Brick Floors: Could This Durable Material Work for Your House?
You love the old-world look, but will you like the feel of it underfoot? Learn the pros and cons of interior brick flooring
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »
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There's something very cozy about brick floors — they imbue a home with a storied, old-world feel and emit a sense of comfort and nostalgia. Bricks combine the durability of tile or stone with the warm colors of wood, and they can work with almost any home style. Yet for all those positive attributes, they remain a relative background player on the grand stage of floor coverings.
If you're considering brick floors for your home, keep these considerations in mind.
If you're considering brick floors for your home, keep these considerations in mind.
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Pros of Brick Flooring
• Design flexibility. As with tile, brick's modular nature lends itself to an infinite variety of patterns. Running bond (staggered), basket weave, herringbone and others are classics, but you can create a custom motif or a mosaic-style treatment. Brick also lends itself well to paint or epoxy, if you'd like a dramatically different color than the usual earth tones.
• Sturdiness. Remember the Three Little Pigs? There are good reasons brick has been a construction stalwart for centuries: It's tough to destroy, it doesn't rot. and it won't require painting or refinishing. Brick withstands extreme conditions and weathers heavy foot traffic with ease, and it's also heatproof. Individual bricks may crack or chip over time, but they are relatively easy to pry out and replace.
• Design flexibility. As with tile, brick's modular nature lends itself to an infinite variety of patterns. Running bond (staggered), basket weave, herringbone and others are classics, but you can create a custom motif or a mosaic-style treatment. Brick also lends itself well to paint or epoxy, if you'd like a dramatically different color than the usual earth tones.
• Sturdiness. Remember the Three Little Pigs? There are good reasons brick has been a construction stalwart for centuries: It's tough to destroy, it doesn't rot. and it won't require painting or refinishing. Brick withstands extreme conditions and weathers heavy foot traffic with ease, and it's also heatproof. Individual bricks may crack or chip over time, but they are relatively easy to pry out and replace.
• Affordability. Because brick used for interior applications is generally in paver or tile form, it's thinner and less costly than exterior brick. On average you'll pay less than $10 per square foot, uninstalled. Unless you're an extremely skilled DIYer, you'll need to factor in professional installation costs (usually around $500 to $700 for an average-size room), as brick can be difficult to lay correctly.
• Sustainability. Clay brick is made mostly of natural materials, such as shale, kaolin and minerals. In addition, bricks from old or demolished structures can be salvaged for new applications — particularly nice if you're aiming for a vintage effect.
• Slip resistance. Left unfinished, brick has a slightly rough, textured surface that provides traction underfoot. However, if you seal it with a slick or waxy coating, you'll have to take other steps to prevent falls.
• Aesthetic appeal. One of the reasons people love brick is its inherent traditional warmth, which few other materials can replicate. It evokes a sense of the past and feels like a strong, reassuring holdover from bygone days. Natural variations in its coloring give it a beautifully nuanced palette.
• Sustainability. Clay brick is made mostly of natural materials, such as shale, kaolin and minerals. In addition, bricks from old or demolished structures can be salvaged for new applications — particularly nice if you're aiming for a vintage effect.
• Slip resistance. Left unfinished, brick has a slightly rough, textured surface that provides traction underfoot. However, if you seal it with a slick or waxy coating, you'll have to take other steps to prevent falls.
• Aesthetic appeal. One of the reasons people love brick is its inherent traditional warmth, which few other materials can replicate. It evokes a sense of the past and feels like a strong, reassuring holdover from bygone days. Natural variations in its coloring give it a beautifully nuanced palette.
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| Cons of Brick Flooring • Hardness. Durability comes with a price: Brick is unyielding beneath the feet. If you're using it in a kitchen or another space where you spend long periods of time standing, consider adding a cushioned mat or a thick rug to ease the strain on your legs and back. • Unevenness. Even the best-laid brick floors aren't 100 percent level, so you may need to compensate by sliding shims under furniture or pads beneath precarious breakables. • Weight. As you'd imagine, bricks are heavy, even in paver form. As a result, they're often impractical for a home's second or third story; it's very hard to reinforce the floor enough to support all that weight. |
by Wright Design
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• Moisture damage. While bricks on a vertical surface resist water well, bricks on a horizontal surface are a different story. Moisture can collect and penetrate the mortar, and if the bricks are porous, it can seep beneath their surface as well. You'll want to apply a sealant periodically to guard against mildew, mold and cracking.
Tell us: Have you used brick flooring in your home? What tips can you share?
Tell us: Have you used brick flooring in your home? What tips can you share?
Ideabook published on Feb. 27, 2013.
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However, as the article states, there are a few cons to consider. I suggest to anyone interested in this look but worried about the drawbacks to go to Inglenook Tile for their clay imitation brick pavers. They can be made with any colors, textures, size etc. and is the only imitation I find to look authentic.
After laying brick and applying silica sand, rent a terrazzo or concrete grinder and grind down the tops of the brick for an even surface that looks older and a bit worn. This creates a smooth, even surface. Multiple coats of boiled linseed oil mixed in equal parts with mineral spirits and oil based polyurethane buffed into the floor with a coarse pad will seal nicely. Wait for oil to dry between coats. You will find that after two or three coats like this you can take a finer pad and buff a sheen onto the floor with very little oil mixture.
You can walk on the floor at any time during this process as the oil dries slowly and will not be affected in the way that a surface finish would, by walking on it.
I had this finish on a house we lived in for 15 years and the floor looked as good after all that time as it did the day it was finished. You can buff in a refresher coat every few years if you want to. I would avoid any sort of wax as a top finish.
I am just trying to figure out whether or not this will be an option. If I can figure out how to attach an image of my sunroom in a future comment, I will. This would be a "before" picture.....ugly skimpy glossy oak trim, cedar wood ceiling, full of junk, unpainted walls. We are beefing up the trim with heavier, more traditional and ornate painted trim and probably painting the ceiling.
I need some advice!