How to Lighten Interior Exposed Brick Walls That Are Sealed

Cover the surface of the brick wall with a citrus-based paint solvent to dissolve the sealant placed onto the bricks. Brush the solvent in place with a paintbrush, taking care to get the solvent into the mortar lines between the bricks as well as onto the brick faces. Let the solvent sit in place for about 10 minutes to penetrate the sealer, then wipe the sealer and solvent from the wall with a piece of cloth.

Clean the brick wall with a solution of soap and water, adding just enough soap to warm water in a bucket to cause suds to develop. Use a sponge to apply the mix, cleaning from the top of the wall downward, then rinse the cleanser off with clean water. Wait about six hours for the bricks to dry.

Dilute a water-based paint in a paint pan until it’s a 50/50 mixture. Use white paint for lightening white bricks, or a light tan paint to lighten brown bricks. Mix the water into the paint with a wooden paint stirrer.

Take a clean rag and saturate it with the paint mixture. Twist excess paint from the rag until the paint is just short of dripping. Use the paint-filled rag to wash over the bricks, allowing the pores in the bricks to absorb the paint. Cover the bricks evenly with the paint to get the same color tone over the entire wall. Apply the paint until you have a color you desire, then allow the wall to dry overnight.

Brush a new layer of sealant over the bricks to provide water-resistant protection for the bricks against staining or against the new color fading with exposure to light. Let the sealer dry for 48 hours before touching the wall.