut one side is so much easier and requires a lot less accuracy than both sides.  If you are using a straight edges tile like subway manner, you won't accept this issue. Just when y'all're dealing with herringbone and the design has to lucifer upwards, you lot demand to keep these things in heed.

At this point, we should have added a box inside the fireplace in which the electric insert would eventually sit down. Then we would accept added some back board and tiled the bottom of the box. BUT we weren't able to get our electrician in so we ended up doing that at the very end. Luckily, the herringbone tile matched up perfectly just I would recommend doing it all in once go if you tin.

Evidently, if you're not planning on adding the electric insert y'all can skip this function entirely.

Before I could tile the hearth, we demand to box it out. For this, we fastened ¼ inch stain-grade MDF around the sides using liquid nails.

Then we added some flat pre-primed molding to cover the upper seams. We fastened information technology with liquid nails and a few nails using our nail gun, making sure it overhung the sides by a half inch, to add dimension.

The subway marble tile sheets were so much quicker to install than the herringbone. I started on the left and worked my way beyond to the right and only had to make simple straight cuts.  Again, I didn't even demand to notch the adhesive since the brick has plenty texture already. So I smeared a thin layer of adhesive on the brick and stuck the tile right down. Like I mentioned before,  If you lot apply as well much adhesive, it will squeeze upward through the gaps. It happened me a few times until I got the hang of just how little adhesive I actually needed. I just used an Xacto knife to gently make clean out the gaps - you'll only want to make sure at that place'south enough space in the gaps for the grout to fill up in later.

By the fashion - when we are cut tile nosotros don't measure anything. We use the shape of the fireplace and the surround tile as a template and just marking with a pencil. Information technology's non always 100% perfect, but tile is actually pretty forgiving when yous're using white grout (on the other hand, nighttime grout is not forgiving at all!).

Once all your tile has been adhered, wipe information technology downwards with a clammy sponge to remove whatsoever adhesive. Permit the adhesive to set upwardly for 24 hours before the next footstep - grout!

Grouting is my FAVORITE office of tiling. It is so instantly gratifying seeing your tile job go from "ok" to "amazing" in but a few minutes.

When choosing your grout please please don't buy sanded grout when dealing with modest gaps and most chiefly, when you're grouting marble. Marble is very soft and the sand in the sanded grout volition etch your tile and habiliment away the edges. Don't ruin all your hard piece of work! Buy non-sanded grout - and if yous are new to tiling and it'southward not 100% perfect (mine certain isn't!) then definitely go with a white grout. Like caulk, information technology hides all manner of sins! I buy powdered grout and I just follow the instructions to mix it since I e'er have a difficult time finding pre-mixed non-sanded grout. You want it actually thick, just about spreadable. You will exist cleaning off the excess grout with a damp sponge and just in example you are over-zealous with the dampness, yous don't want to compromise the grout by getting it likewise wet. Overly wet grout will fissure and it will ruin your entire tile job.

I don't have any real technique for applying the grout - only plop a bunch of it on a rubber grout float and work it into the gaps. I move information technology dorsum and along, upward and down and in a wavy motion until all the gaps take been filled. Actually work it in there and push it in equally you're moving the float over the tile.

When you're done, use a clammy sponge to clean off the excess. Don't overdo it, just remove the excess. A white brume will cover all your tile and yous will piece of work to make clean that off subsequently allowing the grout to set for a minimum of 8 - 12 hours.

The side by side 24-hour interval, in one case y'all're happy that your grout has set upwards, you can use a little more h2o to effort become the brume off. It commonly takes me a practiced 4 or 5 passes the completely eliminate all the brume. If it'south being peculiarly stubborn, I'll mix a quarter cup of white vinegar with nearly 6 cups of warm h2o. That about e'er does the flim-flam the get rid of that concluding pesky bit of haze! (Don't use vinegar on marble, as it my compose - but it's fine on regular ceramic tile).

Materials

• Tile of your choosing (nosotros used Marble Herringbone and Marble Subway Mosaic)
• White not-sanded grout
• Tile Adhesive

Tools

• Wet Tile Saw
• Sponge
• Notched Trowel
• Scissors
• Condom grout bladder

Instructions

1. When installing the tile, showtime on the summit left; cut tiles when you accomplish the far right.
2. Smear a sparse layer of agglutinative on the brick and stick the tile downwards. Be conscientious - if you apply too much adhesive, it will squeeze up through the gaps. If this happens, utilise an Xacto knife to gently clean out the gaps - you'll just want to make sure at that place's enough space in the gaps for the grout to fill in later.
3. One time all your tile has adhered, wipe it downward with a damp sponge to remove whatever adhesive. Permit the adhesive to ready for 24 hours.
4. Add grout to a rubber grout bladder and piece of work it into the gaps. Movement it back and along, up and downwardly and in a wavy motion until all the gaps take been filled. Really work it in there and push it in every bit you're moving the bladder over the tile.
5. When you're washed, use a damp sponge to clean off the excess. A white haze will cover all your tile and you volition work to clean that off afterwards allowing the grout to gear up for a minimum of 8 - 12 hours.
6. The next day, use a niggling more water to endeavour get the brume off. It usually takes a good iv or 5 passes the completely eliminate all the haze.
7. If it'southward beingness particularly stubborn, mix a quarter cup of white vinegar with virtually 6 cups of warm water. (Don't use vinegar on marble, equally it might etch - simply it'southward fine on regular ceramic tile).

Notes

When choosing your grout, don't purchase sanded grout when dealing with small gaps and well-nigh importantly, when you're grouting marble. Marble is very soft and the sand in the sanded grout will etch your tile and habiliment away the edges. Buy non-sanded white grout.

Next up: How to build out the fireplace surroundings + the big reveal

Source: https://jennakateathome.com/how-to-tile-a-brick-fireplace/

Posted by: hagersaidom.blogspot.com

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