Painting Faux Brick

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If you would love to have brick on the inside of your home, the look can be created even if you are on a budget. You can make a wall look like brick very easily and inexpensively by using a technique called faux brick painting.

The look can be whatever color brick you choose from red to a light color. If you find a particular color of brick that you like, take it along to the paint store and have it matched up to a color that will give you that exact look.

Because paint is so much less expensive than the real thing, many people are opting to use this method to enhance their homes. Achieving a classic look that will provide the look you want for your home is easier to achieve than you might think.

Two Ways to Make Painted Faux Brick

Painting faux brick is best done on a smooth surface, it's much easier. But many homes have some kind of texture on the walls. It is possible to have a faux brick finish on these walls but it will take extra work.

Heavy textured walls should have a skim coat of drywall mud to smooth out the surface.

Painting Faux Brick on a Smooth Wall

The Supplies You Will Need For a Faux Brick Finish Over Smooth Walls

What are the basics you will need to create the look of brick on your wall? The list below includes the items you'll need. They can all be found at your local paint store.

Paint the color you choose for the mortar that will show between the bricks. Use a flat paint, as mortar isn't glossy.
Paint the color you have chosen for your bricks. Choose either flat or eggshell paint as some brick has a sheen and some doesn't.
Paint for adding a dark color, such as black or brown. Also use flat paint for this stage. Your goal is to mimic brick.
1/2 or 3/4 inch blue painter's tape
Gloves
Ruler
Sea Sponge
Chalk & chalk line
Ruler

Let's Start Painting Faux Brick

Clean the wall you are getting ready to paint. Remove all the electrical plates and put the coat of paint, the grout color, on the wall. Let the paint dry thoroughly.

Measured and taped for painting faux brick.

Once it has dried, use the ruler and measure out the bricks. The typical size for bricks is about 3 inches wide by 7 inches long.

Now, paint with the primary brick color. Allow this to dry for at least two hours.

Painting faux brick with a sea sponge and glaze.

Before removing the masking tape apply the various colors you want for your brick. Using the small sea sponge you can add color to the individual bricks. Add black, brown, yellow and white each in stages allowing the color to dry before adding another. Let the color of your brick show through, and it will make the faux brick look more like natural bricks.

Use glaze with the paint at a ratio of 1-4 (1 part paint and 4 parts glaze).

Peel off the blue painter's tape to expose the grout. At this point you can be done or take it a step further. The grout can have a coat of glaze applied for more depth. Typically this will be a darker color.

Painting Faux Bricks on Light Wall Textures

Acceptable wall textures for this technique include light—medium orange peel, light—medium knockdown and many other light wall textures. Remember, although the wall texture will be covered where there are bricks - it will still show where there is "grout."

Basically everything is the same as above except you need to apply a layer of spackling paste or drywall mud.

The Supplies You Will Need For a Faux Brick Finish Over Texture

The items needed are the same as above with the addition of drywall mud or spackling paste and some additional tools.

Spackling paste or drywall mud
A regular and a textured paint roller
Small trowel or 2 inch spackle knife
Textured paint roller (optional)

Preparation - Follow the above steps 1 and 2. These are the same whether the technique is for smooth or textured walls.

Drywall mud applied to measured and taped areas.

Making Faux Bricks - Now apply the spackling paste or drywall mud to the wall from 1/8 inch thick, or thicker if needed, using the trowel or putty knife. This will cover up the wall texture. Wipe any paste/mud off the painter's tape as best as you can. Allow this to dry completely.

Optional; using the textured paint roller put another coat of the spackling paste on the wall. Once this is finished, allow it to dry completely. You could simply leave the trowel or spackle knife marks for the brick texture.

Painting Faux Bricks - The painting and glazing steps are the same as above. Follow the steps 3, 4 and 5 from above.

Clean-up

Clean-up is the easy part. Simply clean your rollers, the area and put the paint away. This process could not be much simpler. You are now free to sit back and enjoy the brand new look of your room and the best part is — it did not cost a small fortune to get the wonderful new faux brick wall that you wanted.