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Painting Interior Brick and Masonry Surfaces

 
 
 
Interior Masonry and Brick
 
  1. Generally speaking, brick and other masonry surfaces do not pose serious problems for painting.
  2. Prepare your surface. Clean the brick, block or concrete surface of any dirt, loose cement or mortar.
  3. Because brick and other forms of masonry tend to be porous building materials, they offer a good substrate for the paint to adhere to or “gain tooth.” However, because of their porosity, they tend to also absorb a lot of paint, which means you will need to increase the amount of paint you use. This could be anywhere from 20–50% more paint for smooth non-porous materials, depending on the texture of the masonry material.
  4. Brick and other masonry building materials should always be painted with a top-quality, 100% acrylic latex paint. Concrete block requires a special primer because it is extremely porous. A block filler is recommended to fill in holes and crevices on the surface block. Block fillers will reduce the amount of paint you use and ensure a smoother, more uniform looking finish.
  5. If you will be using a brush, choose a premium-quality, nylon polyester brush; if you will be using a roller, choose a 1/2" to 1 1/4" nap roller, depending on the material’s degree of surface roughness and porosity.

 
 
 
 
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Computer screens and printers vary in how colors are displayed. Colors which display on the screen and printed colors may not match the paint's actual color.