Techniques used by manufacturers to give the original colors to brick, mortar and manufactured stone can be used to recolor masonry components of an indoor fireplace without removing or replacing the masonry. The result is a new look that is as natural, complex, and permanent as that of the original natural or manufactured materials at small fraction of the cost of rebuilding.
Homeowners
have an overwhelming desire to periodically remodel their homes. A new owner
often has different tastes than the builder or previous owner. Long-time owners
may find that their tastes change with time and the experience of seeing other
living spaces. Others may wish to increase the size or arrangement of rooms,
and are delighted to take the opportunity to change the décor as well.
The home
fireplace is a large and eye-catching feature of any room. If the new décor
clashes with the appearance of the fireplace, one or the other will have to be
changed.
A dilemma for homeowners
A
masonry fireplace is an important feature of a home that can significantly
increase its value, by providing beautiful natural stone or brick surfaces that
contrast well with the drywall, plaster, wood paneling or other, more common,
indoor wall surfaces. However, same factors that give masonry its rugged,
natural beauty make it difficult to change when remodeling is desired.
As a
rule, masonry (bricks, blocks, limestone, natural or manufactured stone, or
architectural blocks and the mortar that binds them together) gets its natural
look from two factors:
- Irregular surface textures
- Colors that result from a mixture of colored material visible through the partially translucent surface of the material.
The
distinctive surface textures and the three-dimensional quality or depth of the
colors offer an immediate aesthetic contrast with the flat or glossy surface of
painted walls.
These
qualities are lost when a latex paint or other surface coating is applied to
the fireplace. When viewing painted brick, stone or mortar, the eye sees only
the surface of the latex coating, which offers a monochromatic color and a
relatively flat surface. The masonry can become invisible beneath the paint.
The
other oft-considered remodeling technique is to rebuild the fireplace with new
and different materials. Rebuilding will, of course, produce the rugged,
natural look and whatever color changes the homeowner desires, but at great
cost. In addition, if the home is to be occupied during the remodeling,
rebuilding greatly interferes with the use of the room as the old components
are broken, dust flies into the air, debris is removed, new components are
delivered, mortar is mixed, and the walls are slowly assembled.
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| Shown is a fireplace after remodel |
A case study
The
Bressler family purchased a new home in Northern Indiana with the intention of
completely remodeling the interior to create their “dream house.” They planned
to make the living room especially appealing with new hardwood floors, a grand
ceiling and a large fireplace. From a catalog, they chose to purchase an
impressive limestone fireplace in a light tan/buff color that would fit in with
the other renovations and with their choice of furniture.
The wrong color
After
the limestone was installed, however, Mrs. Bressler noticed that it had a “splotchy”
and “spotty” appearance, and that the color was more of a light grey than the
tan/buff color she expected. The color did not match the rest of the expensive
décor, and the irregular “blotchy” color added to the impression that it simply
did not belong in the room.
She
raised the issue with the manufacturer, who questioned her closely about the
way the limestone had been stored and handled after being delivered to the
home. When she admitted that her contractor had left the stone outside and
uncovered for several days before installing it, the manufacturer took the
position that the exposure to the elements must have caused a color change that
might be temporary. The manufacturer then advised that the stone would return
to its proper color after a sufficient length of time in the climate-controlled
interior of the house.
When the
hoped-for change did not happen spontaneously, Mrs. Bressler reviewed her
options.
Options
She
considered painting the stone, but did not want to compromise with her vision
of a natural limestone fireplace. She understood that the painted stone would
not “look real.” She also recognized that paint would run the risk of fading,
peeling or cracking over time. One of the benefits of a real limestone
fireplace is that the color remains constant without retouching or other
maintenance.
After
conferring with her contractor, she decided to have the entire structure sanded
down from top to bottom. When this work was completed, some of the spotty
irregularities in coloring were corrected, but the color remained an
inappropriate grey. In her view, it was unsightly and did not complement
anything else in the room.
Perhaps
she could have insisted that the manufacturer and/or the contract bear the
expense of removing the stonework and installing new limestone in the
appropriate color, but:
- She did not want to damage her relationship with the contractor
- She believed that the manufacturer would not give her satisfaction unless she went to expense and trouble of legal proceedings
- She was unsure as to who was actually at fault in failing to provide her with the fireplace she paid for.
After
further discussion, the manufacturer suggested that she try the process
recommended in this paper: adding additional color into the surface of the
stone using materials identical to those used by brick manufacturers.
Adding natural color
With the
manufacturer’s help, she located Masonry Cosmetics Inc., a company experienced
in the staining process. After trading emails with the company’s VP, she sent
him a sample of the limestone, so he could demonstrate the coloring technique. When
he returned the stone, it looked exactly as she had hoped.
Pleased
with the sample, Mrs. Bressler set up a date for the work to take place. The
color specialist came, stained a small area, and asked Mrs. Bressler to approve
the color. After a few minor adjustments, the sample was approved and the main
work commenced. The specialist applied the accepted color evenly across the
whole fireplace and upper mantel, taking between four and five hours to
complete the job.
Once the
stain solution dried, Mrs. Bressler had the fireplace she had originally
envisioned, in a custom color that she had helped create. It now blended in
with the surrounding decor. No longer “an eyesore,” it was now a focal point of
visual interest in the room. She had saved thousands of dollars and was given a
lifetime warrantee assuring her that the fireplace would retain its color
indefinitely without maintenance of any kind.
The process
To
create a natural-looking color change, colored pigments ground to the
consistency of talcum powder are mixed with water and a bonding chemical. When
the mixture is applied, the bonding chemical and the pigment are absorbed into
the limestone. The bonding chemical hardens and locks the pigment to the pore
structure of the stone.
The
pigment is not smeared over the surface of the stone. Instead, it becomes part
of the interior structure of the stone; its particles are locked in alongside
the particles that gave the stone its original color. Therefore, the color
change is gradual and the stone retains the color complexity of a natural
product. The new color is no less a part of the stone than the original color. It
will last as long as the masonry itself.
Do it yourself
Rebuilding
masonry is expensive. Hiring a professional to stain masonry is always much
less expensive. Another even less-expensive option is for the homeowner to color
the masonry. A homeowner can purchase a do-it-yourself kit that will contain
everything needed to color an area much larger than the surface of any
fireplace.
Masonry
Cosmetics, the firm that colored Mrs. Bressler’s fireplace, offers a kit
containing the pigments needed to closely match any desired color. The kit
includes detailed step-by-step instructions and access to the firm’s training
website. Customers are also entitled to ask specific questions and receive
individualized guidance via email or phone.
Article courtesy of Masonry
Cosmetics Inc. in South Bend, Ind. For more information, email info@masonrycosmetics.com.
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