A typical brick has a lifespan onwards and upwards of over 500 years and thankfully so. You do not want a monumental structure to erode and break within a decade as not only is your hard work, grit and determination destroyed, but it imposes a massive safety hazard to those within the Vancity. Over time, bricks’ appearance will fade, discolour slightly and begin to look old. So how do you revive an old-looking brick building so that it looks brand new?
The answer is simple. Brick Tinting.
Most houses in the UK use bricks that manufacturers no longer produce, and even the ones still made are often rare. Finding a brick the same size, texture, or colour, as the original can be immensely challenging. This can result in bricks that look out of place, and reduce the visual appeal of the building; however, brick tinting can be the answer you have been looking for.
In this article, we will provide you with the knowledge of brick tinting and the major benefits using this method creates when trying to revive the look of your brick buildings.
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WHAT IS BRICK TINTING AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Brick tinting is the process of physically and permanently changing the colour of bricks to either blend in smoothly and consistently with surrounding facing brickwork or in some instances, completely changing the colour of facing bricks to match your specific requirement.
The process works by using water based pigments that soak into the brick
and as a result create a chemical bond.
The process works by using water-based pigments that soak into the brick and as a result, create a chemical bond. The solution penetrates the brick and creates a coating which remains unaffected by extreme weather or UV sunlight. Before any permanent tinting occurs, always test the solution on a small sample area to match the colour and get prior approval. Without a fixing agent, you can easily wash off the tint and correct the colour if needed.
Once there is a perfect colour match, a fixing agent is added to the mix, and the tinting solution is applied brick by brick. There are also other factors that can impact the duration such as the number of coats needed, the texture of the brick, the level of access, and even weather conditions (brickwork needs to be dry to absorb the tint). The final finish makes the brick look more natural and retains its texture and is usually a better option than painting.
The treated surface can also ‘breathe’ in the same way as non-treated surfaces, and will weather at the same rates giving it a more uniformed look to the brick building.
REASONS FOR BRICK TINTING
There are many reasons why brick tinting may be required:
- One reason for brick tinting is due to older bricks’ weathering over time in conjunction with brick manufacturers discontinuing the original brick. If this is the case, brick tint is a perfect alternative solution.
- Nearly all types of bricks can be tinted, which proves an even better reason for brick tinting. The only thing to consider is hard bricks such as engineering blue bricks are very dense and have a low water absorption rate, so require a different type of tinting solution.
- In situations where no damage to existing brickwork is present, rather than requiring a completely new brick structure and demolitioning the original building, brick tinting can be the best and easiest solution available.
WHY YOU NEED BRICK TINTING?
There is an increasing need for brick tinting within the UK. This is because most of the time it comes down to the fact that you simply can’t find the perfect match and you may be asking why this is. Well, the brick industry has gone through a rapid change in recent times, primarily as a result of the 2008 global financial crisis. Small brick manufacturers that once served local areas have shut down, allowing larger brick manufacturers to dominate the industry. As a result, manufacturers have discontinued bespoke or unique bricks, and they are no longer available. Additionally, masonry structures built before 1970 likely used bricks with no specific name, making it even more challenging to find exact replacements for construction purposes.
However, even if you do miraculously find the exact match to your building structure, you still have to combat or find solutions to production defects, batch colour variations, and even weathering as your bricks have been outside and exposed to the elements. The bottom line is, that your new bricks will likely look slightly different from any existing brickwork, which makes brick tinting an essential part of the process to get the perfect match on many construction builds.
Now that you know the reasons and rationale for brick tinting, why not have it done to one of your very own projects? If you’re interested, please call us to speak with one of our experts for the best course of action.