Everything You Need to Know About Brick Floors

Hi friends and happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a great start! I get SO many questions about my brick floors and I decided to cover ALL the questions for you in one post! That way you can see what everyone has asked and you can pin this info for now or later! Brick is definitely a statement floor. It’s classic and adds a bit of rustic to any decor style. I love the look and have had it in two houses so far. We recently added it to our entryway, which is the last area in our home that really needed updating, besides the bathrooms we’ve been working on. So, after lots of questions about the floor, I figured, let’s get to all of your questions!

BRICK FLOOR // GROUT (Color: Silver) // LIGHTS

BRICK FLOOR // GROUT (Color: Silver)

Everything You Need to Know about Brick Flooring

 

First up, this is the EXACT BRICK I have in my house! In my office, in my laundry room and now in my entryway!

 

How do you clean them? (I got the 100s of this question) 

By far the most asked question. I think there must be a stigma that brick is harder to clean? But, it’s not! Brick in general is used outdoors and can withstand all sorts of things, water, heat, sun, etc. I clean my floors like any other tile in my house. They are swept, vacuumed, mopped and steam mopped. I even bleach them at times. I prefer to steam mop them because I feel like with the heat, they are getting a LEGIT cleaning!

I use this STEAM MOP and this REGULAR MOP. My favorite cleaner to use is Young Living Theives Cleaner. You use a tiny bit and the floors are clean and smell amazing. I will bleach the area where the dogs walk in and out of the house, 1-2 times a month. Do this at your own risk (lol)…I don’t stress over potential color issues with bleach, but if you do, then I wouldn’t do it. It’s always a risk with bleach!

 

I’ve heard they are a pain to clean. Is that true?

Fake news! Ha! They are easy! Sweep, vacuum, mop, like any other tile floor.

 

Do you seal them?

We do and we use a natural enhancer to keep the color the same. In my old house, they used a color enhance seal and I didn’t love how much darker it made the brick. It looked good, but I learned from that. I prefer the actual color of the brick, so what we use has worked perfectly. We used THIS SEALER.

 

Is it expensive? 

Tile in general is pricey in my opinion. That’s why bathrooms were last on my house to do list! Ha! Brick is definitely a great flooring option , but I don’t see it being more than other designer tile options.

 

Is it uncomfortable on your feet?

I don’t find it uncomfortable, but I also didn’t do it in my kitchen, which was my original plan. I just realized standing on it for hours on end cooking, etc would probably not be comfortable to me.

 

Do they hold up well?

In my experience, yes. But I think it also matters how the tile is installed, etc. This is why I use professionals for installation.

 

How do you get a perfect herringbone pattern?

We hire this out. I did have people ask for a DIY and I wish, guys, but with tile, I leave it to the professionals! It’s an art, especially the herringbone pattern. I’m sure there are DIYs out there, but I would never attempt it myself. So much cutting, etc. It’s a lot to match it all up!

 

I feel like dust would get stuck in the mortar? 

We used grout and have issue with dust. If you are vacuuming and cleaning your floors like you normally do, there shouldn’t be an issue. I have dogs and kids, so our floors are cleaned a lot!

 

Are they easy to clean after a dog accident?

Totally, I just clean it like I would any other accident spot.

 

Which brick do you have?

You can buy the brick I have HERE. Always calculate your area and add 5% for waste. With herringbone, you can even add more and could potentially use it. I am linking the EXACT brick I have. Color may differ on website photo, but this is it! I get a lot of questions about that! Ha!

 

Is it hard to walk on with heels?

Not any harder than another type of tile.

 

Are they slippery?

We’ve had no issues with them being slippery. When tile is wet in general, its easy to slip on. This is a brick, so it’s more rough than a normal smooth floor tile.

 

Does the brick chip easily? Would you recommend it for a kitchen?

I haven’t had an issue with it chipping, but with ANY tile, it can chip. If the right thing falls on it, etc. I wouldn’t ever put it in a kitchen, but I thin it would be hard to stand on for hours on end. It was my plan in both houses and both times, I changed my mind.

 

What product did you use to lay it over the existing tile?

We used THIS PRODUCT (also HERE). The reason we chose not to demo and remove the existing tile is that the brick was thin enough to lay on top. That being said, it all depends on door heights, room transitions, etc. This will not be possible in every home and I would only recommend it if it makes sense for your space. Be sure you do your research before going this route.

 

It is super cold in the winter?

Not anymore than a normal floor tile. Tile in general can be cold all year around.

 

Was your installer nervous because it’s a “wall tile?”

It can be used for walls or floors. Ive had this in my laundry room for 4 years and in my office for 3 years and these are high traffic areas. Tile can always potentially crack…

 

Does it feel dirty on your feet?

The only time it feels dirty on my feet is when it needs to be cleaned. And again, my dogs walk in and out their doggie door on brick floor, so that space gets bleached a lot.

 

Are they easy to sweep?

As easy as any other floor!

 

What are they grouted with?

We use sanded grout. I like THIS BRAND and I use the color Silver.

 

Do they chip?

Any tile can chip. We haven’t had the issue in either house though. That being said, it does happen and can happen, brick, porcelain, cement, etc. They are all strong, but in the right (or wrong) scenario, they can chip. That’s just part of tile.

 

Are they easier to maintain than regular tile?

Nope, I would say, just the same as any other tile.

 

How does it hold up with water?

It’s brick, so it an withstand water. There is no difference between this brick and the brick on the outside of a house.

 

Do you have to use mortar? Can you use grout?

We used grout. I personally prefer the smooth look of grout, especially indoors. Mortar is a bit of a rougher look and since my brick is in high traffic areas- entryway, laundry room, office, we took that into account. You can’t go wrong, but if you’re looking to do the exact look I have, grout is your ticket!

 

Is it a rough surface?

Yes! Just like any other brick. These are a bit more distressed, which is the look we love.

 

Does it fell like brick when you walk on it?

Yep, it’s brick, so it feels like any other brick you’d touch! 🙂

BRICK FLOOR // GROUT (Color: Silver)

BRICK FLOOR (exact) // RUG // DESK // DESK CHAIR // SWIVEL GLIDER // SIDE TABLE

 

 

Want to use this brick in your home? Pin this image to come back to it later!

 

 

 

 

Would you use brick in your house? I know it’d definitely an acquired taste! I hope this post helps to answer all your brick questions! If I missed any questions, feel free to leave them here in the comments!

 

Have a great day! XOXO

 

If you liked this post, you’ll love Six Easy Ways to Make Your Home Cleaner and Recent Amazon Favorites!