A fireplace is a big selling point in a home, offering a cozy place for the family to gather on a winter day. But for some homes, the craggy surface of the brick clashes with the rest of the room. When this occurs, you can consider changing the fireplace’s appearance by adding a coat of paint.

The process of giving a new color to the fireplace is about the same as any paint job. Due to the unique properties of brick, however, you’ll have to take a few preparatory steps.

Take a look at the quality of the brick first. Vanessa Brunner, writing for the home design site Houzz, says chipped, moldy, or crumbling brick is not ideal for painting. Efflorescence, or the white residue that appears on the surface of brick, is a natural occurrence; if it returns a few days after you’ve scrubbed it off, however, the brick is not a good candidate for paint.

You’ll also want to make sure you’re committed to a painted fireplace. The paint will be extremely hard to remove once it has been added. It might also require a good deal of upkeep, as painting will seal in any moisture trapped in the brick and may cause the paint to flake off. Kelly Roberson, writing for Better Homes and Gardens, says you should make doubly sure that your fireplace is brick since it is more difficult and less effective to paint materials such as stone.

Once you commit to giving the fireplace a new hue, you should decide which color will work best in the room. Anne Reagan, writing for the home improvement site Porch.com, says you can take home a few paint samples to see how they well they will complement the walls and other features.

The color can also have an effect on the room’s spatial perceptions. Mary Cockrill, writing for SFGate, says lighter colors can make a small fireplace seem larger. The reverse is true for dark colors, which give the fireplace a smaller appearance.

Choose a paint with qualities that can stand up to the heat of the fireplace and the stresses of the brick. Roberson says the paint should be able to withstand temperatures of at least 200 degrees, and special heat-resistant paint will be required if you plan to paint the interior of the firebox as well as the exterior brick. Michael Franco, writing for the home improvement professional Bob Vila, says paint with elastic qualities will also work well to fill cracks and prevent them from forming once the paint has been applied.

Before painting, you’ll need to give the fireplace a thorough cleaning. Cockrill says you can remove any loose brick or mortar using sandpaper. Scrub the brick with a wire brush and a soapy water solution to get dirt and soot out of the various nooks and crevices.

Brunner says you should avoid using acidic cleaners, which will make it harder for the paint to stick to the surface. Michael Franco, writing for home improvement professional Bob Vila, says you can use a mixture of trisodium phosphate and water if any dirt is particularly persistent.

The brick should dry for at least 24 hours after you clean it. If you have a fireplace with new materials, you’ll have to wait even longer. Franco says newly installed brick needs at least a year to fully air out before you can paint it.

As with any painting job, you should take precautions against painting beyond the work area. Use painter’s tape around the edges of the fireplace and set up drop clothes on the floor.

Add a coat of primer with a roller brush designed for use on textured surfaces. Brunner says alkaline-resistant primer will work best, since it can stand up to the basic alkalinity of the mortar. For corners and other hard to reach areas, use a brush and make sure the primer is getting into the grooves of the brick.

Once the primer has dried, simply add a coat of paint. You’ll most likely have to put on a second coat once the first layer has dried.

You can also consider staining the fireplace brick instead of painting it. Franco says this process will highlight the brick’s texture instead of diminishing it. Clean the brick, test the stain on a single brick to see whether it needs to be lighter or darker, and then add a coat or two to the entire surface.