Brick Flooring - Comments
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oUR HOUSE IS 20 YEARS PLUS OLD. THE BRICK FLOOR THAT IS IN THE KITCHEN AREA IS A BEAR!!! THE BUILDER USED TRUE BRICK NOT BRICK TILE. AND THEY SPACED THE BRICK OUT A BIT MORE THAN I WOULD HAVE. I CANNOT SEEM TO KEEP IT CLEAN. I HAVE DONE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. I AM NOW LOOKING AT SANDING THE BRICK JUST TO TRY TO GET IT CLEAN. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
JO at September 9, 2007 09:01 PM
Posted by: JO at September 9, 2007 09:01 PMI don't have personal experience with brick flooring; brick pavers yes. Sealing brick pavers helps keep them soil resistant. I don't know if you can effectively sand your bricks to clean them or not, because I don't know what they are dirty with. If you have oily stains, they may be permanent.
If you can live with the level of "dirty" you presently have, clean them as best you can and then seal them with several coats of brick sealant.
The Flooring Lady at September 10, 2007 10:18 AM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at September 10, 2007 10:18 AMI am thinking about purchasing a house that has brick flooring. But the brick floor has two problems. One is that it seems to be sunken inward in a few areas. Generally the surface is not very even, but in two different rooms there are areas where it curves inward, these areas are perhaps 4'x2.5' or so. The agent says it is because the brick was built on a sand foundation and it does not represent structural issues for the house. Of course we would have it inspected, but even if it is not a structural issue we wonder what could be done about this and how expensive it would be to fix. Or would we just obscure it with furniture somehow. Is this a dealbreaker?
Secondly, in some places the brick has a nice glossy sheen, but in other places it looks as if covered by a dull grey dust. I read online that this could be cleaned and it may be "efflorescence," but we wonder how much of an issue this would be.
Thanks so much in advance. Otherwise we really like the home, but the sunken floor seems like a big issue. Your help is appreciated!
Secondly,
Douglas at October 29, 2007 08:53 PM
Posted by: Douglas at October 29, 2007 08:53 PMWhere can I find a step-by-step install for brick floors? or Pavers...thanks
Jason at October 31, 2007 07:12 AM
Posted by: Jason at October 31, 2007 07:12 AMI'd be surprised if the bricks were directly on the sand if this is in the house. My guess is the floor joists and subfloor aren't beefy enough for the brick flooring. Do get an inspection (they are a good idea for all sorts of reasons).
If my guess is correct you can fix it by adding braces and another layer of subfloor, or replacing the one that's there. That takes time and money to do that, but an inspection will tell you if you need to do it for structural reasons.
If you don't have to do it for structural reasons then it's your decision as to whether to disguise it, repair it or move on.
I'd like to hear what you learn from your inspection and what you decide to do.
The Flooring Lady at October 31, 2007 09:18 AM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at October 31, 2007 09:18 AMThank you for the input!
We'll look at the house once more this week and if we still like it we'll go ahead with the inspection. I'll report back.
Would one solution be to cover the brick with a wood floor? Is there a way to make the wood flooring level atop the brick without damaging the original brick (in case someone wanted to revert to it later)? Would it be a travesty to cover a unique brick floor with wood (I know this is subjective)? It's a little dark in the area with the brick so it might really brighten up the place to use a light colored wood and that might be less expensive than redoing the brick.
Thanks again!!
Douglas at October 31, 2007 02:44 PM
Posted by: Douglas at October 31, 2007 02:44 PMYou could cover the brick, but that will only add to the weight that may already be too much for the subfloor, and it will add height to the floor which could cause problems with doors, cabinets and stubbed toes.
The wood will also eventually bow until it's touching the bricks, so you have that sagging problem again. And if the added weight is a problem, it could get worse faster. Yes a lighter wood will brighten the area, but at what expense?
If that area happens to be a single-story the addition of sun tubes in the room will brighten it nicely. But first, find out why the floor is sagging.
The Flooring Lady at October 31, 2007 04:11 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at October 31, 2007 04:11 PMI am changing my floors and have always wanted to have brick floors installed. Brick is timeless. I love the look. However, now that I need find the brick - I am overwhemed. I never realized all the choices of brick. I love the black bricks, burgandy and white - typic bricks, but I am afraid it will be too busy looking on my floor. Any suggestions?
lk at November 8, 2007 10:39 AM
Posted by: lk at November 8, 2007 10:39 AMI always think of brick as the terra cotta color, but that's of course my limited image of them. I think the size of your space will make some difference as to how busy you can make it look with the changing colors. If your space is big enough you could create a wonderful old-world feel with the various colored bricks inter-mixed.
The pattern you select will make a difference too. Maybe you need to select your installation pattern first, and then lay the bricks out in that pattern to see how you like them.
Don't forget to make sure the floor structure is sturdy enough for the brick. You'd hate to go to the trouble and expense only to have it crack because of floor movement.
The Flooring Lady at November 8, 2007 04:53 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at November 8, 2007 04:53 PM
I have a 45+ year old brick floor. It has some type of solid sealer/varinsh on it, will acetone be the right thing to get it back to its original state? Then what I use to seal it?
TJ at December 1, 2007 12:18 PM
Posted by: TJ at December 1, 2007 12:18 PMComment Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
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