How to Paint a Faux Brick Wall

If you have a plain interior wall you want to give a makeover, consider faux brick painting. A faux brick look provides a rustic design without having to replace the wall.

This technique may look difficult, but faux brick painting is a simple technique accomplished by sponging the paint on walls with household sponges. Follow these steps to paint a faux brick wall.

Prepare to Paint the Faux Bricks

To paint a faux brick wall, gather:

  • work gloves
  • eye goggles
  • tarps or plastic 
  • painter's tape
  • rags and sponges
  • sharp knife or scissors
  • 120-grit sandpaper 
  • wood filler or spackling compound
  • disposable paint plates or paint trays
  • foam paint brush, angled paint brush, and roller with extension pole
  • flat latex paint: brick-color paint, a base color, a cream color, and two accent colors

Remove wall décor, furniture against the walls, and detach the electrical plates from outlets. Cover the outlets, window trim, and anything you don't want painted with painters tape. Lay plastic or tarp over non-removable items and the work floor, and keep a window open to ventilate.

Paint the Base Color

Check the wall for holes and cracks, fill the with wood filler or spackling compound. Let the repair dry, and lightly sand the area. Dampen a rag or sponge, then run it over the surface to clean debris, then let the area dry.

Base colors are commonly eggshell, taupe, or any neutral color that resembles mortar. Use the angle brush to paint a thin coat of paint around window, floor, ceiling, and door trim. 

Roll the paint on the rest of the wall in diagonal strokes or "W" form, covering three-to four-feet sections at a time. Let the first paint layer dry, then add another, if needed. 

Add the Bricks

You may prefer to practice the sponge technique on poster or cardboard. Cut one sponge to measure the length of a full brick, which is commonly eight inches long and three and five-eighths inches high. Cut a second sponge half this size for half-bricks. 

Standard bricks are reddish hues, but they can also be gray or tan as long as the accent colors match. Fill four paint trays or plates with glaze, and mix equal parts of each paint color, including the cream into the glaze. 

Dampen the full-size sponge in the primary paint color, wringing excess. Use the foam brush to load the two accent colors in random areas of the sponge, and begin stamping the brick pattern on the wall in the upper corner.

Continue adding the brick patterns leaving a three-eighth inch to one-half finch gap between brick, adding paint as needed. Start and end the next row and every other row with the half-size sponge, then let it dry before removing tape.

​Conversely, you can hire an interior painting service to make sure the bricks have a professional look to them.


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