How to Paint a Brick Accent Wall
Do you have a brick wall you’d like to paint? Make it an accent wall with a bold color and a FLEXiO paint sprayer from Wagner.
Overview
Painting a brick wall can be challenging due to its porous surfuce. However, this task is much easier with the right tools - a paint sprayer, instead of a roller or brush. In this DIY project, we spray paint bricks to create an amazing focal wall, but these steps can be used for painting any brick wall.
Accent walls are a terrific way to add life to any room, making it a focal point and a conversation starter. To really make it pop, choose a dramatic paint color that’s different than the other walls in the room. We picked a Navy blue color that’s really going to stand out in this room, read our How to Choose an Accent Wall Color guide if you need more help selecting paint colors.
Because brick is so porous, it's going to take two coats of paint to cover the entire wall. Just note, even if primer is used as the first coat, and/or you're using paint for brick or masonry, we still suggest using 2 coats of your colored paint.
Before
After
Prep Your Area
Start by masking and covering anything you don’t want to accidentally spray paint on, including your floor, windows, and furniture. We recommend using a canvas drop cloth to protect the floor and lightweight plastic sheeting and masking tape to protect other walls and the ceiling from overspray.
Prepare Your Paint Sprayer
The FLEXiO 3000 paint sprayer is a great tool to tackle this project. It comes with a general purpose iSpray nozzle, which is ideal for covering broad surfaces like a brick wall. Start by turning the nozzle vertical for a side to side spray pattern and set the spray width adjustment to the wide position
Test and practice paint spraying on some scrap cardboard to get comfortable with the spray gun and make sure you have the settings (material and airflow) correct in order to receive the best finish.
Pro Tip: Using paint specifically for brick can improve adhesion, coverage, and reduce the number of coats needed.
Spray the First Coat Horizontal
Now we're ready to spray paint. Brick is very uneven and porous, so for the first coat it’s best to paint spray horizontally and then vertically for the second coat. This is a process called cross-hatching. Overlap each pass by 50% and make sure to keep the sprayer 6-8” away from the wall. As you're spraying, if you find a spot where the paint was a little thin, you can touch it up by gently pulling the trigger and spraying a little more paint on that spot. You might also have to go over some spots from different angles to coat the edges of the brick and the mortar joints.
Spray the Second Coat Vertical
Now it’s time to paint spray vertically to really get in the nooks and crannies and cover up the original color of the brick. Adjust your sprayer to the vertical position. You want to make sure you're still spraying 6-8” from the wall. Continue to overlap your passes by 50%.
Enjoy Your Brick Accent Wall
What a room transformation! With some paint and a FLEXiO 3000 paint sprayer, we've taken a dated-looking brick wall and turned it into an extraordinary painted brick accent wall. Finish the transformation with some decorations, or upcycled furniture.
Be sure to watch our how-to video to see these tips and tricks in action!
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