Painting internal and external brick walls: features of such a finish, the choice of paintwork and tools, the stages of the technological process and the rules for caring for painted brickwork. Painted brickwork looks great in rooms decorated in loft, hi-tech, modern style. Moreover, even one wall, which looks like masonry, will give an original look to the room.
Choosing paint for a brick wall
Making the right choice when buying paint for brick wall decoration is quite simple. The main thing is to remember these conditions:
- The location of the brick wall is external or internal;
- Individual requirements for the performance properties of the paint;
- The quality of the masonry.
A certified paint for painting a brick wall must have the following properties:
- Resistant to UV rays;
- Moisture resistance - especially when it comes to facade paint;
- Resistant to alkali and other chemicals contained in cement mixes;
- High adhesion rates;
- Air permeability;
- Durability.
Also, do not forget about such characteristics as the drying speed, the degree of consumption and the possibility of tinting the paint and varnish material.
By the type of texture, the paint is matte, semi-matte and glossy. Each of them has a different coefficient of reflectivity. For a glossy composition, it is as high as possible, and for a matte composition it is absent.
For painting a brick wall on a loggia or on the street, it is recommended to choose a facade paint. It is better to give preference to a composition intended for finishing masonry.
If you live in an area with a sub-continental climate, it is better to use elastomeric compounds for painting the exterior brick walls. They have increased frost resistance and the ability to seal masonry seams.
Also suitable for exterior work are acrylic and latex paints, consisting of synthetic resins that form a waterproof shell on the painted wall. Such compositions perfectly protect brickwork from the effects of negative environmental factors. When choosing a material for painting external brick walls, it is worth considering such an indicator as vapor permeability.
Since for painting brick walls indoors, it is not necessary to use compounds with frost resistance and an increased moisture resistance indicator, with the exception of the bathroom and toilet, silicate and acrylic paints can be preferred.
The use of oil paints for masonry is not recommended. Forming an airtight layer, the composition will soon lead to the destruction of the wall structure. As a substitute for oil paints, you can use transparent varnish, which will give the brick a natural look and accentuate its texture and color palette.
Selection of tools and materials for painting a brick wall
In addition to the paint and varnish material, it is necessary to stock up on special inventory and materials that will be needed to prepare a brick wall for painting and applying the composition to the surface.
The main additional material is a primer. Depending on the location, age of the wall and the type of paint used, the primer must be selected from the following varieties:
- Acrylic … Highly penetrating liquid. It is an excellent base for latex paint. It is recommended to choose models with medium or deep diffusion.
- Silicate … One-component composition for processing brick facade walls. It has good vapor permeability and resistance to atmospheric precipitation.
- Epoxy … A primer providing excellent adhesion and waterproofing to the wall surface.
As working tools for painting a brick wall, you will need: protective goggles and gloves, a stiff paintbrush or a roller with a long nap, a spray gun or spray gun, coarse-grained sandpaper, a sponge and a cleaning agent, a paint scraper with a durable blade.
Since brick is a material with a rather rough surface, it is advisable to use good quality tools with high strength and tough texture.
Preparing a brick wall for painting
If you are determined to paint a brick wall with your own hands, then special attention should be paid to preparing the base. This process is more complex and time consuming than the dyeing technology itself.
Surface preparation is carried out several days before painting. During this time, the materials will dry completely. To achieve a positive result, it is necessary to comply with the following requirements for the organization and implementation of the preparation of a brick wall for painting:
- The paint on the wall will interfere with the uniform application of the fresh coat. Therefore, we remove the old finish with a solvent and a paint scraper, which does not damage the integrity of the brick. We use ordinary sandpaper as a material for grinding.
- Fill cracks, chips and other flaws with putty. After it is completely dry, we cover it with plaster.
- If necessary, we renew the seams of the brickwork using cement mortar.
- We clean the finished surface from paint residues and dust with a stiff brush and detergent.
- Oily stains formed on the surface of the base are removed with soapy water.
- To prevent white stains from visible on the painted wall, it is necessary to wash the surface with a brush and clean water.
- The washed wall must dry completely, otherwise defects cannot be avoided.
- We treat a clean brick wall with a sealant or special varnish. This procedure will preserve the natural color and texture of the building material.
- We pay special attention to the primer. It not only provides the masonry with excellent adhesion, but also imparts moisture resistance and extends the service life. A wall treated with a primer will not be exposed to pathogenic microflora, and the paintwork will not crack.
- Apply the primer in several layers and leave it to dry completely.
In addition, before you start painting brick walls, you should consider the following factors:
- The walls should be erected over a period of more than 1 year. It is after this time that the masonry will completely go through such stages as shrinkage, percolation and moisture balancing. Percolation is the process of leaching substances contained in bricks and mortars. When paint is applied to a surface where the reaction of hardening and neutralization of active alkalis is not completed, rapid peeling and shedding of the composite can occur.
- The brick surface must be clean and free of signs of colonization of pathogenic microflora - mold and fungi. Fungicidal solutions can be used as an antiseptic.
- Brickwork should not have whitish salt streaks (efflorescence) on its surface. Efflorescences contain chlorides, phosphates and sulfates, which have a negative effect on the paintwork and prevent it from firmly adhering to the substrate.
Observing these requirements, painting a brick wall will be as fast and high-quality as possible, without further unpleasant "surprises".
Brick wall paint technology
We paint brick walls in warm and dry conditions. The minimum temperature required for finishing work is + 25 ° C. If the climatic regime is not observed, unevenness in the application of layers cannot be avoided.
Before we start painting the brick walls inside, we take out furniture and other furnishings. If this is not possible, then we move them to the middle of the room and cover them tightly with oilcloth. Do not forget to also close the floor covering, which will not be easy to clean in case of paint splashes.
We paint the wall using this technology:
- We apply paint to the interior walls with a roller or paint brush. We paint in strips with an overlap of several millimeters.
- We paint brick walls in 2 layers. It is better to dilute the composition for the first with water (if the paint is water-dispersive), the second - we apply only after the previous one has dried.
- We cover the wall in the area of the plinth, window block or doorway with masking tape. It will prevent paint from spilling onto unpainted surfaces. After finishing the finishing work, the tape is carefully removed.
A spray bottle will help to facilitate painting of exterior brick walls. It paints the surface quickly and does not leave streaks.
To keep brick walls clean, it is recommended to wash them from time to time using a soapy solution. In case of violation of the integrity of the paintwork, the areas are easily restored without the need to apply the composition to the entire surface.
How to paint a brick wall - watch the video:
Painting a brick wall is not an overly laborious process. The most difficult is the choice of the coloring composition and the high-quality preparation of the base. The above recommendations and photos of painting a brick wall on our website will come to your aid.
