Brick Flooring 101: How To Lay It And Take Care Of It From Someone Who Has Done It Herself

Brick floors have constantly been my jam. I utilised to work for a designer in Los Angeles who had a ton of consumers with Spanish cottage-style properties in Montecito. We pretty much drove up there 2 times a week for onsites, and just after examining in on these tasks, we’d have lunch at the cutest very little spots in city on our way back to Los Angeles. I beloved these onsites most. Even however these homes were being substantial in measurement, I often liked how the architectural facts built them come to feel so quaint. Just one of individuals particulars staying their brick floors. To be trustworthy, back then, I was constantly supplied the undertaking of picking the sample in which the brick would be laid and leaned a lot more into the aesthetics side of the flooring. It wasn’t right up until my second style and design position at an architectural organization in Santa Monica, exactly where I would genuinely learn the worth of specifying elements for their durability and sustainability. I would have hardly ever guessed it would get seven years right up until I’d fully have an understanding of the install facet of brick flooring and the upkeep that comes with it (encountering and owning the flooring in my individual household). 

We know that brick is ordinarily utilized to build partitions, and for outside the house places like gardens, driveways, streets, and walkways, but in new years I’ve observed brick floors reemerge in the interiors of households. This has been designed achievable by businesses making brick supplies particularly to be mounted inside of of homes. These come in the form of brick sheets that are made to make the installation of inside brick floors as straightforward as it can potentially be. They even occur in the kind of a herringbone pattern, so that the labor to put in them doesn’t have to be so extreme/pricey. 

All that to say, right here I am, a few months later, just after obtaining our kitchen transformed and I can lastly give you an update on how our brick flooring have been holding up, but to start with, let’s speak install. 

Installation

Essential Brick Flooring Supplies: Cement board (from time to time), Mortar, Grout, and Tile/Stone Sealer 

A customer of mine was sort more than enough to give me the leftover brick from a mudroom I worked on a though ago, and this was a significant cause as to why I decided on the brick flooring for my kitchen area. I experienced a significant amount of money of the brick tiles previously and knew I’d be saving a lot on flooring by obtaining the remaining total (on top rated of applying my trade discounted). A different huge motive I selected to go with the brick was mainly because of all of the water harm we discovered in the earlier flooring. There was water beneath the wood laminate and it was a tad little bit moldy. After getting rid of the laminate, we recognized there was tile beneath it and even now had some little puddles of water sitting down on best of it (in concerning the laminate and tile). Then when pulling up the tiled flooring, we uncovered concrete. 

Hot Suggestion: I’ve done my share of study on brick flooring and discovered that cement board is for waterproofing above wooden. Because concrete was currently on the subfloor in my residence, waterproofing was not desired right here – we were capable to do devoid of the cement board. 

Let us converse grout! I feel the vital is to have a brick mason and a tile installer when putting in brick flooring. My contractors had both appear in to do our kitchen area flooring. Both equally introduced me with a few software solutions as to how I’d like the flooring grouted. The application I cherished most was that of a German Schmear. A German Schmear is when a mixture of soaked mortar is troweled or painted on to the floor of the brick. Afterward, right before the mortar is entirely dry, some of it is wiped off to expose areas of the brick. Believe of it like spreading peanut butter onto a piece of toast, then acknowledging you have added a little bit much too considerably, and wiping some off…just plenty of right until it is to your liking. Possibly that is a lousy analogy, but it will make feeling at this minute (as I’m eating a piece of peanut butter toast). Shifting on, I selected this grout software for a number of distinctive factors a single staying that throughout the transport of the brick tiles, a couple arrived with some cracks in them (thanks to my hubby haha). 

I didn’t want to throw absent the cracked parts and figured filling them with grout would do the trick. As well as, I really don’t intellect the character the cracks provide. Secondly, I chose this application for the reason that I didn’t want dust and food to accumulate in concerning the grout. The 3rd cause I chose this application, is since I wanted the flooring to truly feel additional leveled and clean when people walked on them, and lastly, I preferred the flooring to look like they experienced been there for ages. I enjoy it when architectural particulars have a bit of rustic character. As for the true grout, I resolved to go with this Ultracolor As well as FA #93 Warm Grey Grout. 

Congruent with the grout, I necessary to decide how I desired the brick tiles to lay. I performed around with so a lot of mixtures but in the end determined I required a border all-around the overall floor and the herringbone-patterned tile to fill it in. I was ready to use the OldMill Castle Gate Herringbone Slender Brick Panels for the within ground design and style and the Castle Gate Thin Brick Panels for the outside border structure. The past selection I had to make was relating to the tile sealer. I required to make certain this brick was sealed and well prepared for all of the spills I realized my just one-yr-old (and hubby) would be presenting it with. I ended up acquiring it sealed with two coatings. It really only required one particular, but there will be a renter in this article quickly, as we are moving back to Los Angeles this year. I seriously preferred to make absolutely sure I did my owing diligence with sealing off these brick pores. That qualified prospects me to my next subject, durability. 

DURABILITY 

Entertaining Actuality: Fired clay bricks are one of the most sturdy and strongest building resources recognised to male, with some illustrations relationship all the way again to 5000 BC. How intriguing is that?! This is undoubtedly a ground that can stand the test of time. This sort of a strong materials, along with the grout picked, the software, and the levels of sealer, all make for a terrific pairing.

We have already spilled wine and black paint on the floor and wiped it up like magic (only employing soap and water). I ought to also mention the 1st dishwasher we been given was drug in the course of the kitchen when it arrived (wasn’t joyful about it) – let us just say the flooring won and the dishwasher dropped. Fire clay bricks can also withstand excessive heat and is additional resistant to harm from fireplace than other styles of flooring. This was a substantial in addition in our scenario, as the former floors endured from burn off marks – not very guaranteed what the previous owner was up to in the kitchen area. 

SUSTAINABILITY 

I’m executing my ideal transferring ahead to look at each material’s sustainability. The much more I become educated about our atmosphere, the additional I want to make certain I do my aspect. In the previous, I have created a good deal of design selections that resulted in assembly my possess needs, but compromising the potential of foreseeable future generations to satisfy their requirements. When I was heading to faculty for interior and architectural design and style, I figured out about LEED and how I could responsibly style. I however would like to be LEED-accredited at some stage, but in the meantime, I’m attempting to make superior conclusions when it comes to design projects and deciding on components. I genuinely do want my newborn boy and all of the other people inheriting our world following me to inherit a little something very good. That said, clay and shale are the natural way developing components that are out there abundantly. Although it normally takes a lot vitality to fire brick, their severe durability and longevity signifies that no excess electricity is expected to substitute them in the prolonged operate. Bricks are also recyclable. 

MAINTENANCE 

How I maintain my brick ground has been the communicate of the town! Effectively, by using my social media it has lol. I’ve been sharing tidbits of me executing so, but now I’ll get to the nitty-gritty with how I continue to keep them up. To be sincere, following listening to plenty of folks’ experiences with their brick flooring, I was a small anxious of what was to occur with mine, but just after three months, I actually do not have any woes or regrets. It’s been significantly less complicated than I imagined it would be and I’d credit score this to how it was set up and what supplies I chose throughout that course of action. In addition, here’s how I preserve a clear brick flooring: 

Vacuum Regularly 

I use a robotic vacuum each and every early morning (you read me correct). Each morning, I set up the little one gate, and I let the vacuum do its thing. It’s straightforward to seize crumbs simply because there are no cracks for them to get into (this was in substantial part because of to the software method and the grout I chose). The grout is amazing simply because it reduces surface area absorption to support repel drinking water, grime, and grime ahead of penetrating grout joints. To reiterate, the grout is essentially the same stage as the brick and all of the cracks in the brick have been crammed with grout as perfectly (German Schmear) therefore, crumbs and grime do not accumulate. This would make for a smoother floor as nicely, though nevertheless trying to keep a bit of its texture.

Mop Weekly 

My partner and I make positive to mop our kitchen floor each and every Sunday early morning. This usually means I mop it at the time each and every two weeks and he mops it as soon as just about every two months. It does not experience like a whole lot of function to us. We just set on a very good podcast, pull out a mop and a all-natural blend, then get to do the job. 

Scorching Tip: Right here are a several natural cleaning solutions I identified by way of The Spruce: 1 aspect vinegar blended with 10 to 15 areas of h2o, or 2 tablespoons Borax blended with 1 gallon of h2o, or 1 to 2 tablespoons baking soda blended with 1 gallon of water. Cleaning soap and h2o are a hit as well!

I’ve experimented with all the above and I like utilizing the cleaning soap and drinking water mix the most… just happens to be my preference. My husband likes utilizing the vinegar blend. 

Clean Spills Quickly With A Cloth 

This a person just necessitates me quickly grabbing a cloth and making use of soap and water to thoroughly clean the location that has been spilled on. Most of the day by day spills are coffee, oat milk, and water. 

We Do Not Use Sneakers In The Residence (Unless They Are Brand name New Or Residence Slippers)

I have a minor 1 who likes to consume off of the floors and in essence just lay his face on the flooring any time he feels like it. I have also noticed way as well quite a few documentaries about all of the germs that dwell on the base of our shoes. That mentioned, in my house, we really don’t put on our exterior shoes within. This also contributes to why our flooring do not get really soiled.  

 Now let’s get to the thing anyone has been waiting for – are the floors even cozy? 

Convenience

We definitely received a superior stage on our brick, and the grout becoming nearly as stage as the genuine brick tile tends to make the flooring sense a great deal smoother. We get just sufficient texture that for each my momma, “it feels like a little bit of a therapeutic massage when walking on the ground.” It really meant a great deal for my mother to have a good knowledge with going for walks on the flooring, as she has feet and knee problems. Rely on, my mom is a straight-shooter, and would gladly permit me know if she observed the floors unpleasant. She outlined that she’d get her slippers off just about every time before getting into the kitchen area, seeking ahead to going for walks on it.

My father also relished going for walks on the floor, and with a current hip surgical procedures. There is also the opinions of people exterior of my family, all types of contractors (plumbers, wall-patchers, electricians, HVAC servicers, and many others.) who have no skin in the sport, nonetheless all brought to my awareness how astonished they ended up at the comfort and ease of strolling on the ground (I do not make it possible for sneakers in our residence, so they were being able to experience the flooring this way). In addition, in phrases of comfort, brick is inherently warmer than other tiles with retaining warmth houses. My partner, a person-yr-aged, and I also really like walking on the floor. I guess you can formally deem us “brick people”. 

At the conclude of the day, it’s all about how focused you are to the substance. Will you invest the time placing collectively the great mixture of supplies and recipe for install? Are you all right with vacuuming your kitchen area flooring every day, deep cleansing once a week, and refraining from wearing your outside footwear inside of? Would you want to wander on textured floors every single working day? How do you sense about incorporating texture and heat to make your place really feel additional quaint and cozy – which can also choose on a modern modern-day seem when blended with the proper materials. Talk to yourself these thoughts, and quite a few far more just before you decide on a brick flooring. In my expertise, hearing from those who’ve opted for brick flooring in their house, they possibly hate it or love it. I’m a lover of brick. It provides an interesting, rustic component to any genre of design, it’s really one of a kind and I particularly enjoy it in a kitchen area. I’ll additional than probable be utilizing it all over again in our upcoming property.

*Design and style and Photograph by Ajai Guyot