UNEXPOSE BRICK, PART II

Before
After

For the brick in the living room, Alex proposed a bold solution: painting over the brick. A sensible idea, since specially-formulated masonry paint can stop efflorescence (white chalky alkaline deposits that plague brick, especially mine). Furthermore, it seals odors, prevents mildew, and would seal the brick and mortar, stopping all that flaking and crumbling. We began to see painted interior brick in all these cool lofts and art galleries, so we decided to do it.

The folks at Home Depot thought it was sacrilege to paint over exposed brick. No doubt that the potential buyers will too, but I'll let them sandblast off the paint and expose the rotting brick beneath. In the meantime, I will enjoy the bright, clean, and modern look of my painted brick walls.

The brick was very rough and uneven, so we used the thickest nap roller we could find. The roller weighed about five pounds when loaded up with paint, so this was a very tiring process. We used two coats of Behr Masonry Brick Stucco paint to prime the surface, and applied Behr Porch & Floor paint as a final coat to give a glossy, easy-to-clean surface. The brick was so porous that it soaked up almost seven gallons of paint, effectively sealing the crumbling mortar and brick. Our arms ached from the heavy rollers, and our heads were light from breathing paint fumes for several days. However, we were so pleased with the results that it was worth the pain (and the dead brain cells).

The pattern on these paper lanterns matched the brick walls quite nicely. Alex found the lanterns at IKEA.
Barcelona chairs and daybed (designed by Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe) complete the CHAOHAUS.
wendy chao's chaohaus
photo by tracy powell www.tracypowellphotography.com

 

bamboo floor brick part I brick part II new door the patio problem

 

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