Tile

• 1). Cover the floor and hearth with a drop cloth.
  
  
• 2). Clean the brick around the fireplace using a wire brush to remove any loose mortar, dust or other debris.
  
  
• 3). Wipe down the surface with a white vinegar-soaked rag to remove the soot.
  
  
• 4). Let the brick dry for 24 to 48 hours.
  
  
• 5). Mix white, latex-modified thinset until it's the consistency of mayonnaise.
  
  
• 6). Spread the thinset over the brick surround with a straight-edged trowel, ensuring that you force it into the grout lines and joints.
  
  
• 7). Skim on a second coat of thinset if the joints are still visible when the first coat begins to cure.
  
  
• 8). Mix up a second batch of thinset and apply to the smooth, backerboard-like surface with a notched trowel.
  
  
• 9). Attach a straight, 1-inch board across the firebox, making the top level with the top of the firebox. This board will serve as not only a straight line to guide your first row of tile, but also as a shelf that prevents the first row from sliding before it's completely set.
  
  
• 10
  
  Lay your first row of tiles (the row that sits directly above the firebox) into the thinset. Use the board as your guide.
  
  
• 11
  
  Lay the second row of tiles -- the row directly above the first row.
  
  
• 12
  
  Continue laying the tile, working upward from the firebox until the top of the surround is finished.
  
  
• 13
  
  Lay rows of tile down the sides of the surround, working down, once you complete the portion above the firebox.
  
  

Painting

• 1). Clean the brick surround with a wire brush, follow by vacuuming and then wipe the surface down with vinegar. The brush removes loose grout, the vacuum removes dust, and the vinegar cleans and removes soot.
  
  
• 2). Tape off the walls, ceilings and floors with painter's tape.
  
  
• 3). Apply a stain-blocking primer to the brick surround once it is dry from the vinegar. Stain-killing or stain-blocking primers are available at paint stores and hardware stores.
  
  
• 4). Caulk any holes or cracks for a smoother finish. This is optional because you might enjoy the character of natural cracks and small holes in the brick.
  
  
• 5). Paint the brick surround with your choice of acrylic paint after the primer has dried, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Start in the corners where the brick meets the walls or ceilings using a 2- to 2 1/2-inch nylon and polyester brush. Use the brush anywhere the roller might not work, such as corners and around the floor.
  
  
• 6). Paint the surrounding brick with a 1- to 1 1/2-inch roller cover.