Suggestions for website or book on ideas for covering an interior brick wall in the family room?
Question:My new home has a family room downstairs (split level) with a full wall of brick with fireplace off to one side. The floor is pergo and even with lots of windows, it looks quite dark. I like interior design magazines with the light colored wood wall coverings (not bookshelves, but wainscoating?). Please point me to some websites and/or books for ideas on how to cover that ugly brick wall. Thank you.
Answers:
Are you looking for design ideas, or how-to instructions? The how-to isn't difficult. Using construction adhesive, attach furring strips (1"x3" or 2"x2" lumber) to the brick, oriented vertically and spaced 16" apart. This creates the frame to attach your new wall surface to. With your furring strips in place, you're ready to apply drywall, paneling, wainscotting, etc.
Here's a good video with the details-
http://www.easy2diy.com/cm/easy/diy_ht_i...
I reccomend http://www.homeexetrememakeover.com/...
Wainscoting is basically a half wall with a chair rail. The bottom is normally beadboard, and the top is sheet rock.
I've seen brick walls boxed out with sheetrock, but I'd suggest just painting the brick a lighter color.
The brick should be thoroughly cleaned and given ample time to dry before application of paint. Latex and Portland cement-based paints perform well on brick walls. Oil-based, alkyd, rubber and epoxy paints do not allow any vapor in the wall to escape and consequently should not be applied to brick. Prior to painting, the brick should receive a prime coat suitable for the paint application per manufacturer's instructions.
I would paint the bricks in a light colour since the removal would be quiet messy and expensive. Or just cover the whole wall with dry wall, then you can add the wainscoting to that !.
You can ask the community over at http://www.idesigntalk.com
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