What Can Be Done to a Fake Brick Kitchen Wall?

Painting

• Painting is one of the simplest options for dealing with the fake brick. There are strong paints designed to cover faux stone work that will bond to your brick and allow you to make it whatever color you want. This can help diminish the brick effect and allow you to match the wall with other areas of the kitchen. Cleaning the brickwork and removing any sealant coatings is an important first step for the painting process.

Removing

• If the fake brick does not fit with your ideas for the kitchen at all, you will have to remove it. Fake brick is set on the wall with a layer of thinset mortar. If it is placed on backer board, you may be able to remove the backer board entirely along with the brick, using a tile saw to cut out the pieces. If there is plaster or another surface behind the brick that you want to protect, you have a much longer job scraping off all the mortar and prying out the brick by hand.

Repairing

• Repairing the fake brick is another option. There are advantages to fixing cracks and missing mortar. You can restore the function of the brick, improve its appearance, and save on the time and cost to replace it. However, you are still stuck with the same brick pattern. Glues, sealants and new grout lines can help your restore the wall to a much better condition.

Covering it Up

• You may also be able to cover up the fake brick with another material. This may be an option if you want to install vinyl tile or another easy coverup layer, but the brick is not normally a good substrate for any surface. If you can, avoid covering the brick up and remove it entirely if you want a layer of tile or stonework instead. This will prevent adhesion problems later on.