How To Paint Over Brick

If you have brick inside your home, there may come a time when you want to paint it. Perhaps it is a brick fireplace in the living room you are currently re-decorating, or you have an entire brick wall in your basement that you want to paint while turning it into an extra room. Whatever the reason, the following tips will help you paint over the brick effectively.

Gather Your Supplies

The first step to any home painting project is to prep for painting. This includes gathering the supplies you will need for painting the brick. For painting brick, you need to choose the method of painting it. This can be with a roller, paintbrush, or paint sprayer. The type of method you use depends on what you have on hand or are willing to purchase, and how much brick you are painting. For a wall, a sprayer is highly recommended as it will go much more quickly.

However, for a fireplace, you might prefer working with a paintbrush or roller. Also make sure you are using the right paint. For brick, elastodynamic paint is excellent because it has elasticity that helps you fill holes and cracks in the brick while you are applying it. You will also need cleaning supplies.

Clean the Brick

Once you have collected the supplies you will need, clean the brick thoroughly. This is important because if there is dirt or build-up on the brick, the paint job won't look as seamless as you want. To clean the brick, start with soapy water and a stiff-bristled scrub brush. Mild detergent mixed with warm water and the scrub brush should be sufficient.

If you need a stronger cleaning product, find one that contains trisodium phosphate as one of its main ingredients. This is excellent for cleaning brick. It should be diluted with plenty of water before using it. Make sure you never use acid cleaning products for brick prior to painting it. Once it has been cleaned and rinsed, wait for the brick to dry completely.

Paint the Brick

You are now ready to start painting the brick. If you are using a paintbrush, a polyester or nylon paintbrush is best. If you are going to need more than a gallon of paint for the brick, such as for a large wall, combine the containers into a large bucket and mix them. This allows you to have the best uniform color.

Start by cutting in with the paintbrush. This means you will create a border of paint around the edge of the brick surface. It prevents you from accidentally painting the wall around your fireplace, over outlets, or on baseboards that shouldn't be painted. Even if you plan to paint with a sprayer or roller, you should always start with cutting in using a paintbrush.

When you are done cutting in, you will start painting. If you are using a roller, pour some of the paint intro a tray before you begin. Start painting at one of the top corners of the brick and working in a W formation. You will keep going back and forth along this section until it is filled in. This is helpful for rollers especially, but you can also use a similar method with a paintbrush.

With brick, remember that you will most likely need multiple coats. Don't try to apply the first coat too thick. Keep it thin and even, wait for it to dry, then add your next coat.

If, after reading this article, you decide you would rather have a painting contractor do the job for you, then contact a company like Yu1 Painting Company.