by Dave Logan
Staining the unsightly brick on your home’s exterior gives it a new and impressive facelift with minimal cost and a little sweat equity. Staining brick is also something you can do on interior surfaces as well like an exposed brick wall or a fireplace. Staing your damaged brick is a great way to mask bad repair work or just give your brickwork a new, fresh look. By staining your brick, you will be able to maintain the existing brick’s texture and not worry about peeling. Staining lasts longer and maintains the brick’s integrity much better than paint.
The following are a few tips to help you tackle the project yourself.
Choose the appropriate brick stain (and color) and polyurethane mixture. The nice thing here is that the protective polyurethane is already mixed with the stain so you don’t have to apply it separately, causing additional work.
Protect your skin and lungs. Wear gloves when applying the stain and wear a dust mask so you don’t directly inhale the stain’s toxic fumes.
Use a disposable, shallow plastic container for the stain mix. You can pick up something like this for cheap. Just make sure the container is big enough and easy to pour the stain into, and that it’s something you can throw out when you’re done.
Experiment with different types of stain and polyurethane on some sample bricks. You obviously want to make sure the stain achieves your desired look before letting it loose on your home’s exterior or interior.
Use an artist’s paintbrush for the actual application. Or, if you are covering a very large exterior surface, you can use a roller or sprayer. For textured looks, try experimenting with a rag or towel, which will give the brick a faded, aged look.
Read the instructions. A good idea for all projects! Some stains will have variations of the basics (depending on whether you are using latex or oil based stains, for example), so take a few moments to read the instructions and you will be fine.
For more helpful information on these and other home improvement projects, check in often with the TDL Blog. And don’t forget to visit TeamDaveLogan.com to find a trusted home improvement professional in Denver and Boulder that will help you with your next project!
