Painting a brick step?

[MGoers]

Hey guys, soon I will be priming the brick and painting it white along with the walls.

I'm also probably going to be doing porcelain tile for the floor.

Should I paint the step white to match the walls? Will I need an epoxy for this? Should I try for a color to closely match the tile?

Let me know your thoughts, I don't want to just leave it alone!

 

[Cruzin90]

Where is this located. In your garage, maybe a porch? Any sun exposure?

 

[djjsr]

That brick looks great just like it is. I just don't like painted brick.

jmo

 

[draglink]

Use a good masonry promer or block filler, then paint with an oil based paint to finish. Do not use latex top coat, it wont hold up to foot traffic. An epoxy would be even better, but oil based enamel will hold up fine. Now the white along the walls you can top coat with latex

 

[weegaz22]

someone else on here had covered their step and lower part of the garage in ally chequerplate, looked quite good actually, could be an alternative to paint

 

[MGoers]

Where is this located. In your garage, maybe a porch? Any sun exposure?

In the garage.

I am not so opposed to the brick, I just want more of a finished look.

Christine from Epoxy-Coat suggested grinding the brick down, any thoughts on this?

Thanks guys!

 

[jmh21586]

They look nice the way they are.

But if you don't like them just take them out and frame up a step or soemthing.


But what do you mean by grinding them down?

 

[MGoers]

She suggested that perhaps "The brick step can be ground with a hand grinder, then primed."

So are you all saying to not paint any of the brick, or to not paint just the step part?

 

[jmh21586]

I think you should leave it the way it is. No paint will look as nice as it looks now. Brick pretty much matches anything so when you go to do your floor it will most likely look pretty good. If not........... THEN do something with the brick.


Think how hard it would be to keep clean if it was painted white. Especially the step.

 

[need more tools]

wash them with some muratic acid diluted in water they will look like new.rinse with water let them dry then seal them and the will stay shiny and clean. there are all type of sealer finishes dull flat to glossy wet look

 

[murph3204]

painted brick will eventually need to be repainted.

 

[bczygan]

I like the idea of "honest" materials. Let brick be brick. Power wash them and apply a couple coats of a good sealer. They are a premium material and will help set off the adjacent painted walls and floor finish.

 

[MGoers]

Another concern I have is with the cabinet we built, it would blend in better if the brick were white to match all the way to the floor.

 

[MGoers]

Would it be safe to powerwash right next to all the sheetrock?

Also, thanks for all the replies guys. I love this forum. Please keep it coming!

 

[draglink]

No need to grind. I have had a couple homes with virgin brick painted, just a good masonry primer and paint. Once you paint the brick it is no longer maintanance free!

 

[need more tools]

power washing those brick wil do nothing for you but make a mess use some acid and a acid brush in water and rinse and seal you might just want to paint them because you have got them dirty with your restore. clean em up then you might like them again

 

[MGoers]

You guys have me curious now. They have been disgusting since I've lived here. A lot of what's on them is mortar that the builder carelessly splattered on them. I imagine I will have to chip that off.

Thanks again

 

[djjsr]

A lot of what's on them is mortar that the builder carelessly splattered on them. I imagine I will have to chip that off.

If brick is cleaned too well it just ends up looking like fake brick. Some of the most expensive brick you can buy is used brick and it has all kinds of mortar and paint marks on it. That's what gives brick it's "character".

 

[need more tools]

I layed this fireplace face when I did my basement.You can see how an acid wash cleaned up the brick in the last picture.

 

[need more tools]

you have to clean brick after they are layed good builders do. that mortar will scrape off hit it with some acid diluted with water does not take alot of acid let it work for 2 3 min scrape it with scraper dont use a wire brush it will scar the brick rinse with water.

 

[need more tools]

If brick is cleaned too well it just ends up looking like fake brick. Some of the most expensive brick you can buy is used brick and it has all kinds of mortar and paint marks on it. That's what gives brick it's "character".

true with the correct brick in the correct setting othwise it just looks sloppy and a cobb job his brick are modern brick

 

[Stuart in MN]

painted brick will eventually need to be repainted.

This is what I was going to say. Also, if you ever change your mind about it, you'll never get all the paint off.

 

[MGoers]

The brick is this bad in some places. This will come off with muriatic and some scrubbing?

 

[need more tools]

Wow that is dirty. If its mortar it will it may take a little elbow grease if it is concrete you might not get it off.

 

[jmh21586]

I'm guessing concrete.

as you're acid washing put the solution on, then scrape it with a metal trowel, rinse, repeat. The bigger chunks you can try hitting with a hammer, but be carefull.

But yes, a lot of that should come off with a good acid scrubbing.

 

[need more tools]

be real careful beating on the brick. I cant belive how those brick were left that way. my fear is that that coul be concrete from the floor pour. because if it wer mortar the masons probably would have sscraped that big of hunks off as they wer jointing the brick. If concrete splashed up there they probably could not go back and scraped it off because they worked their sefl out of the room. give it a washing and let us know. good luck with it

 

[MGoers]

Thanks guys, hope it works since you almost sold me on cleaning it up and keeping the brick.

I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[jmh21586]

You'll only be out a small amount of money and a little time. If after that, if you still aren't happy, you can still paint it. Just harder to go back once you paint it.

 

[MGoers]

Where is the best place to get the muriatic acid? I went to HD and couldn't find it there. The guy there said pool supply places?

 

[jmh21586]

If you have a mason supply store, block or brick yard or readymix plant nearby they will have the stuff for you.

Home Depot should have it though. Did you ask?

 

[MGoers]

Yeah man, I asked the guy in the paint dept. and he said they didn't carry it for a while and I couldn't find it otherwise. Where is it usually?

 

[jmh21586]

I've seen it in the paint dept, and I think way back in the masonry dept.

But go to your local hardware store. They should have some. It shouldn't be hard to find.

At work we use Sure Klean 600 detergent. You can find that stuff at the places I listed above. Works the same as muratic acid.

http://www.prosoco.com/ProductList.asp

 

[need more tools]

jmh21586 are you a mason I see you know what Sure Klean 600 is not alot of people know what that is

 

[jmh21586]

Yep. Been a tuckpointer since a week out of high school in 96.
we do almost 100% commercial. College buildings, hosptials, office buildings, etc.
We use it by the pallet.


Tuckpointing is the restoration of brick and other masonry built buildings. We mostly work on brick but also on stone and other types. We grind out ALL the motar joints in a brick building to a depth of around 3/4" and the "point" new mortar back in. Then we have to wash our work, almost always with 600.
We also do a lot of caulking of windows and expansion joints, stone laying (sometimes 2000+lbs a piece) , Brick replacement flashing and other masonry restoration type things.
There is some stuff called "safe and easy" that is supposed to do the same thing while being more environmentaly friendly, but as the name will hint to , if it's "safe and easy" it probably doesn't work that well.............and it doesn't.

 

[need more tools]

cool I have been laying brick,block,stone,pavers for 22 years now.
you feel the same way I do painting brick is a sin.

 

[jmh21586]

cool I have been laying brick,block,stone,pavers for 22 years now.
you feel the same way I do painting brick is a sin.

Yes and no. Ever see those old building with the old ad murals on them that have been weathered over the years? I absolutely love that look.

But in general, no I don't like painting brick, but have done it a few times.
Sometimes brick is so beat up and porus that the only thing we can do besides replace the brick is paint it to seal it.

 

[need more tools]

I use alot of the detergent to because all the brick yards around here have talked all the builders into using it.The say acid never neutralizes.It never stops working.but sure klean has acid in it. it is about the money.I have never had a problem using acid you just cant burn up the brick with it it will do damage if it is to strong

 

[jmh21586]

I love the old warehouse type look where they weren't as concered with the way the finished product looked , and thus flat tooled the brick when they layed it. (scraped off excess mortal but didn't run a tooling iron through it to give it that concave joint.)

We do a lot of warhouse into condo renovations and that is a very popular look. Most of the time the brick remain exposed inside the condo. looks great.

 

[need more tools]

Ive seen guys wash brick and when they are done it looks like a rake joint

 

[jmh21586]

I use alot of the detergent to because all the brick yards around here have talked all the builders into using it.The say acid never neutralizes.It never stops working.but sure klean has acid in it. it is about the money.I have never had a problem using acid you just cant burn up the brick with it it will do damage if it is to strong

I like mixing it 50/50.

I've never burned anything. I think it's an old wives tale.

Water nuetralizes acid so I don't know what they're talking about there.


Sure Klean works great and it's cheap.