Painting internal fireplace and hearth prior to wood burner

[mikeinwinch]

Hello all,

Am due to have a wood burning stove fitted into our fireplace next week, which (years ago - previous owner) used to have a gas fire.

The walls have stained firebricks and the back hearth floor is level and firm (but pitted) concrete, with a slate decorative hearth in front(see pics).

Fireplace interior

• mikeinwinch
• 18 Sep 2012
• 1

Back Hearth

• mikeinwinch
• 18 Sep 2012
• 1

I'd like to paint the walls and back hearth floor off-white (contrast with black stove) and my installer has said that any water based paint should be OK (as the walls/floor are unlikely to get too hot). , but may need re-touching every so often.

Questions:

1. Re the fire brick walls - am planning to try to clean as much soot stain off with water (not sure whether to use brick cleaner as may damage my limestone surround). Then prime with PVC or primer once dry and paint.

2. Re the Floor - Am unsure what to use to fill in the concrete pockmarks and smooth it. Options are some floor levelling compound, concrete repair mortar, or fire cement (its a small area so am hoping to just use a small amount of pre-mixed). Was then going to sand it down, prime, and paint. Issue is that the concrete is only about 2-3mm below the slate decorative hearth so will not be able to put too much substance on top.

Does the plan sound OK? Which compound should I use for the floor?

Many thanks

Mike

 

[versioncity]

Sounds ok to me. Probably would use water based paint myself, but if your ok about touching up I guess it will work.

With the floor I would just mix up a little cement & fill in as you would do plaster filling & then sand & paint. keep it simple.