German Schmear Fireplace
A German Schmear fireplace can take a dull, outdated style and update it to be the centerpiece you have have always wanted! For the last 40 years Arizona homeowners have settled for the old style of brick that was commonly produced in the area by the old “Phoenix Brick” company. Although a great alternative to the stucco you see on most homes in the desert, they date a home’s appearance and don’t provide the charm they once did.
A family in Mesa, Arizona contacted us to do a German Schmear job on their fireplace after seeing the work we did on their friend’s exterior and ramada and the amazing transformation that took place. They were undergoing an extensive interior and backyard remodel and had saved the best for last by transforming the centerpiece of their home into something that was more suited to their home’s updated style. At the same time, they wanted to incorporate that style into their kitchen since it had the same brick and felt old and a little dingy from years of use.
The coolest part about their project was the size of the fireplace and the fact that it was smack dab in the middle of the room with huge white beams leading down a long great room right to the center of the fireplace. What a great visual and amazing way to update your space.
Keep it Clean
German Schmear Fireplace Preparation is Key
Our team set to work on the transformation by removing furniture from the area, laying plastic on all walkways and flooring, and even removing fireplace doors. We want to make sure we are as meticulous as possible since mortar can be messy and very permanent.
Next, we vacuumed off all of the bricks to remove years of dust. I’m pretty sure no one, including myself, ever really thinks to clean their brick! We want to make sure the surface of the brick is clean so the mortar can attach correctly.
After that, we go about cleaning off any additional areas that could be compromised such as the black soot from around the edge of the fireplace opening since we want all of the bricks to match if one day the homeowner decides to remove the doors for good!
After all of the preparations we were ready to begin the transformation.
Artistic Transformation
What it Really Takes to German Schmear a Fireplace
You might be asking youself what it takes to German Schmear a fireplace? There are countless instructional videos online, but what we’ve found is that they don’t offer best in class instructions. Often times their recommendations are not permanent solutions that we would use in our own home. Let’s discuss a bit about what is needed to do a job like this.
It’s important to note that real German Schmear is a white mortar product and is not drywall mud or “spackle.” Applying drywall mud to your brick will come off unless painted (don’t paint your beautiful brick!) and it does not have the same texture and charm as mortar.
The art of German Schmear is really that, an art form. To produce a consistent look and feel across an entire project requires a lot of experience in knowing the consistency of the water/powedered mortar to mix, how much to apply, how long to wait, and how much to remove depending on the style the customer is looking for.
Each brick on the fireplace will be touched no less than five times, sometimes more! Once for cleaning, another for applying mortar in the joint, yet another to schmear the mortar, a fourth to touchup the coverage, and a