Old Cut Up T-Shirts-cotton t-shirts are the perfect material to use to wipe the paint mixture for the whitewash look.
Painter’s Tape
Drop Cloths
Optional: Other plastic coverings or paper
Supplies
Sherwin Williams Loxon Masonry Paintwe used the base white
Water
Instructions
Prep Area and Brick
Use painter's tape and drop cloths or paper to cover areas not geting painted. Consider taping along the ceiling, wood beams, wall edges, and under the brick where it touches the carpet.
Clean the brick with a small wire brush. Use a shop vac to clean the mess.
Wipe down the brick with dish soap and water or TSP.
Let fully dry.
Whitewashing Brick
Mix 1:1 ratio of white paint and water in cup.
Use a paint brush to apply mixture. Paint an small area before wiping.
Wipe painted brick with old rags or cut up cotton t-shirts for your desired look.
Continue painting and wiping sections.
Let paint fully dry and touch-up areas that may need more whitewash paint.
Take tape off and decorate your newly whitewashed fireplace.
Video
Notes
No need to buy new paintbrushes for this DIY. Whitewashing brick is the perfect time to use your old paintbrushes. You are going to ruin them on the texture of the brick and having new brushes will not get a better outcome.
The paint and water will start to separate in your cup as you are working. Make sure to mix the cup occasionally.
We liked the variation of saturation of color.
The paint mixture will soak into the brick and change its appearance a little as it dries. Make sure to step back and see if you like how it drying as you work.
You can always add more paint in some areas or use fine sandpaper if needed.
If you are working with someone, it went faster if one paints while the other wipes. some areas might not even really need to be wiped.