I want to start out by saying- what the heck took me so long to just bite the bullet and do this project? If you have been thinking about doing a project like this, just do it. Do not second guess yourself, just take the plunge. I’m sure that if your brick is as dated as mine is, you will be happy you did it. This is a DIY 1.5 years in the making.
My ‘Monica’ Room
From the moment we moved into our house three years ago, the basement has always been a bit dark to me. The brick wall had a dated look to it because of the brownish hue. I currently use the basement to work out and would like to use the office area more. It has been a catch all. If a whole room could be a ‘Monica Closet’ this would be it. My Monica Closet.
Since I will be partially working from home for the duration of this Coronavirus/COVID-19/Pandemic, I wanted it to be a more inviting place. What better time to work on it, right? I sought out to find ways to update it and make it brighter.
I have heard of German Schmearing before on Instagram. However I didn’t like the exagerated mortar spilling look that I see on some examples. I wanted more of a white washing with texture. So with my husband’s help and construction expertise, we came upon an option that would work for us and what I was going for.
We decided to use joint compound, because it wouldn’t pull grey.
My Grandfather the Brick Mason
Story Time: While I was doing this, I was wondering what my grandfather would think. My grandfather had many different jobs in his life but one of his skills was a brick mason. He had helped my dad with my mom and dad’s front porch and their brick ‘monument’ around their mailbox that all matched their brick house. I had wished that he was still alive to help us with our first house’s front porch. Now, our current home needs the front porch needs a new concrete overlay. I so wish he was around to help us or give pointers.Would he approve of what I was doing to this brick or not? Maybe he would just be glad that I was happy with the finished product. The interesting thing is, he chose a whitish hue to the brick fireplace he constructed and the garage he built. So I was happy with that.
What you need:
- Two different size drywall knives
- 3.5 quart container of joint compound (I used 3/4 of the container for my brick wall)
- Painter’s tape
The Process
First, vacuum your brick to get any dust or cobwebs off the surface. I had to move the plate on my stove pipe out of the way too. 
Tape off the walls with painter’s tape. As in any project you need to give yourself grace and learn the process. You will get in a groove and it should go smoothly. I ended up scooping with the smaller knife, plopped it on the bigger one and using that one as my palette, so to speak. I used the small knife to apply and then the big knife to go over and smooth the surface after each application was done. Allow the surface to dry significantly. How long it takes to dry will depend on the time of year and the temperature or humidity levels. I had my gas fireplace on and I think it dried fairly fast. When it is still damp, you will want to take your fingers and indent the mortar lines so your brick doesn’t look so flat.
The project took me about 4.5 hours. For some reason, I had it in my head it would take two days.
I thought I might need to apply a second coat but I didn’t.
I am so happy with it and excited about the direction I am going with the basement/rec room. I wish I had done this sooner.
Have you done this to a brick wall in your home or plan to? Let me know in the comments!
Have a good weekend and stay well!
