# What would you do - staining brick



## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

I've got a client that wants to stain their exterior brick siding. During our meeting they described whitewashing the brick with 3 parts water to 1 part paint using the color SW Warm Stone 7032.

H&C semi transparent concrete stain seemed like it might be a good fit for this project, but I've never used that product. Any recommendations or advice would be appreciated. 

Here's a couple pictures of the house, but I'll take a better one today.























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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

I've stained brick before so I'll chime in.

Avoid using the semi transparent, you'll have a hard time killing the red.

Instead use the H&C solid color. Just water it down and use. You'll get a better coverage over the white.

Personally I'd avoid using water down exterior paint. Reason being is that H&C stains are designed to penetrate. Their also rated for exterior so you don't need to top coat. 

Good luck and let us know how it comes out.


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

@woodcoyote Thanks for the advice on using the H&C solid. I'll create a few samples to see what the homeowner thinks.

I told the client that I wouldn't warranty paint watered down that much and that the mfg wouldn't warranty and potential failure either.


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

We've white washed several homes with several different methods.

Below is a house that we painted each individual brick red, let it dry thoroughly and then coated with white house paint which we allowed to dry for 30 minutes before power washing off.

https://www.facebook.com/164351510282634/photos/?tab=album&album_id=164612543589864

We've also done the watering down approach that you described. Typically use a roller, brush and large sponge to apply the paint and to add faded effects.

Below is a fireplace we did where we cut the paint 50/50 with water.

http://www.houzz.com/projects/1431495/richmond-va-fireplace-whitewash


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## PNW Painter (Sep 5, 2013)

@Roamer Thanks for sharing those techniques and examples. In the end the client decided they didn't want to spend the extra $$$ to stain the brick, but at least I learned something for the future.


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## four2knapp (Jun 19, 2011)

Roamer said:


> We've white washed several homes with several different methods. Below is a house that we painted each individual brick red, let it dry thoroughly and then coated with white house paint which we allowed to dry for 30 minutes before power washing off. https://www.facebook.com/164351510282634/photos/?tab=album&album_id=164612543589864


Wow. Talk about labor intensive! How long did that take?


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

The first job took 8 days. However, we don't typically have to paint the bricks red that was only done because to the ugly tan colored bricks that were present.

Typically, we'd just paint the house white and power wash off each side after 30 minutes dry time.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

Roamer said:


> The first job took 8 days. However, we don't typically have to paint the bricks red that was only done because to the ugly tan colored bricks that were present.
> 
> Typically, we'd just paint the house white and power wash off each side after 30 minutes dry time.


How did you contain the paint water running down the building?


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

We had plastic formed into channels to catch the water, any excessive pooling was channeled towards our wet/dry vac. Some water, of course, made it into the soil.


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## driftweed (May 26, 2013)

I think I would be giving some very funny looks at a customer who asked to have each individual Brick painted. That's frigging nuts!

that would be some mind numbing stuff

Tell me you didn't brush each brick. Thin nap roller?


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

We brushed and used a whizzie.


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## MaddMaxx82 (Dec 3, 2014)

I have always had luck with using a 50/50 mixture of semi-transparent concrete stain and clear concrete sealer. Then just brush and roll on thin.

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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

Roamer said:


> We had plastic formed into channels to catch the water, any excessive pooling was channeled towards our wet/dry vac. Some water, of course, made it into the soil.


anyone else having a hard time visualizing all of this?


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

We just started a Peel Away removal job today. I'll be sure and post pictures of how we channel the water and protect adjacent surfaces. We have to retrieve the bulk of the water that we'll be using on this project. It isn't as hard or as impossible as it sounds.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

Roamer said:


> We just started a Peel Away removal job today. I'll be sure and post pictures of how we channel the water and protect adjacent surfaces. We have to retrieve the bulk of the water that we'll be using on this project. It isn't as hard or as impossible as it sounds.




I would like to see that. I've tried to visualize how I would do something like that. Had some wooden garage doors to strip a while back. If I could have been confident enough that I could contain the run off, I would have used a spray on/wash off stripper. I was too chicken to try it, so we did it by hand. At triple the labor I'm sure. 


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