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In most cases, painting your brick house is a fine idea that can open up new aesthetic possibilities. However, the paint can slightly shorten the life span of brick, especially if moisture gets trapped underneath the paint layer. Once you paint, you’ll have to keep up with maintenance to avoid flaking and blisters.

You should worry about brick wall cracks when they are wide and growing, or in a horizontal or stair-step pattern. Additionally, they may be accompanied by other signs of structural stress. In these cases, a foundation specialist should inspect your home.

A fireplace is, by definition, an enclosed space where you burn wood or other fuel for the purpose of generating light and heat. A firepit burns wood and is much less expensive to build, but they aren’t technically a fireplace as it isn’t enclosed. An outdoor oven—commonly outdoor brick pizza ovens—often uses wood as fuel, but its primary purpose is to cook food, and you’d rarely just burn wood inside them for warmth or aesthetic reasons.

Yes, it’s a good idea to use paint primer on your brick fireplace before painting it. Brick is highly absorbent, so your first few coats of paint will likely seep into the surface of your fireplace, allowing the natural color of the brick to seep through. To avoid this, you’ll want to use one or two coats of primer, followed by the topcoat.