Can you whitewash brick

There are many different recipes for a whitewash but the basic ingredients are the same. The most basic formula is simply a combination of hydrated masonry lime and regular table salt. The whitewash I used was made by mixing:. This is great hydrated lime. It's label for use on farms, but believe me, it's GREAT to use for brick, stone mortars, and whitewash.

Here's a giant bag of salt. You may need two or three depending on how much whitewash you mix up. You can tint whitewash any color using dry pigments. These are the same pigments used in paint. If you don't tint the whitewash, when it dries it's a brilliant white. It's as white as the freshest snow you've seen or as white as puffy gorgeous clouds on a summer day.

The best tints to use are the pigments used to tint brick mortar. These pigments are a fine powder that blend easily with the hydrated lime. They're available in just about any color you might imagine. Here are just a few of the many many pigments available. You can blend different pigments to get different shades that you don't see here!

If you want to tint or colorize the whitewash, it's easy. Simply purchase powdered pigments that are mixed with the whitewash. Don't cut corners. Mix it in a wide wheelbarrow or some other container where the material doesn't get stuck in a corner. Add water to the blended mix a little at a time. Start with a small test batch and keep very close track of how much water you add. Mix until it's the consistency of creamy latex paint or a nice batch of pancake batter.

Only mix as much whitewash as you can apply in one hour! Try to work in the shade, not in direct sun on a blazing hot day. An overcast day with no wind would be my choice if I was allowed to wave a magic wand! Be aware that the color of the whitewash, while it is mixed, is totally different when it dries. It usually dries darker than what you see it look like wet. Always do a test to see what it dries like. Carefully keep track of the ratios of pigment, lime and salt to get consistent color results with each batch.

Maggie's daughter is applying the thick real whitewash. Don't use paint as the wanna-bes do. Paint is for losers. Whitewash is applied to brick with a brush or a roller but brushes seem to work best. One of the interesting qualities of this material is that you can make your home look like a gracious English cottage.

The application is like the German smear, but I simply applied it with a thick-napped paint roller. This is achieved by varying the thickness of the whitewash. The areas where the whitewash is applied lightly will allow some of the brick color to show through. If you desire an authentic old look, you actually wash off some of the whitewash several hours after application or the next day to expose brick or parts of brick in random areas. A super-strong whitewash is one made with hydrated lime.

Paint is not whitewashing and don't use it for that purpose. The lime in the whitewash is the actual glue that bonds to the brick and the wood on your addition. If you want extra holding power you can actually mix white Portland cement to the whitewash.

Yes, Portland cement comes in a pure white color. After a L-O-N-G, and very harsh winter-both the deck and the front porch required a complete do-over! You can see that they rubbed off a great deal of the paint or so I thought on some bricks in this close-up. That put me WAY out of my comfort zone.

Brick that is exposed to all the elements of living in Minnesota! After the debacle with our front porch and deck-the, the last thing I wanted to do was create YET another project for myself. So I did more research. Has no-one who lives in sub-zero temperatures ever whitewashed their exterior brick? The surprising thing? This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience.

I may receive a small commission if you click on the link, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I thank you for supporting this blog. You can find more on my disclosure policy here. It does the exact same job as that-and for WAY less money! Kilz Premium Primer and Sealer-White. Brick is very porous-and over time, it can collect SO much dirt and grime from rain and dust. All I used to clean the brick was plain old dish soap and water- and a sturdy wire-bristled brush. Once I had all the bricks thoroughly cleaned-it was rinse time.

Like I said above-the power is awesome-and what dirt I left behind from scrubbing, that nozzle definitely removed! Allow the brick to dry for at least 24 hours before moving onto step three. My bad for not getting photos for the other two steps-but….. I finally remembered as I started to brush on the primer. Except there is one important thing to remember. Yes, I said it. Not exactly what you want-am I right? All I did was load up my brush remember I put down plastic sheeting to protect plants, etc and used a criss-cross stroke with my paintbrush.

Almost like it just naturally has worn over time. So what do you think of our whitewashed brick? Leave me a comment or send me an email! The photo below was taken a little over two years after I painted the brick. Otherwise, the remainder of the brick is still in great condition! It was too cold to paint by then, so I will be repairing and re-painting that area in the spring!

Wow, if i had bricks, I would absolutely do this too! Great, looks fantastic! Wow, so the primer is the paint! That makes it easy, not having to find the right paint type, brand and color!!

I will get my courage up to try this! Thank you for stopping by, Di. Yes, you are correct. Wishing you awesome luck on your project. I am in the same boat now. I really want a more uniform see through wash. I love this — your place is looking really sharp and what a wonderful inviting place to sit and relax. Thank you, Carole! We absolutely LOVE our porch! I guess this old house is slowly starting to feel like home!

My daughter and I were just talking about this today at an auction. The outside of the house was a dark red and brown brick and across from it was a house with white brick. She said she would paint the brick if she bought that house. Keep us posted as to how well this holds up. Great job! Who would have thought it was as simple as priming? Thank you so much, Meredith! It looks great! You did a lot of hard work and it shows! Lime is calcium, combined with carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. There may are may not be a few trace minerals present.

Most paint with a few exceptions contains solvents, ammonia and formaldehyde. On the other hand, Kilz premium primer is pretty safe. It contains lime, titanium dioxide and a specific type of finely ground rock. All that having been said, I like using paint too! Thank you, Bonnie! As for the lime-you learn something new every day-and I just did! Good to know for future projects!! Looks fantastic! Do you think the same steps could be applied to red patio floor bricks? Thank you for your comment, Elizabeth!

Depending on how much traffic would be walking across the brick floor, I would maybe look into some kind of poly for outdoor just to make sure it seals well and is protected. It would also depend on what type of weather you have. I know our painted decks have suffered immensely, and we just gave them a fresh coat last spring.

Hope this helps. BTW-even after all the snow and rain we have had, the whitewash is holding up well! Thank you for your comment, Connie.

So far the whitewash is holding up quite well. I live in the Midwest, so currently we have had a LOT of rain and snow. I was a little concerned about so much moisture and cold temperatures, but crossing fingers it looks the same as it did when I first applied it! Thank you for your comment, Tina! The answer is yes! I followed the directions on the paint can.

Humidity is a major factor. Clean the brick, and see if there are any damages like cracks or gaps. These can be harder to see if the brick is painted, but important to fix before you get started! It is possible, and the whitewash will protect the brick from weather conditions! Gray washing or whitewashing brick with gray paint can be the perfect chance for your space.

To do so, you will first have to whitewash your brick using the painting method. Go through the steps of cleaning, painting, and drying the white paint on your brick. Then, repeat the steps using gray paint!

If you have black grout, it may be difficult to get the ideal whitewash look. There is a trick, though. You will have to use the painting method. Before you start whitewashing your brick, paint over the black grout.

Get in the divots with a brush so that you can lighten the look of the grout, and it will blend in well with the white-washed brick! There are a few pros and cons to painting bricks on the outside of your home. The look of painted brick can increase your curb appeal, and white paint can make your house look more modern!

The paint can chip and it can be harder to clean. Depending on your style, it may be better to whitewash your exterior, so that the originality of the brick can still shine through, it will protect the brick, and it is easy to paint over. There are a few things you will need to get started on whitewashing your brick. I will show you my favorite method, which is using latex paint! Before you get started, find some inspiration online for what look you want your brick to have I love Pinterest when I need some inspiration!

Do you want the brick to show through a lot? How white do you want it to be? Dust your brick, and clean it off with a damp cloth. If you are whitewashing exterior brick, you can power wash your brick to get it squeaky clean! This will ensure that your work will stay, and not be compromised by anything left on the brick.

To get the original brick to show through your paint, the trick is to water down your paint. Use a of water to paint, until you get a consistency you are satisfied with. Whether you have black grout or not, painting your grout first will keep a consitsent look throughout your brick!

Use a brush to get a full coat on the grout. If you are nervous about your paint consistency, do a few tester bricks before you paint all of the brick. Take your brush, and brush the paint onto the brick. Before it dries, take a cloth and blot off the excess paint, so that the brick can shine through. If you like the look of your tested brick, keep up the process until your area is complete.

If you are using paint to white wash your brick, make sure to use latex paint! Pick a color that works with your space! If you want to change the look of your brick down the line, you will have to white wash it with a different color, or paint over it!

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