Follow this easy DIY paint tutorial to transform an outdated brick masonry fireplace into one that will warm hands and hearts year-round.

Use a stiff-bristled brush to knock off any loose debris layered or caked on the bricks inside the fireplace. Never use a wire brush, either manually or on an angle grinder, to clean the bricks or ...

Soaking the bricks is also a no-no. "Bricks absorb moisture like a sponge," he says, and getting them soaked can lead to damage. He advises against using abrasive cleaning tools like wire brushes.

Business Fireplace repair gone bad finally made right Published: Apr. 25, 2011, 11:43 a.m.

Q:Some years ago, painters mistakenly painted one of the brick chimneys on my house black after I asked them to paint a stovepipe black. I am told that the black paint cannot be removed.

As restoration of the Darin D. Martin complex nears its completion, re-creating its glass-tiled, gold-infused fireplace has become a mission for those committed to seeing a royal finish to Buffalo’s ...