Useful tips on how to paint a brick wall. Common practical ways of handling the brick walls. Reasonable approach to selecting materials and tools.
If you have a brick house or a garden fence that needs repair, learn some tips on how to paint a brick wall before you pick up a brush and paint.
Why paint the brick wall?
People choose to do it if the brick is of poor quality or damaged. White spots and areas where the brick texture has been discolored require cleaning and coating with paint.
If the brick wall is not damaged and looks good, you may think about the preservation of the wall from further destruction. Constant maintenance of the proper state of the walls can be prevented if you buy the right paint and carry out the surface preparation before painting.
The main stages of brick wall painting
The surface of the wall must be clean before painting. The bricks are often covered with white stains due to salt deposits. You need to clean off salt stains with a wire brush. Rinse the wall with soapy water and leave to dry for about a week.
Next, prepare the wall by smoothing out and puttying it. Having eliminated salt stains, clean the cracks form debris and dust by the scraper, also use a brush or a powerful vacuum cleaner. To get rid of the cracks you can use the acrylic putty. If there are seams or corners, the reprocessing is held there as well.
If the wall is in excellent condition there is no need in priming. Otherwise, use a high-quality latex primer for the exterior stone or brick surfaces.
When painting the facade it is better to use high-quality acrylic and latex facade paint. You can use a gloss, satin or semigloss paint for coating depending on your preferences.
For brick walls more often it is recommended using an elastomeric paint. It is a dense rubberized paint with a high acrylic content. It forms a water-repellent layer between the masonry or plaster and the external environment. The paint can even fill cracks due to its high elasticity.
What is important to consider when painting brick walls
- It is practically impossible to remove the paint from the walls laid with brick. Original terracotta won’t return; the color can be changed only through repainting.
- Brick is a porous material characterized by a long period of weathering and drying. If you made up your mind to paint walls built less than a year ago, salt stains and moisture can affect the texture of the painted wall.
- Bigger flaws are to be plastered or puttied. Romantic antique charm will not disappear, but painting the masonry without chips and cracks is much easier.
- The primer should be selected with regard to the choice of paint; anyway, it must penetrate deeply into the surface and create a strong water-repellent film. Apply a thick layer of primer and let it dry completely.
- Facade paint is better suited for painting porous surfaces, but it is used only for the exterior walls. For interior walls you need interior paint. You can choose acrylic or alkyd one for matte or semi-gloss effect. Oil paint gives soft shine to the brickwork.
How to paint a brick wall by various painting tools
Paint brush is the best option for the brick wall; it makes easier feeling the contact with the surface and putting smooth strokes. Painting direction is horizontal according to the brickwork pattern. For acrylic paint brush made of polyester fiber is more desired (but it should be of high quality). Alkyd and oil paints need brushes made of natural pile.
Using a bolster is best if you want to achieve the effect of the primer: the brick immediately absorbs much paint, so working on the smooth surface by a bolster takes a lot of time. But a layer dashed off carelessly will result easily and quickly!
If you apply the paint with a sponge, you get the effect of an old faded masonry. In such a way you can bleach a wall, make a layer of translucent paint. You can apply bronze or silver highlights with a sponge, add contrasting stains on the wall or stencil the image.
Another common (but more labor-intensive) method of coloring consists of covering each brick with a single paint color and using a contrasting composition color for the joints.
To be sure how to paint a brick wall always consult with professional artists or specialists in department stores. Also, make sure the color you have chosen really fits. Repainting of the exterior brick walls can be expensive, so sometimes being conservative in color and methods of painting is economically sound.