A brick wall adds charm and character to the interior or exterior of a house. However, it could make the area look more traditional and gloomier. If you think the brick wall doesn’t look as aesthetic as it used to in the beginning then you can get rid of it easily.
All you have to do is paint the brick in a way that the area does not look out of the blue. You could either merge it with its surroundings or make it a focal point. But for the wall to look presentable and aesthetic, you must know how to paint the brick the right way. In case, you have no idea how this is done, here is what you will need to do.
First Clean the brick
The first thing you need to do is to make sure the brick is clean. If the brick isn’t cleaned and you start painting over it, the color would be mixed with dust particles. This will affect the final result.
To clean the bricks, you would need a wire brush and soapy water. Remove efflorescence and dirt by scrubbing the brick with the wire brush and soapy water.
If the brick surface is not getting cleaned, you can use a trisodium phosphate mixture as well. But be careful when using TSP, as it can be dangerous to the skin and eyes. Wear safety goggles and gloves so that you don’t come in direct contact with it.
In case you are dealing with an exterior brick wall, you could use a pressure washer to prep the wall. Set the pressure level to 1500 or 2000 pounds per square inch, not more than that. If you go beyond that it may damage the mortar.
Let the brick completely dry once you have cleaned it.
Painting the brick
Apply a latex primer to the brick. You may have to apply multiple coats of primer if there are areas affected by mildew or efflorescence. Also, keep in mind that brick is a porous material and will absorb the coating. soak the coating After applying the primer, let the wall dry.The next step is to paint the brick wall. It is very important that you use the right kind of paint. If you are painting the inner wall of a fire place then use heat-proof paint. Otherwise use latex paint or paint that is formulated for masonry.
For exterior bricks, use elastomeric and 100 percent acrylic latex paints. They will make your exterior wall more durable than the rest. You could apply two coats for more durability. You could either use a roller or a brush to paint the brick area. But the easiest method is to use a paint sprayer. However, if your surface is textured then brushes and rollers would also work best.
Fill in the tiny cracks and crevices with the specialty coating and apply a second coat if necessary.
Few Things to consider while painting a brick wall:
· Do not paint a damaged brick.
· Always clean the brick before painting.
· Make sure the brick is dry before you start painting it.
· If there are any small cracks in the brick, repair those cracks before you paint the wall.
You could repair these minor cracks with acrylic caulk. In case there are bigger cracks you might need professional help from someone like us. We could help you with painting the brick wall if you think you aren’t sure about painting it the right way.
You can also consider staining your brick. If your bricks are in good condition than you can stain your brick instead of painting it. Staining gives the surface of the brick a shine whereas painting it wouldn’t. The choice is yours!