Alright, so I decided to give my old brick wall a new look, and I went with a charcoal stain. Let me tell you, it was quite the adventure! I’d seen some stuff online about brick staining, and it seemed like a cool way to change things up without painting.
First off, I had to pick a stain. I grabbed a few samples from the store. The stuff is like, real thin, not thick like paint. I read that it is made out of masonry or concrete stain mixture. The guy there told me it seeps into the brick instead of just sitting on top, which sounded good. Plus, it’s supposed to let the brick breathe and keeps moisture out.
Then came the fun part – prepping the wall. I gave it a good scrub down with a brush and some soapy water. It needed to be super clean so the stain could really get in there. This wall had never been painted, which is apparently what you want for staining, it needs to be porous.
- Clean: Used soapy water and a stiff brush.
- Rinse: Hosed it down really well.
- Dry: Let it dry for a couple of days.
Once the wall was dry, I started applying the stain. I used a regular paintbrush. Started at the top and worked my way down. It was kinda messy, but not too bad. I made sure to work the stain into all the little nooks and crannies, and especially into the grout lines, you know, those spaces between the bricks.
I did one coat, let it dry, and then did another one just to make sure the color was even and to make it darker. It looked pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. Totally different vibe than before. It is said that brick staining is a permanent finish made out of mineral-based pigments.
Here’s what I learned:
- Brick stain is way different than paint. It soaks in and becomes part of the brick.
- Cleaning the brick is super important. Gotta get all that dirt and grime off.
- It’s not too hard to do yourself, but it does take some time and elbow grease.
The charcoal color turned out great. It gave the wall this cool, modern look. And the best part is, it’s not supposed to peel or chip like paint can. I’m pretty stoked with how it all came together. If you’re thinking about staining your brick, I’d say go for it! Just be ready to put in a little work, but it’s totally worth it.
