Weathered brick look....?
Question:I want to partially paint my brick home to give it a weathered, whitewashed type of look. You know, you've seen these houses. I've seen lots of info on flat out apinting the house, but any tips or advice on achieving the old, weathered look that I'm talking about? Is this possible? I would think it's done often, but quite frankly I haven't been able to find anything regarding this on-line....
Answers:
It is really a faux finish that you are looking for. The reason you don't see instructions is that it is tedious, time consuming work depending on how many colors you use. And, faux finishers would be out of business if we gave away all of our trade secrets. LOL Sometimes I want an old "used" brick look, so I use grey, white and black paint to achieve it. Sometimes it is an already painted look, like it was once white but some of the paint wore off.
In either case, the key to the process is taking each brick separately. I use paint for cement or sometimes the patio paints found in craft stores that can go over and stick to brick, stucco, stone, etc. outdoors. Generally, I use very cheap chip brushes that are 1/2" to apply the color and non-linting rags to achieve the look I'm after. That way you can sometimes even use paint that is already on the rag to apply to another brick. I am very careful not to get any paint on the mortar. Every now and again, like every 3 x 5 area you do, step back and take a look at your work from a distance. You will be able to see where you have paint blobs areas too saturated with color. In those areas, a squirt bottle filled with water is the tool of dilution choice along with a clean, damp rag. (Keep that rag rinsed out after every use to prevent paint transfers.)
I blend my paints into glazes with 1/3 paint, 1/3 water and 1/3 Floetrol (adjust the formula depending on how deep you want the color, less water and Floetrol for more saturated color). But, you can use the paints straight as well. However, I always seal my work for durability, longevity and to protect it from fade. I use a non-yellowing sealer rated for concrete.
if you want the bricks whitewashed buy yourself some white paint mix a bit of grey or brown(not so it alters the whole color of the paint just so in areas that you brush it on will be darker than others) buy a cheap colorwash brush , brush it on and take a damp rag and smear it off it should go into the cracks and crevaces of the bricks you could also use a light taupe color to paint the mortar
make sure the paint is weather resistant cheap stuff will only chip and peel also it might help if you buy outdoor paint to add a bit of water or glaze (get it at lowes) to thin the paint down to make it easier to work with
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