How to Cover Exposed Brick Walls

Paint

• 1

  Mix one cup of trisodium phosphate, or TSP, in four gallons of water. Soak a sponge in the solution and rub it on the brick wall to remove accumulated dirt and grime. Wipe the wall afterward with a damp cloth to remove residual solution. Let the wall dry for 12 hours.

• 2

  Load a tube of sanded caulk in the caulk gun and puncture a tiny opening through its front. Apply the caulk to damaged mortar joints. Let the mortar repair dry overnight.

• 3

  Tape the sides and corners of the ceiling, adjoining walls and floor with painter’s tape to prevent it from spreading.

• 4

  Pour acrylic primer into a roller’s pan. Soak the nap of a roller in the primer and apply it over the exposed brick wall, moving your hand in vertical strokes. Use a small paintbrush to reach corners and joints. Let the primer cure for 24 hours.

• 5

  Apply the desired shade of acrylic paint to the primed brick wall using a roller. Move your hand in smooth strokes up and down the wall to ensure complete coverage while maintaining a wet edge. When you finish, paint corners and mortar joints with a paintbrush. Let the paint dry for the time specified on the label directions before applying a second coat of paint for even and bold coverage.

Plaster

• 6

  Brush the exposed brick wall surface with a bench brush. Wipe the wall with a wet rag to remove residue.

• 7

  Mix moist medium sand, portland cement and masonry cement to an 8:1:1 ratio with a trowel. Pour the content in a wheelbarrow and mix until the plaster achieves a uniform texture.

• 8

  Mist the exposed brick wall with a hose so it is evenly damp, but not too wet. Apply plaster to the wall using a hand trowel until it forms a 3/8-inch thick layer. Start from one corner of the wall and work your way to the other when covering it with the base coat of plaster. Don’t worry about achieving a uniform texture yet; a rough texture allows the final coat to adhere to it better. Let this coat dry overnight.

• 9

  Apply the final coat of plaster to the wall, starting from the bottom and working your way up, forming a 1/4-inch thick layer. Moving the trowel in short strokes, change the direction of each stroke and overlap the new strokes with the previous ones to ensure a uniform and smooth finish. Step back after plastering a small section of the wall and review the work.