How to Mortar Wash (German Schmear) a Brick Fireplace

Materials Needed:

• • Plastic or drop cloth
  • Painter’s tape
  • 2 buckets (one for mixing mortar and one for water)
  • Durable gloves
  • Mortar mix
  • Electric drill (for mixing mortar)
  • Mixing paddle
  • VersaBond White Mortar Mix
  • Putty knife (metal is preferable)
  • Heavy-duty sponge
  • Rags

Step 1:

If any of the bricks have soot on them, clean off using Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner + Bleach spray and a rag.

Step 2:

Cover the floor and logs (or inside the firebox) with plastic because this is a messy process. We were eventually covering the tile floor with new flooring, but we still covered the floor to make cleanup easier.

Step 3:

Use painter’s tape to tape off around the crown molding, wall, and floor (anywhere the brick borders) so as not to get the mortar on the walls, floor, molding, or ceiling.

Step 4:

Mix the mortar (according to product directions) in a bucket using an electric drill and mixing paddle. Give it a few minutes to slake (again, according to the mortar mix directions).

Step 5:

Start at the top of the fireplace. Using a putty knife, apply mortar to the brick joints. Use the putty knife to smear the mortar mix on the brick. The amount of mortar you use is dependent on the look you are attempting to achieve. If you want to leave some brick revealed, then apply the mortar more sparingly and leave some brick exposed.

Because the brick on this fireplace is mostly brown, we wanted to use more mortar and not have exposed brick.

We worked in an area at a time. After we applied the mortar to a section, then I came back and wiped it down with a heavy-duty sponge to remove some of the excess mortar.

Continue applying mortar and wiping down with a sponge until completed.

Step 6:

Remove painter’s tape and clean up. Allow time to dry. We waiting overnight and a few days before putting anything on the brick.

Here is the process in a quick time video. In actuality, it took about 4-5 hours to accomplish this project.

And ENJOY your updated fireplace! Let us know if you have any questions and what you think of our fireplace by commenting below.