Whitewashing brick can be a swift and effortless way to boost the appear of old worn-out brick on the inside and exterior surfaces of your home. We will aid by explaining a tiny about what whitewashing is and providing you with a action-by-action tutorial to total the activity as swiftly as feasible.
Join us whilst we include all the bases to aid you obtain this eye-catching outdated-globe finish in any house.
What is Whitewash?
At first, whitewash was a hydrated builder’s lime that’s not as easy to obtain as it once was. You can nevertheless discover it for adjusting the pH of backyard garden soil, but it’s harmful to your overall health, so present day whitewash does not use it. Current whitewashing is usually latex-based, is much safer, and doesn’t create as significantly odor as standard approaches.
There are acrylic-primarily based whitewash brands like the one that Giani makes that you are welcome to substitute for the one particular we will be employing, but it is far more high-priced and may possibly require added actions.
1. Prepare the Work Area
2. Prepare the Surface
If you are whitewashing an exterior area or a basement with a completed ground and excellent drainage, you may possibly choose to use a electrical power washer to remove the leading layer of dirt and prepare the brick for whitewashing. Nonetheless, if electricity washing is not functional, you will require to clear the brick by hand.
- Fill a pail with warm water and add several tablespoons of Dawn dish detergent or a similar all-purpose cleaner.
- Apply the solution to your brick with a clean rag or sponge.
- Work the solution into the brick and mortar using a scrub brush. Use care not to damage the brick by being too rough.
- Allow the solution to sit for 10-15 minutes to break up the dirt and oils.
- Rinse using a clean rag and warm water.
- If the surface is still dirty, you can repeat these steps or try a deep cleaning foam like that made by Tuff Stuff. The foam works great at removing soot around chimneys, but you will need proper ventilation, gloves, and eye protection while using it. You can also use a scrub brush to apply a solution of one tablespoon boric acid to one-gallon warm water to help remove smaller stains from your brick surface, but once again, you will need protective gear.
- Use a paint scraper to remove any old paint or stickers from the brick surface.
3. Prepare the Whitewash
- To create your whitewash, you will mix white latex-based paint with water in a 1:1 ratio.
- Stir well until mixed thoroughly.
- Since you are using latex paint, you can make it any color you desire.
- Test the solution in an inconspicuous area.
- You can add more pint to thicken it or more water to thin it out. It should have a watery consistency that can take several coats to apply. The color will darken as it absorbs into the brick.
4. Whitewash Your Wall
5. Touch Up
- Once the solution dries, you may notice that it absorbed into the brick more than you expected, and it may need to repeat these steps to apply a few more coats.
Summary
Whitewashing brick is not challenging if you follow these five methods. We choose the latex paint to the classic limestone approach due to the fact it seems the same and is much better for your well being. Classic whitewashing is also unsuitable for substantial visitors regions simply because it rubs off very easily, which does not come about making use of latex paint, so you can also use this approach on floors, shelving, and other surfaces. Acrylic-dependent whitewash operates nicely but is high-priced, so we would only advocate it for external surfaces.
We hope you have loved reading through in excess of our look into this appealing brick portray approach and have made a decision to use it to improve your brick surfaces. If you discovered some thing new and think it could aid others, make sure you share this guidebook to whitewashing brick on Facebook and Twitter.
Featured picture credit score: paarvathy, Pixabay
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