Learn how to do a simple and inexpensive DIY german schmear technique to update brick.
Have done any research on how to update old brick? If so, you have likely come across some examples of German schmear.
Today I want to tell you all about this awesome technique AND show you how I gave my own fireplace an incredible makeover using German smear for just $15! I even have a video to help you understand the project a bit more.
If you have landed here, you may be exactly where I was a few months ago. That is, staring at some outdated (maybe we could even go so far as to say ugly?) brick in your home and wondering how the heck you can update it without demolishing everything and starting fresh. Does that sound right?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. Because today, we’re going to explain and tackle a DIY German smear project to update brick. And we’ll explain a bit about the difference between this technique and others that are also frequently used for brick updates, as well.
Before we get into all the DIY details, check out this german smear technique in action!
German Schmear Video Tutorial
I’ll explain how to do the technique below, but first let me give you a visual primer. Here’s a time-lapse video of the project being done…
Here’s what we’ll cover in this tutorial…
And to make this project as simple as possible…
Grab a free printable supply list and the instructions for this project. Click here or on the button below to enter your email. I’ll send your PDF right away⤵️
1. I had NEVER heard the term “German schmear” until like 2 weeks ago.
and
2. I don’t scare easily.
I’m the small, scrappy type. Napoleon complex, small-woman-syndrome, call it what you will, but I don’t like things to get the better of me. Especially when it comes to a novel DIY project. After all, that’s what we do, right?! Right.
But my Mama didn’t raise no liar, so I gotta tell you, I was NERVOUS to try this “German smear” or “mortar wash” whitewash brick project. But preparation is the key.
So let’s make sure you understand where we’re headed. You’ll want to know the difference between this brick update technique and others.
German Schmear versus Other Popular Brick Updates: FAQ’s
What is German Schmear?
The German schmear (interchangeably called “German smear” or sometimes “mortar wash”) technique utilizes a white or light-colored mortar to schmear over brick and create a rustic, old-world European style finish. Yup, think of how you might schmear cream cheese on a bagel! Similar idea. 😉
Before you proceed to the German smear, make sure you’ve ruled out whitewashing, limewashing or painting your brick. If you want to see more examples of what a mortar wash looks like, we did a post with 40+ German smear examples for you!
What’s the difference between German schmear and whitewash?
With a whitewash, you are essentially painting your brick with watered-down latex paint. Depending on how much coverage you want on the brick, you can water down the paint more or less.
The more watered down the paint, the more of your original brick will show through.
Unlike whitewash, German schmear does not completely cover your brick. Instead, you can control the coverage of the brick by using more or less mortar.
Both the schmear and whitewash are lovely. I have both in my home! You can see my whitewashed fireplace right here.
German Schmear vs Limewash
Limewash is a brick painting technique in which the brick is painted with a “limewash,” which is basically a special type of paint. Rather than latex, it’s made from slaked lime.
The overall look of a lime wash is probably most similar to a whitewash. BUT a limewash allows you to preserve a bit of original brick coming through more so than with whitewashing.
And, another nice feature is that apparently limewash can be removed from the brick until about 5 days after its been applied…great if you change your mind!
Again, this differs from German schmear because you are painting the brick.
If you want to check out how a limewash looks, check out the limewash tutorial from my friend Lauren from Bless’er House wrote.
German Schmear vs Painted Brick
Painted brick is just what it sounds. Painting brick with regular old latex paint is not only possible, but it can look great! This is basically identical to a whitewash except the paint is full strength/not watered down. This is a great technique for FULL coverage of your outdated brick.
With German schmear, you are still going to see your original brick peeking through the schmear. So, if you absolutely HATE your brick – painted brick may be the way to go!
Take a closer look at our painted/whitewashed fireplace tutorial to rule out that technique. And if you’re still not completely smitten with any of these ideas, then look at these other brick update ideas.
Get free printable instructions & supply list for this project. Click here or on the image below. Your PDF will be sent immediately⤵️
We’ve got the lingo down, so let’s talk about the materials and supplies you’ll need to tackle this DIY project…
Supplies needed for DIY German schmear
- (2-3) 5-gallon buckets (1 for the mortar, 1 for water to dip your sponge, a 3rd if you want another water bucket to keep clean/dirty water separated…nice to have but not absolutely necessary)
- sponge
- stiff bristle brush (we have THIS one)
- rubber or nylon gloves
- WHITE mortar (we used THIS kind)
- builder’s paper and painter’s tape (to cover and protect floors if this is an interior project) or tarps
- brick we used (see more below!)
- grout we used
The Brick we Used for This Project
The brick (source HERE) we used (seen in the shot below), is real brick, but cut into thin slices.
The slices are mounted on a tile webbing, similar to mosaic glass tile you’d use for a backsplash project or something.
We had never used this kind of product before, and I gotta say, it’s great stuff. It’s REAL brick, so no phony looking brick wallpaper, or tile product that looks like brick but doesn’t feel like it.
This is the real deal, only 20x lighter weight, and 20x easier to install than having to mount them brick by brick by %^$* brick.
It turned out lovely! No one would ever guess the brick is any different than your standard blocks.
Optional: Add a Faux Fireplace
This is a project we are doing in our master bedroom. We framed out this fireplace wall and then mounted the brick. There was a whole wall of NOTHINGNESS there before.
Dave and our brother Troy (of DIY Network’s “Nashville Flipped” fame), framed this thing up.
Once the framing was done, Dave and I installed the brick. He cuts, I mortar those puppies in place. When it was done being installed and grouted (we used THIS sanded grout), this is what we had.
That big hole in the front is where our little electric fireplace will go.
I kinda loved it as is, to be honest. We hemmed and hawed about leaving it as is or moving forward with this German smear technique (also called a “mortar wash”).
Truth is, I was SCARED to move forward. Having just spent $$ on brand new, totally fine as-is brick, I didn’t want to screw it up.
And remember you can grab the printable to make this easier…
Want a free copy of the printable supply list and instructions for your german smear project?
How to Apply German Schmear to Brick
This DIY brick update took me about 2 hours, maybe a little less. If you want to try it, here’s how.
1. Before you begin…have a CLEAR picture in your head!
There are BUNCHES of different looks for painted brick, whitewashed brick, mortar washed or german smear brick. Add to that other techniques (like limewashing) we discussed above. Pin looks you like on Pinterest, and be sure to check out the 40+ examples of the german smear technique we personally love, for inspiration.
The technique you will use depends ENTIRELY on the look you’re going for. For instance, in our family room, I used a basic DIY whitewash brick technique, which gave us this look…
Get Inspiration Images Together
But for this project, I wanted to be able to see more of the brick because it’s pretty brick, and I didn’t want that completely covered or lost, as it would have been with the whitewash technique used in our family room.
But there are many different ways to accomplish a german schmear, so it’s important to gather a couple of inspiration shots together so you can figure out your own ideal. Pinterest is a great place to start.
And here are a couple of images I found that may help, too.
German Smear Example 1:
You can see in this example that mostly ALL of the original brick has been covered.
Inspiration Shot 2:
Below, you can see that this homeowner has chosen to use less of the mortar, so that more of the original brick shows through. SAME technique has been used in both examples, but just a different amount of mortar has been applied.
German Schmear Exterior Inspiration:
Here’s a great example of the look on the exterior of a home.
LOOOOVELY, no? I wanted a tad more brick showing through, and a little more choppy/uneven look.
German Smear Brick Fireplace Example:
I really like this example, because it’s perfectly imperfect…
So now, armed with your inspiration (and if you need more, remember you can check out our article with A LOT more examples of this look), it’s time for you to prep your brick, and begin your project!
2. Start with clean brick with WHITE grout.
This tutorial assumes that you are starting with a slate similar to ours, which is clean bricks that have WHITE grout. If not white grout, then it needs to be a color you are HAPPY with.
If not, then you need to do some prep work. And to be honest, I’ve looked around for tutorials on prepping old, we’ll call it “unattractive” brick, and the prep work looks like it can definitely be a wee bit grueling, quite honestly. Doing the German schmear itself? Easy. It’s the prep you gotta consider.
If you don’t love your existing grout, cover the grout lines with a fresh layer of new, white grout. A grout bag can be helpful for this part. This will be easier if your existing grout lines are deep, meaning, there’s room for more grout to sit between the bricks.
I’ve included and/or linked a couple tutorials/articles/videos on both cleaning bricks, as well as executing a German schmear in different ways and on different brick surfaces that I’d recommend checking out before diving in:
- Jenna Sue (love her) YouTube tutorial – * note: her process took much longer than mine because she waited until the mortar had dried before removing as much as she wanted to. If you remove the mortar with a wet sponge before it dries, it is very, very quick and easy. Plus, NO SANDING at the end which avoids a time-consuming, and very messy process. Here is her tutorial⤵
- Renaissance Southpaw YouTube tutorial – she german smears her fireplace but goes for more of a total brick coverage look
- Less than Perfect Life of Bliss – tutorial for exterior application of a mortar wash
- Recaptured Charm – this blogger goes for a similar look using different materials
3. Prep your workspace.
Get out the builder’s paper or tarps and cover your flooring if this is an interior project. We don’t want to mess up your floors while fixing up your walls.
4. Mix your mortar.
Following the directions on the package, mix your mortar. We started with a 7lb bag. We have approximately 48 sq ft of brick on this fireplace wall. And for that much brick, we only ended up using approximately 1/3 of the bag.
*If you are going to do the mixing in batches (we started by mixing 1/2 of the bag, and didn’t even need the rest), then make sure you are applying the mortar in RANDOM locations all around the wall, and NOT just in one quadrant or location of your brick wall.
This will prevent a splotchy/uneven look if your later batch(es) of grout is not mixed to the exact same consistency as previous batches.
Once your mortar is mixed, WATER IT DOWN just a tad. I’d describe the desired consistency to be that of honey. NOT as thick as peanut butter.
5. Apply mortar.
With your bucket or mortar ready, gloves on, and another bucket of water close by take your sponge and wet it with water. Not dripping wet, but wet enough that if you wanted to squeeze water out, you could easily. Now dip your sponge in the mortar and put enough mortar on the sponge that one corner is covered.
OK, take a deep breath…THIS IS THE SCARIEST MOMENT:
Pick a spot, ANY spot, and smear.
There’s no turning back now! Be random. Smear horizontally at times, vertically in others. Put it on heavy in places, and light in others. Frequently step back from your wall and check it out.
Too heavy in spots? Then get some clean water on your sponge and wipe some off. Too light in others? Apply more.
The look I was going for is a bit choppy. Not too even or refined. I wanted the brick color to come through here and there, and I wanted the brick in other areas to be white.
Don’t forget to grab your free copy of the printable supply list and instructions to make this project easy breezy ⤵️!
*Depending on the size of the wall or area you are covering, you will have time to adjust the application before it totally sets.
The whole process for me took about 2 hours, and that WHOLE time, I could have easily wet my sponge with water and scrubbed off most, if not all of the mortar.
So don’t freak out too much…you should be able to fix any “mistakes”.
Insider’s Tip:
**KEY MOVE: After I was fairly happy with the coverage I had on the wall, it still looked a bit contrived. I found what REALLY helped to unify the look was using my stiff bristle brush at the end of the process. I simply took the brush, and went over the whole wall in huge “X” patterns.**
6. Knock any clumps down with a brush.
I’d highly recommend looking over your whole wall/area before you start cleaning up and before the mortar dries and make sure you’re 100% satisfied with the look so that you don’t have to do ANYTHING to the wall once the mortar dries. Once it’s dry, if you start fussing with it, you’re going to have a LOT of nasty dust to deal with. YUCK.
Before the mortar dries, OR, if it’s too late, then AFTER the mortar is already dried, go back over the area with your bristle brush and knock down any areas where there are clumps or places where you don’t like how the mortar is setting.
Final Thoughts on German Schmear
And the bottom line? I was sh$%ing bricks before I started this process. DEFINITELY apprehensive that I wouldn’t like the after as much as the before. THIS LOOK IS NOT for everyone, but personally, I LOVE the charm and personality and depth/texture/what-have-you it added to this master bedroom.
So if you dig it too, don’t be too nervous to try it. It was SUPER inexpensive to do…less than $20 (given you already have a brick wall to try it on). And being a little scared is good for us once in a while. Helps us grow, right?
If you try this project, we’d LOVE to see your results! Add a photo to the Pinterest pin and your comments on how the project went!
Not quite ready to jump in? Pin this german schmear brick update for later:
Pssst…before you go, I sure would love to hang out with you again really soon! Sign up now and get a FREE copy of “Builder-Grade To Beautiful: 10 Totally Transformative Home Decorating Solutions, All Under $100!” Click here to enter your email or on the image below. Your copy will be sent right away!
Darla Fontana says
Can you do this technique on travertine tile?
Elise Hernandez says
Hi Heather! I’m curious why you say that I need to re-grout if I don’t like the current grout? Doesn’t the mortar Cover the existing grout? I have a 1960s fireplace and the current gray grout is flaking and in general I like the look of the German Schmeer. So I want to lighten up the look of the chimney with the white look. Can you clarify why I would need to re-grout? Thanks so much, I am so grateful for your post!
Heather says
The german smear is like it sounds…a smear. So if you don’t intentionally go back over the grout lines with the white, then some of your old gray grout will continue to show through.
Lauren says
Hi Heather! Just curious what you’d recommend if we are not starting with white grout? Can we use the mortar in the grout space and then smear? Or would we have to get grout and mortar separate? I love your post- the turtorials and all of the gorgeous pictures and references. I am excited to dive in, although extremely nervous too. 😉 Thanks for any insight!
Lauren says
I guess I should edit to add that it is a 1950’s brick fireplace. So the mortar is gray. The more I think about it, I’m thinking you only used grout because of the type of brick “tile” you used. But I would still love your input on working with the gray mortar. Thanks so much!
Heather says
Hi Lauren – Good question. YES! You can use the same grout for the grout lines and smear. Hopefully for your sake, your current grout lines are “deep” meaning, there’s room in there for a fresh coat of white grout on top of the exising gray grout. If so, then you don’t have too much more work to do. If not, then I’d recommend checking out the other tutorials I’ve linked re: cleaning/prepping the brick. I’m not gonna lie, this will up the difficulty for sure. Fingers crossed that’s not the case for you! Let me know if you have any other issues/questions! Good luck!
Janis Griffith says
Just an idea if anyone runs into the problem I had with the finished brick. We have multicolored brown brick, from very light to almost black. When it was finished I noticed areas that were too white due to a lot of very light bricks together, plus the fact that I helped with the project and I didn’t know what I was doing! I stewed on it for a while thinking of what to do and decided to try something. I took some black acrylic craft paint and put a drop or two in a very little bit of water. Then, I dipped a kitchen singe into the water, squeezed most of the water out, and sponged the bricks in certain random areas where it was too white. It is perfect now!! I also used other shades of brown and there is no way anyone can tell of the mistake. Just don’t put too much water on orbit will run!
Heather says
So cool Janis! Thanks for the tip. Would love to see a picture of your project!! Email me one any time, or drop a pic on the Pinterest pin so other Pinterest users can see it as well. Very cool idea!!
Elise Hernandez says
Janis, thanks for the tip! Can you post a pic here of your finished product? It sounds like mine!
Bethany says
How has this held up over time? If you rub on it, does the mortar dust come off? I really want to try this on an existing faux brick wall in my kitchen but I’m worried about it in such a high traffic area! Thanks!
Heather says
Hi Bethany!! It has held up literally PERFECTLY. You would have to rub VERY hard on it for any mortar dust to come off. Like with sandpaper or something of that nature. It is quite sturdy!!!
Wendee Busch says
I have a wall of dark bricks and was searching Pinterest for white-washed looks. I came across a picture I liked and it took me to your blog.
Your writing style showcases your personality, which made reading this project enjoyable.
As I continued to read, I became frozen on who helped framed your fireplace wall. Then I started to cry.
I lost my mom on June 22nd without warning. My birthday is June 24th, which we had plans. My last words to her on June 20th were, I’ll see you on my birthday, but that was not yo be.
My heart broke when I heard Troy passed away. I’ve watched every show and some twice. I even posted a tribute to him on FB.
My thoughts and prayers go out to your family and hopefully the new year will bring us peace, love, and a little less heart break.
I will be following your process for my bricks. I like the added texture and look it bring. ❤
Heather says
I’m sorry to hear about your mom, Wendee. And thanks for your kind words about Troy. He was an awesome person and he is very missed. Hoping 2020 is a wonderful year for us all. Love, Heather
Chelsea Slade says
What brand of white mortar did you use? Thanks!
Heather says
The exact product is linked in the supply list, Chelsea 🙂
Jocelyn says
I love your information, thank you for all details and pictures and video! Does anyone ever add color to the mortor? I think I want the schmear but the white is so white. I would assume you could pour a little flat paint in the mix? What do you think?!
Heather says
hmmmm…that’s a GREAT question Jocelyn! I honestly don’t know, but I think that sounds like an awesome thing to try! If I were you, I’d mix up a super duper small batch and try it in a very discreet place and see what happens! I think that sounds reasonable for sure. If you do try it, I would LOVE to hear how it turns out!!
Aubrey says
Could this type of mortar be used on exterior brick also?
Heather says
Hi Aubrey! While I have not personally tried it on exteriors, it is definitely done! Here is a post I wrote with multiple examples that you may want to check out: https://heatherednest.com/german-schmear-projects/
Terry says
Wondering if the German smear or white washing or lime washing could be done on my red brick floors?
Heather says
Hi Terry! I haven’t tried it personally, but I feel like it should work great!
Gail Roth says
What about handling black mortar…will schmear hide or…turning to lighten up
Heather says
Hi Gail, I can’t say for sure since I have not tackled that specific project, but I would think that unless there is some depth available between the bricks for extra mortar to be applied, then you’d have to dig out some of the existing mortar first. If there is some depth, then you could first apply the white mortar specifically between the bricks, allow it to dry, and then do the german smear on top of that new layer. Make sense?
Ann says
Should you seal the brick after your finished?
Heather says
Hi Ann! We didn’t seal it with anything for our interior project. If you’re doing brick outside, then perhaps you could, but my gut is that it’s still not necessary for what that’s worth!
N Bush says
Can you do German Smear on adobe?
Heather says
Hi there! I guess I should say I’m not sure, since I’ve never attempted that. I can’t imagine it wouldn’t work, but I also don’t know how it would look on adobe since it’s reserved more as a technique traditionally done on brick.
Jenny says
Hi Heather! Really excited to come across your post on your German Smear project-thanks! I have recently applied the same brick to my fireplace and had originally picked up gray mortar mix to use as my grout. I started tweaking about it all being too dark-the brick is a little darker than the tile that used to be there and I am using a dark stained re-claimed mantel-hence my thoughts led to a German Smear! I have not yet grouted the brick-here is my question: can I use white sanded grout to actually grout and smear at the same time? Does the grout have to dry completely to make the smear work? Does the smear have to be done with mortar and not sanded grout? Thank you so much for answering my questions!
Heather says
Hi Jenny! Glad you found it!! You should grout first, and let it dry. Then the german smear is done after that. I think you’d be making a big mess if you tried to grout and smear at the same time, to be honest. So grout. Let dry. Then smear. I used non-sanded grout for mine, but I’ve seen others use sanded, so it probably doesn’t matter so much. For me, I was most concerned about the color. I went with one that I knew would dry white…but the german smear doesn’t have to be pure white, you could certainly use a different colored grout. Let me know if you have any other questions! Would love to see your project when you’re done! Heather
Barbara Wilson says
Hi Every thing looks great! But here is my question I have stone, and the grout is black. Which make the fireplace look dirty. I have used a concrete mix to fix our stone outside and everytime I do this it looks different. I am wanting to do the interior (fireplace) but not sure how it is going to turn out. And I am not sure what to use. Can anyone help?
Thanks Barbara
Heather says
Can you re-grout it with a white or lighter color grout Barbara? Or is that what you did with the concrete mix? If I’m understanding your situation correctly, I think that’s what I would try. If you want, message me on Facebook with a picture of your fireplace and we can post it in the group and see if others have some suggestions for you! Heather
Rebecca says
Where did you get the brick for the fireplace? I’m thinking of using that for my backsplash. Thanks!
Liza A says
Hello, I have bookmarked your page for a long time until I was brave enough to try it. I would like to see your video again but for some reason it doesn’t show. It was my favorite thus far and I love the outcome. Please re-post your video or send it to me please! I really would like to start before the holidays! Thank you!
Heather says
So odd Liza, thanks for telling me, and I’ll look into what’s happening with the video. The same one is posted on my YouTube channel though so you can catch it there! Here’s a link: https://youtu.be/4qxH7s5iDi4 🙂 Hope it helps!! The video is not a super detailed tutorial, but hopefully it will give you enough confidence to go for it! It’s really a simple DIY!! You just have to get brave enough to slap up that first bit of mortar 😉 Good luck!! Heather
Steph says
Hi Heather! Love the fireplace and instructions. Just wondering what is the blue paint color on your walls in this post? They go perfectly together and we want to copy it! Thanks.
Heather says
Sure thing! It’s Ben Moore “Blue Opal” Good luck on your project! Heather
Amber says
Hi there! Beautiful job! I was hoping to get a link to this fireplace – we’re looking for a plug-in to do something similar with! This is exactly what we’ve been looking for!
Heather says
Hi Amber! So the exact model of ours is no longer sold, but we got it at Hayneedle, and they have loads of them. Here’s a link to a search I did for the type we have: https://fave.co/2HMHiXg We have another in our basement, and the brand of that one is Napoleon 🙂 Let me know if you have more questions!!
Jen Nemzek says
Heather- Can you give me the source of your fireplace? Not sure what I can do in my masterbath, but I’d love to have a fireplace next to my tub. I don’t have a way to vent a fireplace, however (don’t want to build a chimney and the window is fixed (no-open)). Would your fireplace be the answer to this scenario? Thanks alot, Jen
Heather says
Hey Jen! We got ours at Hayneedle, but the exact model is no longer sold. That said, there are a bunch of other electric fireplaces there as well. We don’t have a vent, either…or a chimney. These kind of fireplaces are simply wall mounted. We built a little slide drawer so that we could slide it in when not being used so that it was flush with our faux fireplace wall. You can also mount them without doing that…they just project a couple inches from the wall. That sounds AMAZING to have a fireplace in your bathroom!
Ossie says
Hi,
Just seeing this post and loved it! I helped paint my daughter’s fireplace white before but her brick was a light mixed with weird browns. She was looking to make the room bigger so all one color worked better. I was wondering if you could share the details for the electric fireplace too. I love the entire project not just the smear 🙂
Many thanks and keep up the inspirations!
Heather says
Hi Ossie! Thanks so much for writing! We have another fireplace that we painted white, and we love that look as well! I’m sure it helped brighten your daughter’s space a lot! I *think* all the “shopping” details of our bedroom are in this post: https://heatherednest.com/our-blue-bedroom-reveal/ BUT, I know that our particular fireplace is no longer available, but I’ve linked to some super similar options. You wouldn’t believe the heat that thing can throw out. And the nice thing is, if I just want it for ambiance but not to warm up the room, you simply turn the heat off! Can’t do that with gas or wood, right? 😉
jessie says
can you use joint compound for this as well or would that result in getting powdered?
Heather says
I wouldn’t recommend that. I would definitely think that could make for a mess each time you wanted to dust and such.
Janet says
Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m almost finished with my kitchen wall but I was wondering if there is something I can do because if anyone rubs against the wall they get powdered?
Heather says
No powdering of people, whatsoever Janet 🙂 Once the mortar is dry, it’s very hard…concrete-esque.
Tammy Burgard says
What color is used on the wood around the round top door?
Heather says
Hi Tammy! Not sure if I know what round top door you’re seeing?
Lisa says
My mom has a traditional red Brick fireplace that needs updating. This technique would be great but… her grout is grey. Can it be painted to get this effect? This fireplace covers her whole wall.
Heather says
Definitely possible Lisa! It just increases the time the project will take. I wrote a post about all kinds of different brick updates I’ve seen over the years. A couple of them address this very issue! Hope some of these could help you guys: https://heatherednest.com/brick-updates/
Bren M says
Did you seal the hearth, so that way when you clean the ashes from the fireplace the mortar can be wiped clean?
Thanks
Bren
Heather says
It’s an electric fireplace 😉 No ashes 🙂 I don’t think you’d need a sealer any place but right under the firebox for a wood-burning fireplace, but you’d probably want to use a product that is safe for high temps just to be safe 🙂
Maureen says
This looks amazing. We have an old brick fireplace with brown/gray grout. We are going to cover the old grout and go with this. Our original brick also varies in color greatly, from some light red gray, to dark blackened spots. I am so excited to see how it turns out since yours was definitely a 1 color brick to start.
Jen says
I am in the process of adding a brick backsplash in my kitchen, and this is the look I want to achieve. Did you install the brick using the bright white grout? If not, is it a bright white morter. Or did you use the bright white grout after?
Heather says
Yes. We used white grout. Both the specific brand/color of grout we used as well as the mortar we used for the german smear are linked in the tutorial above. Good luck!
Mandy says
This is perfect! I am clicking on the links and they won’t open today. Would you mind sharing that information?
Heather says
hmmmm…I checked the post and everything checks out for us w/ the links. If you have any specific questions or issues w/ any of them though, just let me know! Sorry for any issues!
Vangi Maldonado says
Gorgeous! I would like to do this foe backsplash in my kitchen, as well as an accent wall. Would I have to seal this so water or anything wouldn’t affect it? Yours is perfect for the look I want!! Thanks so much:)
Heather says
I probably would put some sealer on the brick if you are using it as a splash. There are different sealers for different stone products, so I’d ask at my local tile store which kind to use on it, or read the labels really well at Home Depot. Since I haven’t done the sealer myself, I’m not sure what the results will be, so definitely try it on a small section first to save yourself any heartache!!
Kim Miller says
I love this and have never heard of the German smear. I have been interested in lime washing my red brick. The inside of my fireplace is red brick also as opposed to the white firebrick in many fireplaces. I cannot paint inside because I use gas logs that produce such high heat that it can be toxic but have found that lime wash will not produce any toxins. Do you know if this is true of the mortar?
Heather says
I wish I was expert enough to have those answers for you Kim, but I’m definitely not! I would be hesitant about applying anything to the inside of the firebox as well.
Beckie says
Hi,
If I do this to my exterior brick do I need to seal it?
Heather says
Hi Beckie, I have not used it on an exterior application, so I’m personally not sure. Would definitely recommend some research to see what others who have done it on their exteriors would suggest!
Mindy says
Regular brick homes with mortar are not sealed so I can’t imagine this application would need it.
Rebecca M says
Really love this! Looks spectacular and cozy too! ?
Heather says
🙂 🙂 I am definitely loving the change 🙂
Amber says
The fireplace looked fine before the new finish, but after…WOW! It looks fantastic–and the Heathered Nest artwork adds the perfect touch. Great job on this project, as well as your family room fireplace, which is “swoon worthy” for sure…that whole room is! *sigh* ?
Heather says
Awww, thank you so much Amber!! And I love that you saw the name of our blog in the art 🙂 🙂
Lisa says
This is gorgeous!! Amazing job!!
Heather says
Appreciate it Lisa!
Treva Mills says
The fireplace is beautiful! Ya’ll did a great job especially since it was the first time.
Heather says
Thank you so much Treva! That is VERY nice to hear 🙂 Have a great weekend.