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Yes, an outdoor fireplace should use fire bricks. Fire bricks are specially designed to withstand high levels of heat and thus won’t crack as easily as regular bricks when exposed to the intense heat inside a fireplace.

Yes, you can do German schmear on stone. You can account for the more textured and rough surface of stone by using a large paintbrush instead of a putty knife. A brush allows you to drag mortar across the stone to get it into all the cracks and crevices. However, a brush will cover more of the surface, so you may need a wet sponge to scrub excess mortar and expose more of your stone.

While painting can certainly change the look of a chimney, you should think twice about giving your brick chimney the old landlord special.

Painting brick is porous, meaning it’s full of tiny holes that can soak up moisture. Those holes also allow it to dry, though. So, when you paint it, you trap any moisture inside, providing an opportunity for mold, mildew, and water damage.

Paint also shows wear faster than naked brick. This means that once you paint a brick surface, you’ll have to keep painting it to maintain a clean look. A paint job is also harder to undo on brick because of its porous nature. Once you paint it, it’s hard to go back without some serious power washing—another added cost.

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.