Paint a fireplace or chimney breast

Prepare, fill, mask and paint a chimney breast or fireplace surround, choosing primer and paint to suit brick, plaster or plasterboard.

PT-01Clear and protect the roomMove furniture and rugs away from the chimney breast. Lay dust sheets over the floor and hearth, and tape a sheet along the skirting below the wall. Take down any pictures, shelves or a mirror fixed to the breast.

2 each · Dust sheets

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 roll · Masking tape (low-tack)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

PT-02Work out what the chimney breast is made ofTap the wall. A dull, solid sound is brick or block, usually still under the old plaster. A hollow, drum-like sound with flat, even joints every 400-600mm is plasterboard on studs or dot-and-dab. An older house (pre-1930s) with a slightly springy feel and hairline cracks in a random pattern is often lath and plaster. If you can see bare, unpainted brick in the fireplace opening or on the breast itself, treat that patch differently to the painted plaster around it.

PT-03Fill cracks, holes and old fixing pointsRake out any loose or flaking material first. Use a standard fine surface filler on solid brick, block or plasterboard. On lath and plaster, use a flexible filler in corners and along cracks, since the laths move slightly and rigid filler can crack out again. Push filler in firmly with a flexible filler knife and leave it slightly domed.

1 each · Fine surface filler (tub)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Flexible decorator's filler

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Filler knife

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

PT-04Sand and dust downOnce the filler is fully dry, sand it flush with fine abrasive paper (around 180 grit). Wipe the whole chimney breast down with a slightly damp cloth or a tack cloth to lift dust, then let it dry before you go any further.

1 pack · Fine sandpaper, 180 grit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Tack cloth

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

PT-05Mask edges and fittingsRun masking tape along the skirting, any coving, the edge of the mantel or surround, and around light switches and sockets. Mask right up to the edge of a switch or socket plate rather than removing it. If you do want to remove a faceplate to paint behind it, switch that circuit off at the consumer unit first.

1 roll · Masking tape (low-tack)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

PT-06Prime bare surfaces before paintingIf any part of the chimney breast is bare, unpainted brick or block, use a stabilising primer so the paint doesn't just soak straight in. If the whole breast is freshly plastered, freshly boarded, or dot-and-dabbed, apply a mist coat first: standard emulsion diluted with about 10% water. On lath and plaster with old, flaking distemper underneath, use a stain-blocking primer to seal it rather than painting straight over. A previously painted wall in good condition just needs a light key-sand, no primer.

1 each · Stabilising primer, 2.5L

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Stain-block primer, 1L

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

PT-07Cut in the edgesUsing a small angled brush, paint a neat band around the top, sides and any moulded edges of the chimney breast, and around switches and sockets. Work the paint out evenly and don't overload the brush, so you don't get a build-up of paint at the edges.

1 each · Angled cutting-in brush, 25mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

PT-08Roll on the first full coatUse a medium-pile roller for a plastered or boarded surface, or a textured roller sleeve if the brick is left with visible mortar joints. Load the roller evenly and work in overlapping W shapes so you don't leave roller lines. Let this coat dry fully before checking coverage.

1 each · Emulsion paint, matt, 2.5L

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Roller and tray set

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

PT-09Apply the second coatOnce the first coat is dry, cut in and roll a second coat the same way. Check in daylight from a couple of angles for patchy or thin areas, especially around the fireplace opening, and touch these up before the coat sets.

PT-10Remove masking and tidy upPeel off the masking tape while the final coat is still slightly tacky, pulling it away at a shallow angle so it doesn't lift the new paint. Lift dust sheets carefully so any dried splashes don't fall on the floor.

PT-11Clean tools and dispose of wasteRinse brushes and rollers in water if you used emulsion, working the paint out until the water runs clear. Wipe out the tray with a rag before it dries. Let leftover filler and paint dry out or seal tins properly, and take hardened paint tins to a household waste site rather than the bin.

2 each · Rags

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides