Interior design: What to know about brick stain and brick paint

Exposed brick has become a popular building material that has made quite an interior design statement in recent years. 

Brick is often incorporated in lots of industrial and modern interior design aesthetics since it gives your wall texture a trendy variation that isn’t too distracting. 

If you live or work in an old brick space, you may be wondering how to make your exposed brick look its best. 

In this blog post we’ll talk about a few options you have to consider – staining the bricks to enhance their natural appearance or painting over them for a more contemporary and minimal look. 

If you’re in the Boston area, contact Spectra Painting Contractors for your brick staining or painting project. Our team of dedicated professionals can take your worn out exposed brick and make it a design focal point. 

Brick stain vs. brick paint: What’s the difference? 

Brick stain also called a brick tint, dyes exposed brick to either a darker or lighter color. You’ll still be able to see the ridges and bumps of your brick, but it will have a different color. 

Brick paint is opaque and will cover the surface of your bricks in a new color. It will also slightly smooth out the brick surface, making it a little flatter than raw brick.  

Both brick stain and brick paint will change the color of your brick. It comes down to what type of look you want to achieve with this project. 

There is also the option to whitewash your brick, which is a technique that mutes a brick’s natural color and makes it appear whiter. 

Here’s what to know about brick stain:

Brick stains tend to be a little easier to work with and maintain compared to paint. 

It’s best to use water-based brick stain for most projects since they’re more breathable than an oil-based brick stain. 

Before staining, the brick surface needs to be deep-cleaned. Any sealant over the brick will need to be removed with a lacquer thinner before a brick stain can bind to the surface. Check if your brick has a sealant by throwing a cup of water on the brick surface. If it beads up and runs off, there is a sealant. 

There are two types of brick stain to know: Water-based brick stain and stain mixed with a sealant. A water-based brick stain is ideal for large areas or if you want to be sure your brick can easily breathe. Brick stain with sealant is ideal for smaller surfaces often exposed to moisture – like bathrooms or kitchen backsplashes. 

Brick stain also dries pretty quickly, so you’ll want to hire an experienced professional who can apply it accurately and avoid ugly drips and streaks. 

When you should consider staining brick:

A brick can update the look of your brick and keep a bit of its rustic charm. A brick stain also allows your brick to breathe more freely, so moisture won’t get trapped beneath the brick stain. 

It’s also easier to work with stained brick later as opposed to painted brick. You can easily add another coat of stain if you decide to update the look in the future, but with most painted brick, you’ll need to remove the old coat of paint before you can change it up. 

You can only stain brick if you can remove all sealant that may be on the brick surface. Sealant usually gets removed using chemicals, which can end up discoloring the bricks. It’s best to consult a professional if you need to remove sealant from the surface of your brick.  

Also, don’t expect that your brick will look uniform after applying a stain. There may be natural variations in colors and textures. A professional painter can apply brick stain in patterns, so the variations look more natural. 

Here’s what to know about brick paint: 

Brick is pretty easy to paint compared to other types of masonry, but it still requires a specific method to get it done correctly. 

Use a specialty masonry paint, so the paint adheres to the brick surface and dries evenly. Masonry surfaces typically have high pH levels, which make it difficult for paints to bind.

Before painting, apply a water-based blocking primer to the bricks. Once the primer is dry, follow up with latex paint or oil-based paint if the paint will be around high heat.  

Painting brick does require a bit of prep work because the surface needs to be completely clean. Cleaning can be particularly challenging if you’re repainting a fireplace since it likely has collected a good layer of soot from use. Preparation will also involve chemicals, so it’s best to allow a professional to do this for you. 

After the brick gets painted, you will have to be sure to maintain the paint. Over time, moisture trapped in the brick may cause the paint to bubble and peel off. Brick paint can also be hard to remove if you end up changing your mind later, although it does help protect brick more effectively than stains do. 

When you should consider painting brick:

 Many people looking to create a more contemporary look in their spaces choose to paint over exposed brick. People often choose to repaint their brick fireplaces or walls white to give them a more neutral color. For a more dramatic look, you can opt for a darker neutral shade like black or gray. 

Also, if there is sealant over your brick that you can’t remove, painting may be your only option. 

If you’re considering updating your brick, call the professionals at Spectra Painting Contractors in the Boston area today. We can help you decide whether stain or paint is best for you, and get started right away on refreshing your home or office interior brick walls!