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Many home have brick facades , hearth , mantels , upcountry wall , and walk . Although it ’s a long - hold up construction textile and your brick may still be in good shape , it may have started to look tired or you may crave a unlike aesthetic . fortuitously , there are several options for update the appearance of brick , includingpainting , whitewashing , limewashing , German smear , and staining .
While painting brick is more common , staining is an substitute worth considering . When weighing the relative merits of brick blot versus pigment , there are several ingredient to take into account . One advantage of staining brick is longer - lasting color lasts because the porous bricks occupy the stigma . Because it does n’t create the fluent coat that blusher does , brick stain also preserves more of brick ’s natural look . grime does n’t offer the same range ofcolor option as rouge , but there ’s still a sizable number of interior and exterior brick stain colors to opt from .
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Keep reading to learn how to stain brick and give the brick airfoil in your home a look - lift .
Tools & Materials
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BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Gather all of the necessary textile ahead of starting your brick stain project . If you do n’t know where to buy brick spot , check at your local home improvement store . you could also find stain for brick online through prominent retailers like Amazon , The Home Depot , and Lowe ’s .
STEP 1: Check the brick for sealer.
Can you stain brick that has been sealed ? Unfortunately , no , you ca n’t stain sealed bricks . Before attempt to learn how to sully abrick fireplaceor another brick Earth’s surface deep down or outside your house , you should first contain if a sealant was applied over the brick .
To do this , put your fingerbreadth in a glass of fresh water supply and splash a petty weewee on the brick . If it has been sealed , you should notice the water beading up over the surface of the brick . If that ’s the case , you will need to remove the sealant using apower washerbefore you may stain the brick , or charter a qualified professional to help you .
If the urine pawn into the brick after you splash it , it ’s unseal and you could progress to the next footfall .
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STEP 2: Test the brick stain in an inconspicuous spot.
Before you officially get start with your stain project , it ’s a good approximation to test the stain on an inconspicuous area to verify you ’ll be happy with the mode the brick will look once the project is finished . stress staining the bottom side niche of a hearth , one of the bricks on the back of your house , or even a spare brick lie around your property .
Keep in judgment thatbrick is porousand will overcharge in the stain , so it will take multiple pelage of discoloration to reach the resultant you ’re after . When test , you may want to apply a few pelage to get a practiced estimate of what the finish product will search like .
STEP 3: Clean the brick.
Next , you will need to clean the brick to remove any filth or debris before applying the smirch . Add warm urine and mild Georgia home boy to a bucket and immix it well . utilise the soapy water to scrub the brick using a nylon - bristle brush , work from the top to the bottom of perpendicular surfaces to debar dripping dingy H2O on surgical incision that have already been cleaned . Be sure to lay out a pearl fabric on the level when working indoors or on garden bed if you ’re bring alfresco .
cover scrub until no more dirt come off . You may need to freshen the soapy water a few times depend on how large of a control surface you are cleaning and how much detritus and dirt has pile up on the brick over time . Lastly , gargle out the bucket and fill it with clean piss ( no soap).Rinse the brickwith the water supply to remove any soapy residue . Give the brick at least a full daytime to dry before staining it .
STEP 4: Make any necessary repairs.
Now that the brick is clean , you ’ll be able-bodied to checker more easily for any needed repairs . Overall , brick social organisation are very durable and long - lasting , but you may find a few spots where mortar is missing or has started to crack .
STEP 5: Protect the surrounding area.
When you ’re finally quick to begin staining the brick , lay out drop cloths around the workplace field . Usepainter ’s tapeto inviolable the fall cloths to the edge of the brick to foreclose any stain from dripping onto your storey or other surfaces in the dwelling . If you ’re applying exterior brick stain , use drop material to protect your deck of cards , patio , or any nearby garden beds or plant .
Do n’t draw a blank to protect yourself , as well . When work out with brick stain , wearclothing and shoesthat you are n’t worried about getting brick stain on . It is also a beneficial musical theme to protect your eyes with a twain of guard glasses and your hands with rainproof gloves .
STEP 6: Mix the brick stain.
Brick stain tends to separate when sitting in the can . The pigment in the stain become concentrated along the bottom of the can , while the dissolving agent move toward the top . If you skip the important step of mixing the mark , you wo n’t be able to achieve even reportage of your open .
Using adrill with a paint social attachmentis the most efficient method for call forth the grunge . If you do n’t have a practice session or the correct fond regard , a wooden key scaremonger will also work .
STEP 7: Apply overlapping coats of stain.
When applying brick stigma colors , it is important to work evenly and smoothly . If apply the stain with a blusher brush , take care to avoid utilise more brand to one section than the others .
You may find that apaint sprayeris a worthwhile investiture when staining brick . Using a sprayer will not only simplify and speed up the task , but it will also help oneself you keep coating more even and consistent . If you plan to use a blusher sprayer , sweep the atomizer from left to right , pop at the top of the control surface . With each end run , overlap about midway up the previous passing .
Whether you expend a paint brush or sprayer , let the brick mark teetotal after applying one coat . Thedrying timewill vary depending on heat , humidity , airflow , and the amount of stain that was apply . Apply additional coats of brick stain until the color gibe your vision .
Photo: istockphoto.com
STEP 8: Allow the brick stain to dry completely.
Once the want color has been achieved , countenance the spot to fully bring around . As bring up above , the humidity , temperature , airflow , and amount of stain applied can all impact the dry out time .
confabulate the stain manufacturer ’s instructions to get a more specific thought of how long your mark may take to dry out , but bear it to be somewhere between 24 and 72 hours . While the stain is dry , stave off touching the brick , take the air on it , or place any item on top of it .
Final Thoughts
Staining brick provide a relatively well-fixed and monetary value - effective solvent forupdating brick surfaces or structuresin your home . compare to paint , soil lasts longer and also help brick maintain a more natural appearance . Just commemorate that because bricks are porous , they will absorb much of the stain . This can make the cognitive operation of tarnish bricks more tedious and time - consuming than paint them . However , the time and effort you invest will be well deserving it when you ’re able to look up to the finished intersection for year to come .
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