The fireplace has that innate ability to add a sense of coziness to a home and makes for great picturesque memories too. But if you think your fireplace is ready for a makeover, make sure you are ready to give it one.

Making over a fireplace can start off fairly easily as you can find ready made kits that only require assembly after purchase. But when buying a kit, bear in mind a few things: what is the color scheme of your room? What kind of decorative theme does it have? Find the mantle style in color that most compliments the room. Making over a fire place can also be a messy affair.

And the last thing you want to do is damage anything in your room in the process. So clear out the room’s main furniture if possible, otherwise at least give everything in the room a protective covering. Remove any wooden trims that might in the area near your fireplace, but do it gently so that you can put it back on when you are done.

Using a grinder with a brush to make sure the brick surface is smooth and dust is removed so that mortar easily stays in place. After that, create a temporary ledge using 2×4s to support your tile layout. And to make sure your mortar works well, mix it with a bit of acrylic additive. You can do this using a drill with a mixing attachment in a bucket. After you’ve stirred the combination, let it sit for about 10 minutes before you use it so that the chemicals of the two elements really fuse.

Once your mix is ready, divide your fireplace into sections, and apply tiles evenly one section at a time. What you want to do here is use a narrow trowel to apply the mortar mix on the back of the tiles as well as on the brick surface for vertical tiles, and only on the tile’s back for those that are positioned flat. You will need to leave this over night to really stay in place.

The next day you will be ready to fill in those gaps and spaces between the tile using grout, essentially the same as mortar but in colors. Once you’re done with this, its time to place the actual mantle. Now the choice of your mantle’s material will decide a lot of factor in the rest of the process but no matter what, there are a few basics you have to keep in mind.

First, position the mantle legs after making sure you have the right measurements. Then place the mantle cap on top. Your choice of material for the mantle will determine the kind of adhesives you will have to use to secure these things stay in place for years to come. And before you know it, your new fireplace is ready.

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