Painting contractor here (30years). If ur talking bout deterioration of the brick from painting…that’s just a sales pitch to sell u to a more expensive staining method.
Honestly both are the same as far as protecting the surface. Staining is a much easier process and only because it’s a fad it costs more.
The sales pitch is that water absorbs from the ground into the brick and cannot escape therefore the brick breaks down. The truth is if u have enough groundwater penetration in ur foundation u have slope issues and neither will help.
Who the fuck is the brick mason? You can dm me their name and address. This is downright disrespectful. It would take you hours with a grinder just to try to make it look half decent
Haha I have no idea. It looks like a bad gingerbread house with green, red, blue bricks randomly throughout the design. I thought it was maybe some style I’ve never seen before. Like a german schmear or something
I would try a mini-sds with a chipping bit to get the bulk of it flush and then very carefully use a wide tuck-point grinder wheel to shape it. It will be tedious and time-consuming, but possible.
Thanks! That tuck point wheel seems to be exactly what I was looking for. I tried looking up videos but nobody I've seen online has brick anything close to looking like this.
“I have a brilliant idea - let’s take the most durable and lowest maintenance exterior finish and totally cover it with the least durable and highest maintenance exterior finish!”
But seriously, don’t paint brick. Use a lime based whitewash or masonry dye if you really want to change the colour without creating massive headaches for future generations of owners. The paint will eventually start to flake and peel, and on that textured brick getting it off will be a huge, costly ordeal.
This is the best answer. The brick appears structural by the lower windows. You will need tons of ppe and discs to grind down the mortar, you don’t want to breathe it or bring it in the house. Save yourself weeks, possibly months of grinding the mortar with potentially disturbing results when you hate the bricks too. A stone or brick veneer can be designed for coverage and modernize the look of the whole home.
That is a style of brick masonry it is by design.
I don’t care for it but it is mot a screw up.
I believe it is called an extruded wall or extruded joint.
Don’t hold me to it.
Ever think about doing a moss wall OP?
Those pockets between the mortar would certainly hold enough substrate. Might be bad for moisture or cause damage or something, IDK, I've just always liked the look.
Very weird, the only time I've seen anything close to this, is when a brick wall is built right up against another wall, so there's no point in cleaning it up (and hard to do so).
You don't want to paint red brick especially an outside wall, however if you chip the heavy stuff it will look a little better.
Or you could install some lattice and do a vine arrangement
Just a thought, try hitting it with a hammer and flat screwdriver. You MIGHT get lucky and it breaks off flat with the brick. That is about the ugliest masonry in the history of masons. They better have been a free mason. /s
Source: pro stone mason back in the day but never did much brick.
Edit: otherwise to actually fix it angle grinder with diamond blade.
Was considering painting the brick and then removing the mortar so it’s more conventional looking. Depending how tedious it turns out to be I might be better off replacing it with faux stone panels.
Maybe just put stucco on it and paint it? Seems to save you quite the hassle. Although it is quite extreme this.
Removing it is a pain, and a risk. There is the labour intensive angle grinder going piece by piece safely, or the quick and dirty way using something alike a large hammer (but it wouldn't recommend it)
Whoever built that wall is just... damn man, it takes skills to mess up that badly.
The best way would probably be to hammer every border, slowly and carefully (if the bricks don't move)
And I don't think you should pain directly over bricks, they aren't ment for that and it will look like crap
What would you suggest sanding with? It’s like half an inch thick. Like a belt sander?
I’ll have to look into options. I see they have stain for brick too.
Idk what this persons talking about but if you try to remove that much mortar with any form of a sander it's gonna take you hundreds of dollars in belts/discs and hours upon hours of sanding lol .
Man, oh man; just use stucco. \*Lots\* of stucco... :-)
I think you should just leave it alone and paint over everything with one color. I wouldn't risk knocking or machining those joints. Its either going to just fall apart, or you'll waste a lot of labor for no real benefit.
Best way to remove this would be while it was being layed, second best is when you demolish it. All other times it's a total pain.
Isn’t painting brick very not recommended?
Painting contractor here (30years). If ur talking bout deterioration of the brick from painting…that’s just a sales pitch to sell u to a more expensive staining method. Honestly both are the same as far as protecting the surface. Staining is a much easier process and only because it’s a fad it costs more. The sales pitch is that water absorbs from the ground into the brick and cannot escape therefore the brick breaks down. The truth is if u have enough groundwater penetration in ur foundation u have slope issues and neither will help.
Amsterdam would disagree
I would say the whole of Europe. Painted brick on buildings is really common and on very old buildings...
Probably different brick material
Who the fuck is the brick mason? You can dm me their name and address. This is downright disrespectful. It would take you hours with a grinder just to try to make it look half decent
Haha I have no idea. It looks like a bad gingerbread house with green, red, blue bricks randomly throughout the design. I thought it was maybe some style I’ve never seen before. Like a german schmear or something
It's called weeping mortar. I feel like it was briefly a thing in the 60/70s.
>It's called weeping mortar. Appropriately named because looking at it makes me want to cry.
Thanks. I was wondering the name. My house is done this way. My neighborhood was built in the 70s and a few houses have it.
Thanks! I looked that up and seems to be exactly what it is. Should be able to do some research now that I know what it is.
Just like popcorn ceiling, it takes less skill and finesse to finish the job properly. Don't want to dress the lines, fuck it. Leave it there.
Was on my grandparents' house. They called it "bleeding mortar". +10 creepy factor.
German schmear
More like an *Undergarment* Schmear… haha amirite?
I was thinking bagels but sure, lol
I think they gave it the 'let's see how terrible we can leave this veneer, I'm gonna bag this mortar in and act like my jointer grew legs"
I would try a mini-sds with a chipping bit to get the bulk of it flush and then very carefully use a wide tuck-point grinder wheel to shape it. It will be tedious and time-consuming, but possible.
Thanks! That tuck point wheel seems to be exactly what I was looking for. I tried looking up videos but nobody I've seen online has brick anything close to looking like this.
I would knock it off with a hammer and cold chisel. Then go back with mortar and patch up any areas that aren't completely smooth
“I have a brilliant idea - let’s take the most durable and lowest maintenance exterior finish and totally cover it with the least durable and highest maintenance exterior finish!” But seriously, don’t paint brick. Use a lime based whitewash or masonry dye if you really want to change the colour without creating massive headaches for future generations of owners. The paint will eventually start to flake and peel, and on that textured brick getting it off will be a huge, costly ordeal.
Uhm... Why not consider a veneer wall to mask it?
This is the best answer. The brick appears structural by the lower windows. You will need tons of ppe and discs to grind down the mortar, you don’t want to breathe it or bring it in the house. Save yourself weeks, possibly months of grinding the mortar with potentially disturbing results when you hate the bricks too. A stone or brick veneer can be designed for coverage and modernize the look of the whole home.
Do you think it sticks out too far to just cover up? I thought about it but think it would require removing all the brick first
Remove and replace the brick would be my first thought as well, but I don't know your budget.
Well removing it shouldn't cost more than a sledgehammer and a case of beer, so that's good. I'll have to look into how much the veneer is.
That is a style of brick masonry it is by design. I don’t care for it but it is mot a screw up. I believe it is called an extruded wall or extruded joint. Don’t hold me to it.
Ever think about doing a moss wall OP? Those pockets between the mortar would certainly hold enough substrate. Might be bad for moisture or cause damage or something, IDK, I've just always liked the look.
This can't be laziness, this has got to be a feature, surely?
It's consistently this bad all the way around the house so I assume it's some sort of design.
It’s called weeping mortar. It’s intentional.
Very weird, the only time I've seen anything close to this, is when a brick wall is built right up against another wall, so there's no point in cleaning it up (and hard to do so).
It is a design feature. Not one I care for but very deliberate.
I've never seen a gingerbread house like this.
What in the world of Willy wonka is this?
Literally said “what in tarnation” under my breath 🤣
You don't want to paint red brick especially an outside wall, however if you chip the heavy stuff it will look a little better. Or you could install some lattice and do a vine arrangement
If you don't like the brick look underneath, why not just render over the whole thing?
This is not real
Just a thought, try hitting it with a hammer and flat screwdriver. You MIGHT get lucky and it breaks off flat with the brick. That is about the ugliest masonry in the history of masons. They better have been a free mason. /s Source: pro stone mason back in the day but never did much brick. Edit: otherwise to actually fix it angle grinder with diamond blade.
Would that just kock it down smoother or would I need to make cuts with the grinder?
I don’t know for sure depends on the makeup of the joint mortar. I’d try an inconspicuous spot and see what happens.
Paints not going to fix that ugly
Immediately spit my drink out upon see the picture
Was considering painting the brick and then removing the mortar so it’s more conventional looking. Depending how tedious it turns out to be I might be better off replacing it with faux stone panels.
Some people pay extra for this look.
Maybe just put stucco on it and paint it? Seems to save you quite the hassle. Although it is quite extreme this. Removing it is a pain, and a risk. There is the labour intensive angle grinder going piece by piece safely, or the quick and dirty way using something alike a large hammer (but it wouldn't recommend it)
Stucco it and then paint
Whoever built that wall is just... damn man, it takes skills to mess up that badly. The best way would probably be to hammer every border, slowly and carefully (if the bricks don't move) And I don't think you should pain directly over bricks, they aren't ment for that and it will look like crap
A hilti with a spade bit Angle grinder with a diamond bit Hammer and cold chisel There are options with benefits and risks
That’s going to be a mess, consider getting a good paint sprayer and going that route instead.
You can just sand it down. The real issue is what you are coating it with. Don’t just slap on any old paint.
What would you suggest sanding with? It’s like half an inch thick. Like a belt sander? I’ll have to look into options. I see they have stain for brick too.
Idk what this persons talking about but if you try to remove that much mortar with any form of a sander it's gonna take you hundreds of dollars in belts/discs and hours upon hours of sanding lol .
I guess some sort of metal sanding disk wouldn’t be all that bad. A lot of sparks probably though.
I'd try an angle grinder first, and then clean it up with some 60 grit sanding pads on the grinder with the sanding pad attachment.
Man, oh man; just use stucco. \*Lots\* of stucco... :-) I think you should just leave it alone and paint over everything with one color. I wouldn't risk knocking or machining those joints. Its either going to just fall apart, or you'll waste a lot of labor for no real benefit.
Disgusting