Internal dark brick; how to lighten up the room!

[Perp]

The 80s have a lot to answer for. We have a couple of rooms in our PPR with exposed dark bricks on the inside; as these rooms are so dark, they're effectively wasted space because we don't use them. They're depressingly dark!

I'll eventually get it all covered with plasterboard and painted, but don't want the mess/inconvenience/cost right now. It would be a very fiddly job because there are lots of windows, a fireplace, several doors, unusual angles, etc.

The bricks are not only dark, but heavily textured, and the mortar is raked, so loads of nooks and crannies. (Great for collecting dust - at least it doesn't really show. )

Painting them with a brush would be too time-consuming; I tried it on a few spare bricks, and it's a nightmare trying to get into all the little nooks/crannies/pits.

My other thought was to spray-paint them, first with a sealer, and then with a pale paint colour. This would at least lighten and brighten the rooms until we get around to plaster-boarding. Does anybody have any advice as to whether this is as straightforward a job as I'm hoping it is?

 

[Nathan]

put mirror on the wall...

or could do like a bamboo feature wall...

 

[Propertunity]

Tracey,

I think you could safely spray paint them with a sealer as you say - a water-based prepcoat for masonry / bricks. If you get it tinted the same colour as the top coat it will save 2 top coats and you can get away with just one top coat.

Otherwise, if you are feeling up to it, you could render the internal brick with an acrylic render. You just mix the powder in water and apply like normal render. If you choose this option you would not bother plasterboarding later. It sounds like the rough brick would hold onto it well.

Cheers,

 

[vincenzo]

Call me old fashioned, but i like the look of some interior brick feature walls
Mirrors are great at brightening up and making any room bigger.
The problem with brick isn't usually the looks for me, but safety for kids, and heat if it's also an exterior wall.

 

[handyandy]

An alternative to plasterboard is to render the brick work, not a thick render but more a bagging type render.

The advantage of doing the thin render is that you will not have to put new architraves around the windows etc as you will need to do if using 10 or 12 mm gyprock.

If you do intend to go the render way then don't paint the brickwork as this will need to stripped of later.

Cheers

 

[willair]

The 80s have a lot to answer for. We have a couple of rooms in our PPR with exposed dark bricks on the inside; as these rooms are so dark, they're effectively wasted space because we don't use them. They're depressingly dark!

I'll eventually get it all covered with plasterboard and painted, but don't want the mess/inconvenience/cost right now. It would be a very fiddly job because there are lots of windows, a fireplace, several doors, unusual angles, etc.

The bricks are not only dark, but heavily textured, and the mortar is raked, so loads of nooks and crannies. (Great for collecting dust - at least it doesn't really show. )

Painting them with a brush would be too time-consuming; I tried it on a few spare bricks, and it's a nightmare trying to get into all the little nooks/crannies/pits.

My other thought was to spray-paint them, first with a sealer, and then with a pale paint colour. This would at least lighten and brighten the rooms until we get around to plaster-boarding. Does anybody have any advice as to whether this is as straightforward a job as I'm hoping it is?

You could always have a look at the price of skylights in each room,
then just have a acid wash on the internal brick wall and restain the brick.
i'm no good at painting..
imho willair..

 

[Perp]

put mirror on the wall...

or could do like a bamboo feature wall...

Thanks for the tips, I've tried putting up lots of bright artworks, but I think it's time for a more radical solution.

I think you could safely spray paint them with a sealer as you say - a water-based prepcoat for masonry / bricks. If you get it tinted the same colour as the top coat it will save 2 top coats and you can get away with just one top coat.

Thanks, that's exactly what I was thinking. Good to hear that you think that's viable.

Otherwise, if you are feeling up to it, you could render the internal brick with an acrylic render.

An alternative to plasterboard is to render the brick work, not a thick render but more a bagging type render.

I'd thought of rendering, but the mortar lines are so deep and the brick surfaces so rough that it would have to be a very thick coat, and it would end up cheaper/easier/less messy to just plasterboard.

Call me old fashioned, but i like the look of some interior brick feature walls

If you prefer "old-fashioned" to "aesthetically challenged" then: "you're old-fashioned".

You could always have a look at the price of skylights in each room

That would help a lot... but there are bedrooms above these rooms.

then just have a acid wash on the internal brick wall and restain the brick.

Thanks, willair. I'm not familiar with acid washing brick walls; I'll do some research.

 

[Rolf Latham]

WE have a place with a clinker dark red brick large cathedral sized black hole.

We went the spray gun sealer and then light paint

Worked a treat

ta

rolf

 

[Collector]

turn the room into a home cinema

 

[Jamie_D]

cover it up with some material or drop curtains or similar

cheap as for the time being

 

[ethereal]

Are all the walls brick or just one in each room?

 

[Perp]

turn the room into a home cinema

Unfortunately, I have other plans for it, but that would be a good use...

cover it up with some material or drop curtains or similar

Interesting idea, I'll think about that.

Are all the walls brick or just one in each room?

It's in "bits" in the downstairs front section of the house. It's on one wall of the foyer, one wall of the study nook, the rear wall of the powder room, two walls of the dining room, and two walls of the "formal living room".

It's the last two rooms that I particularly want to "reclaim". I'm planning on converting the formal living room (currently a store room ) to a calm room for the 4 adults of the house to hang out in, and leave the chaos in the back rumpus room to the 4 kids. The dining room is being used (occasionally ) as a dining room, but it's dark and I don't enjoy being there, so I just want to make it more enjoyable to spend time in there.

 

[john]

Do it once - do it right. Acrylic render . Two coats and goes on not so thick as to require changes to window frames/door frames etc. Then two coats of paint and a new room!

 

[Perp]

Do it once - do it right. Acrylic render . Two coats and goes on not so thick as to require changes to window frames/door frames etc. Then two coats of paint and a new room!

Wouldn't rendering be a lot more work than plasterboarding? I take your point about window and door frames, but I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to plasterboard the "big bits", and render in the "nooks and crannies" around windows etc. All the windows and doors are recessed into the bricks, so the thickness of the plasterboard on the walls wouldn't be an issue with regard to the frames.

Are you a plasterer, John?

 

[Collector]

Wouldn't rendering be a lot more work than plasterboarding? I take your point about window and door frames, but I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to plasterboard the "big bits", and render in the "nooks and crannies" around windows etc. All the windows and doors are recessed into the bricks, so the thickness of the plasterboard on the walls wouldn't be an issue with regard to the frames.

Are you a plasterer, John?

In regards to plasterboard:

You will need to fix the plasterboard on battons - either timber or steel, and not directly to the brickwork, this will add to the thickness.

 

[Ms Jade]

In regards to plasterboard:

You will need to fix the plasterboard on battons - either timber or steel, and not directly to the brickwork, this will add to the thickness.

We have done this using timber but I've also heard that it's OK to stick the gyprock straight to the brick using cornice cement. This appeals to me if it's true ('cos I'm lazy) but never having seen the result I'd worry that it was dodgy.

 

[Perp]

You will need to fix the plasterboard on battons - either timber or steel, and not directly to the brickwork, this will add to the thickness.

I've also heard that it's OK to stick the gyprock straight to the brick using cornice cement.

Yes, a mate of ours who's a builder reckoned that sticking it straight to brick using liquid nails would be the way to go, but I'd be interested to hear what others think.

 

[evand]

If the brickwork is nice and straight, no worries. Its often not of the quality to stick the sheeting straight the brick tho. That's why battens are commonly used.

You could try bagging, its pretty easy and you can do it yourself much easier than rendering. They have some great products these days, might not be the finish you want internally.

 

[sunshine]

Do it once - do it right. Acrylic render . Two coats and goes on not so thick as to require changes to window frames/door frames etc. Then two coats of paint and a new room!

Yep, this is what we did in one of our renos. Bought from Bunnings in a tin. Slapped on with a gloved hand and poked into the holes. Covered the arched brickwall a treat. The archway was filled in with plaster. Way too hard and more expensive to plaster the whole lot.

I will see if I can find some pics.

In another reno (many years ago) I had some old rendered walls plastered over. It was a huge and expensive job. New cornices etc etc. It was my first reno and was my PPOR - I will use the excuse I didn't know any better, I definately do now, and I wouldn't do it again.

Sunshine

 

[ethereal]

If the brickwork is nice and straight, no worries. Its often not of the quality to stick the sheeting straight the brick tho. That's why battens are commonly used.

You could try bagging, its pretty easy and you can do it yourself much easier than rendering. They have some great products these days, might not be the finish you want internally.

We have had gyprock stuck straight onto bare concrete block walls and it is fine, but they were quite smooth and even. I rubbed over them with a piece of concrete bblock to knock off any high spots first.

Rendering is not all that easy and I would leave it to the professionals if you want a nice even finish. Bagging on the other hand is easy and even fun. I like the 'rustic' finish and it takes paint well. It is also very cheap if you use a straight out sand and cement mix rater than a commercially prepared mix. Acrylic render is even more expensive. We have found that the sand/cement is easier to apply than some other preparations too and it sticks well.