Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to do something about my fireplace for a while now. It was just so…blah. Nothing special, you know? And I saw all these fancy fireplace makeovers online, but honestly, a lot of them were way out of my budget. Then it hit me – why not just use good old red bricks? I mean, they’re classic, they’re sturdy, and they’re definitely cheaper than some of those other options.
So I started looking around. I checked out some local hardware stores, but their selection wasn’t great, and the prices were kind of high. Then I thought, “Why not try online?” I’ve had good luck with online shopping before, right? I ended up on Amazon. And guess what? They had a ton of options! It was easy to compare prices and read reviews, and on top of that, they offered free and fast delivery. I could even pay in cash at a nearby OXXO!
I picked out these red bricks that looked pretty decent in the pictures. I measured my fireplace a bunch of times just to be sure. I figured I needed a lot of firebricks, some for the back walls and throat, and a bunch more for the shell and chimney. I ended up ordering 75 firebricks for the firebox, about 600 for the backup walls and throat, 700 for the shell, and 1,100 for the chimney. It was a big order, but I was excited.
When the bricks arrived, I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I started tearing out the old fireplace surround – man, that was a dusty job. But once I got down to the bare bones, I started laying the new bricks. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, actually. I just took my time, made sure everything was level, and used a good mortar mix. I even did a little research online about bricklaying patterns, just to make sure I was doing it right.
It took me a few weekends, but I finally finished. And let me tell you, it looks amazing! The red brick just adds so much warmth and character to the room. It’s like a whole new fireplace. My friends and family were really impressed when they saw it. They couldn’t believe I did it myself.
Honestly, I’m so glad I went with the red brick. It was affordable, it was a fun project, and it totally transformed my living room. It was simple but effective. And for someone like me, who was looking for ways to make my fireplace look good without doing anything too complex, it was the way to go. I would even dare say that it would be a good choice for other folks out there who are looking for a simple way to spruce up the look of their fireplace.
- 75 firebricks (for the firebox)
- 600 regular bricks (for the backup walls and throat)
- 700 regular bricks (for the shell)
- 1,100 regular bricks (for the chimney)
- Mortar mix
- Basic bricklaying tools
Things I used:
If you’re thinking about giving your fireplace a makeover, don’t be afraid to go with the classic red brick. You might be surprised at how good it looks!
