How To Make An Outdated Fireplace Insert Look Great With High Heat Paint

Do you remember when these things were in front of almost every fireplace? I had been wanting to replace mine for years but every time I find something I liked it was just too expensive. Finally, I decided I just had to do something. I mean it couldn't turn out any worse, right?

After some searching, I found many had painted their old brass inserts with one of the specialty paints from Rustoleum. It's called High Heat and comes in spray and brush on. I decided to go with the brush on because I didn't want to take it down. After all, I wasn't even sure it would work.

Old brass finish

I went to Rustoleum's web page to see how they recommended applying it. They didn't recommend a primer but did say if the surface was shiny it should be sanded a bit to give it some bite (to help the paint stick). So off I went to the local hardware store to buy the paint and some cheap sponge applicators. It seemed that most had had better results with a sponge applicator rather than a regular brush.

After I taped off the glass in the doors I began to sand. Using a fine grit, and working in small circles, I lightly sanded all the brass on the outside. Then I wiped it down with a clean damp cloth and finally wiped down again with acetone. This part took me about 30 minutes.

After a light sanding

The paint was very thin and watery and barely covered anything with the first coat. I began to think that this might not work. After a few hours the second coat went on. Now it was looking a little more promising. The next morning I applied the third coat and wow what a difference. I had read that I would probably need four coats so I was prepared to apply at least that many.

After first coat

The fourth coat was indeed the last coat needed. The old ugly brass was now a nice satin black. It needed just a few touch-ups after removing the painter's tape, but it was beautiful.

Hope this encourages you to try something new and wonderful.