Living rooms with exposed brick walls

Love it or hate it... exposed brick walls are still a favourite for adding natural beauty and warmth to a room. 

12/08/2018

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Exposed brickwork imparts warmth and organic beauty to any room and has become a feature in many homes; from loft living to country cottages, exposed brick walls can be turned into an eye-catching focal point.

In the last few years we have seen exposed brick walls become a feature in homes around the globe and there's no better way to bring character to a room than to strip back the plaster to reveal the warm colours of clay brick. However, before you grab the hammer and chisel to start knocking off any plaster, make sure you have clay brick walls and not cement brick walls, as the latter definitely won't add appeal to a room!

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It's a sad fact that most homes built today are built using cement stock bricks, unless facebrick or clay brick is specifically requested. It's only older homes, generally older than 30 years, have clay brick. It's only recently, possibly as we look at ways to bring more character to our 'little box' homes that the natural beauty of revealing brick walls has become a popular trend - a touch of je ne sais quoi that is easy to bring into your home if you're prepared to put the time and effort into removing plaster finishes.

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Living with exposed brick walls has its advantages and disadvantages, the main disadvantage being the quality of brickwork beneath the plaster. During the 70s and 80s, houses were being constructed at a fast pace, with the likes of construction companies such as Schachat Cullum and Wimpey building homes to cater for the growing demand. Having watched my own, first home being built it was a shock to see how fast houses went up and the quality of the work done.

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Related to the quality aspect of brick walls is the fact that, once exposed you may find that the exposed brick and mortar is crumbly and porous. This can be easily remedied with the application of a Brick Sealer, but it's also one of the main reasons why many homeowners tend to paint exposed brick walls - to offer protection and allow the brickwork to be cleaned.

Another possible problem that could occur when revealing a brick wall is cracks. While it's relatively easy to disguise and fix cracks in a plaster finish, cracks in the actual brickwork are difficult to cover up.

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If you are having a home built you can choose to have a clay brick or facebrick wall incorporated as an inner wall. In this way you can ensure the quality of the work done and not have to worry about porous or crumbling mortar and shabby work.

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It might not be everyone's cup of tea, and each to his own, but there's no denying that an exposed brick wall definitely adds something unique to a room setting. 

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If you fancy the idea of an exposed brick wall in your living room, but definitely don't want to go through all the mess and work of chipping off plaster, wallpaper with an exposed brick pattern is definitely something to consider.

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There are some amazingly realistic wallpapers available locally where it is hard to tell that it's wallpaper, unless you stand up close. And you can choose between a natural brick look, or a whitewashed brick wallpaper. So much easier than removing plaster and painting a brick wall. Get onto Google and search for 'exposed brick wallpaper' to find your nearest stockist, or check out the range of brick wallpapers at your local Builders Warehouse.

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