Hi I have a red brick fireplace in my basement family room. The room has no windows and it is very dark. I would like to paint (or some other treatment) over the brick but I don't know if I need to use mortar or plaster over the brick first (I want to change the whole look of the fireplace). Or should I just paint directly over the brick? I'm not crazy about painted brick and I am willing to invest more time into plaster or mortar first...so can you help?
Thanks