The investors more and more often decide on the brick in the living room, bedroom or in the hall. Fortunately, painting brick is not complicated, but quite laborious. Read what paints and tools you will need and how to paint a brick wall to achieve a spectacular effect.
The course of works depends on whether you have a freshly made or maybe an old brick wall to paint. In the first case, start by applying a primer. What kind of primer you should use depends both on the type and properties of the substrate and the paint which you chose to paint the wall. Read its technical data sheet to choose the best primer.
What if you are working on an old, painted brick wall? First check the quality of the substrate: is it not crumbling? Are the joints between bricks stable? Do they need filling? Also, assess the condition of the previous coats. If you see that they do not adhere to the substrate and are peeling, it is a signal that they need to be removed. An electric sander (preferably a model integrated with a construction vacuum cleaner) will help you. The next step is dusting the surface. Pay special attention to the joints between bricks. Then wash the walls thoroughly using water with the addition of painter’s soap. If you wash external walls, make sure that you get rid of any tarnish or stubborn dirt. Finally, rinse the surfaces with clean water. Once they’re completely dry, get to work repairing them. Fill in the damage and cavities in the joints between the bricks. In case of brick surfaces, it is not necessary – thanks to small cracks, the wall will look authentic and original.
The described procedure applies to bricks with damaged coatings. In turn, in the case when the old layer of paint is in good condition, and the customer only wants to change the color or refresh the shade, it is sufficient to thoroughly wash the wall.
Next, assess whether priming is needed. Priming certainly cannot be skipped if you have removed previous coats of paint. Priming is also necessary if you are working on an absorbent and dusty substrate.
You know very well that a good paint is the one which protects the painted surfaces against negative influences. Therefore, its type should be selected primarily for the conditions – prevailing in the room or outside the building.
Before you choose the paint, ask the investors about what level of protection the walls need. If they mention the risk of staining, recommend a product resistant to scrubbing. Dulux Professional Rezisto 1 is a paint with extremely high resistance to greasy stains that is suitable for rooms that are particularly vulnerable to dirt.
If you are painting exterior walls, make sure what factors affect the surface. It may be advisable to protect the walls from sunlight and fading. If so – reach for a paint that creates a flexible coating that does not lose its intense color despite intense sun exposure. An example of such a product is Dulux Professional Facade Protect Acrylic Anti-UV paint. If you want to keep your walls in good condition, a self-cleaning paint such as Facade Protect Silicone Pro Clean will do the job. Dulux Professional Facade Protect Silicate Hydro Active is a good option if you are looking for a product with high vapor permeability (V1)
It is worth reminding that due to its specific nature, smooth clinker bricks require application of a special primer. The primer should form a grafting layer and ensure good adhesion of the topcoat. For priming clinker bricks it is worth choosing Dulux Contact Primer. It is ideal for smooth and non-absorbent substrates. Then you can use any paint suitable for indoor or outdoor conditions
What else do you have to remember about? Certainly about choosing the right tools. Information on this subject can be found in product data sheet. You will need both brushes and rollers. You can use a brush to fill the joints with paint, and a roller to apply the product evenly on an irregular surface. A spray method is also a great way to paint quickly and accurately.
Brick is a very graceful element of interior and exterior design. To achieve the best results, choose such painting products that will not only protect the walls, but also give them a perfect look.
Photo: press materials of the customer.
