Asked on Jul 07, 2013

Best way to create exposed brick look on walls?

Tray
by Tray
I want to recreate an old exposed brick wall in my bedroom. Wallpaper or a mural seems the cheapest way to do it but I haven't found wallpaper I like and a mural I liked was too pricey. I would like it to look authentic......so not sure about painting. Any suggestions?
  22 answers
  • If the mural is too pricey, your out of luck. I never saw wall paper that looked like brick, and only brick itself will look like brick. And I doubt very much you could even attempt to paint a brick look that would look older such as this style. But here is what you can try. You need to paint the entire wall the grout (cement) color. Then using paint striping tape, which is expensive just in itself. tape out the pattern of the mortar exposing just the areas where the brick would be left exposed. Then paint a brick color paint over the exposed areas. Before you remove the tape, put some additional color of the mortar on a tip of a brush and splatter it slightly onto the surface of the brick colors making it look like the mortar got on the surface of the brick. Let dry and remove the tape. To give it more of a look like the photo in the center, thin out the mortar color paint to make it so it just barely covers the brick coat and wipe on and off to mimic the mortar and efflorescence that causes that off white stain. You may be able to create a faux look using this method. Start on a small piece of drywall from the local hardware store and see how it works. But the labor and material costs may be way more then just buying the mural and have it done in just one day instead of several the paint method.
  • Kimberly Barney Kimberly Barney on Jul 07, 2013
    You may be able to get a realistic look from a photograph that has been enlarged to use like wallpaper. You would need to work with a print shop capable of printing large pieces.
  • Kimberly Barney Kimberly Barney on Jul 07, 2013
    If you actually want the texture of brick, there are faux bricks that are light weight which can be placed on the wall.
  • Therese C Therese C on Jul 08, 2013
    Hobby Lobby or Michaels sell brick stamps that you can mix your own paint and stamp the print right onto the wall.
  • Z Z on Jul 08, 2013
    @Tray the two least expensive ways I can think of are as follows: I made a fake fireplace for vacation Bible School years ago just using a standard sponge and a few shades of brick and mortar colored acrylic paint. I painted the box being use gray for mortar. Then using the brick shaped sponge and the assortment of brick paints squirted onto a foam plate then loosely mixed together by blotting the sponge lightly over them (being careful not to blend the colors) then blotting the excess paint onto another foam plate I got busy pressing my bricks on the mortar painted box. The reason I use two foam plates is you don't have the wasted paint as you do when blotting the excess paint on paper towels as I was taught how to do this technique. If you want depth like real brick you can use cut up pieces of sheet foam insulation from HoDe or Ls sponge painted (as detailed above for the wall) to look like bricks. Once dry, adhere these "bricks" to the wall using still wet rolled on drywall mud. The mud works as the mortar. Though the foam technique is the more expensive of the two it's still budget friendly. The foam insulation cost about eight dollars for a four by eight foot sheet. The joint compound (aka mud) will cost about twelve dollars in the large containers and the craft paints or sample paints two to three dollars each. Add to that a few sponges, roller, paint pan and depending on the size of area you want to cover it would start at maybe $35.00 $40.00. You could conceivably do a whole room for what a mural for one wall would cost.
  • Shirley803 Shirley803 on Jul 09, 2013
    I did a wall by painting brick on it. It was time consuming but cheap an fairly easy. I googled "Painting faux bricks" and got lots of hits. Then I got started. I painted the wall grey for the mortar. After drying I taped off the bricks. I had 4 colors of paint for the brick. I mixed each with glaze and sponged on in layers. Last but not least, I did some shading.
  • Shirley803 Shirley803 on Jul 09, 2013
    I made comments on the pictures above, but I'm not seeing them. The first picture is the before. The second picture is the after. It's a poor picture but I've had trouble getting a good picture. I think it's due to lighting in that area. On the third picture you can see that I also did one wall in the kitchen. This picture shows the brick a little better than the second.
  • Susan Cryor Susan Cryor on Jul 09, 2013
    i made brick entrances ( I forget the exact name for them) out of styrofoam, for tunnels on out train setup. Very tiny work, but you could check out the process, at least your work will not have to be intense. You just measure and make indentations in the styrofoam for the mortar, making your bricks what ever size you wish. Use anything you want to make the size of the mortar, just push in or draw a line in the styrofoam. it will naturally make it look old and put some cracks in the area where your bricks will be. Then paint it all grey the paint will naturally flow to the cracks for the mortar look. Then apply what ever base color, prominent color you want. Rubbing it on with a rag, if you use a paint brush, it will flow into the mortar. Then take a rag and rub on the colors you want to make the bricks authentic a deeper gray, black, what ever. The thing about this is you can change it to have it exactly as you want it to be. Try a piece and hold it up to the wall to see if it is exactly what you want, if not change your color...easy. And you can attach the styrofoam with an adhesive to the walls. So if you or future owner want to change it it can be easily removed. I would not use liquid nails, as they would tear off the Sheetrock paper.
  • Gloria Gloria on Jul 09, 2013
    I have the opposite problem...I want to cover my faux brick backsplash and don't know what to do?The walls are the real thing-plaster. So I was told if I try to remove it, the brick would break away the plaster, so maybe it's best to do the stamping, etc., in case you want to switch out in the future.
  • Joanie1051 Joanie1051 on Jul 09, 2013
    Look up Z-Brick on the Internet and find a dealer near you. (I've gotten it at Lowe's and Home Depot in the past.) It's a good product and is actual brick, about 3/8" thick and is probably what you are looking for. You can probably get the effect you are wanting with one box and just do 3 or 4 strategic areas of 3 - 6 bricks each. Be aware that if you want to take it down in the future, you will be replacing chunks of wallboard as it is put on with real cement.
  • Gloria Gloria on Jul 10, 2013
    Please read this article in regards to Z-Brick...Joanie is right about the removal, so I continue pondering the issue. http://www.networx.com/article/how-to-remove-z-brick
  • Junk Gypsee Junk Gypsee on Jul 10, 2013
    The cheapest and simplest way is brick stencils. You can find high quality ones online and just use about 4 colors for dimension. I've been stenciling for 20 years and I would suggest getting oil, creme paints and really good stencil brushes for a 'real' effect. It's pretty amazing what you can do...here is a link full of ideas for faux brick. http://www.ehow.com/how_7724337_paint-brick-pattern.html
  • Nancy Cozad Nancy Cozad on Jul 11, 2013
    There is a blob Timber and Lace she used wall paper that you can paint, cut into brick shape she goes step by step she is very good
  • Judy Judy on Jul 12, 2013
    Is this the effect you're looking for? http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Breakaway-Bricks-Mural-Transfer/dp/B001925M9C http://www.amazon.com/Brick-Breakaway-Wall-Decals-Repositionable/dp/B00A1SFN8K These are decals, but just wanted to see if this is what you wanted.
  • Tray Tray on Jul 12, 2013
    Judy - that's not quite the look I'm hoping for. I absolutely love the look of old worn exposed brick on a wall - such character. I vacationed in Charleston SC last month and knew upon my return that I wanted to make one bedroom wall a copy of the ones I had seen there. I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond and give me ideas..............some I hadn't heard of, like the Timber and Lace blog idea, which might have potential. I'm still looking and considering the possibilities. Thank you everyone.
  • Tray Tray on Jul 12, 2013
    Has anyone ever heard of this company or had any experience with this product? http://www.sohobrickcompany.com/
  • Judy Judy on Jul 13, 2013
    The soho brick sort of looks like Z-brick, only a newer, lighter version. Looks really permanent. Found this site: http://www.cementprofessor.com/BrickPage.htm It's a painting technique, have also seen lots of stencil and sponge instructions.
  • Shirley803 Shirley803 on Jul 15, 2013
    I wish I had known about this Z-brick. It would have been so much easier!
  • Change of Art Change of Art on Jan 04, 2015
    Since it's a bedroom, you might prefer the ease (and price) of wallpaper – no dust settling on the surface and in cracks, no rough surface to snag fabrics, etc... And, if you move, it's totally changeable. I have a wall of lovely Chicago pink' exposed brick in my home and would like repeat the pattern in a small area – on an outside wall (insulation), so I needed alternatives. Did a bit of research, and thought the mural versions looked best for large areas. There are probably many more options today – just Google/search for "old brick wallpaper mural". http://www.dezignwithaz.com/bricks-wall-mural-p-2081.htmlhttp://www.wallums.com/old-red-bricks-wall-mural.html http://www.eazywallz.com/collections/texture-wall-murals http://www.photowall.com/photo-wallpaper/categories/bricks This was the nicest wallpaper I'd found: YORK - Modern Rustic HE1046 (good prices at mahoneswallpapershop,com) If you decide to go for 'the real thing', I'd recommend splurging on recycled brick. It'll look MUCH more realistic than something like z-brick. They actually slice off the front and backs of real reclaimed brick. Just be prepared – it'll be a long, arduous (and probably messy) process.
  • Betty Johnson Betty Johnson on Sep 17, 2015
    I agree that brick walls look very classy. You could put in some real bricks. There are also tiles that are really thin that can give a wall a brick facade. It depends on what you're looking for. http://www.contractorsmasonryltd.com/en/
  • Angela Angela on Oct 05, 2015
    Check out the white brick wall paper from Target. It does not have a brand name but it is super easy to work with
  • Suellen Hintz Suellen Hintz on Jun 11, 2016
    Years ago I helped my mother put up fake bicks in her kitchen, and in spite of the fact my saw wasn't large enough and that I didn't have enough blades or the correct type of blades, her was was great. It added texture and color and interest. We started the job at 3 p.m. Because my father went to work then, and he was slow to warm to this kind of change, especially we, as women, weren't supposed to have the tools, skill, ability and knowledge to do the job. Get the right thin bricks and masonry blades and go for it.