Victorian bricks - can they be re-stained grey

[spice28]

Hi,

I am think of buying a terrace which has been cleaned so that the bricks on the front are now their original colour (sandy).

Does anyone know if you can successfully apply coal dust (or something else) to the bricks to make them look grey again? I don't want to make a mess of the house...

Thanks for your help

 

[noseall]

Does anyone know if you can successfully apply coal dust to the bricks...................................I don't want to make a mess of the house...

 

[stuart45]

There are brick tinting firms who might do you a coal dust shade. Conservationists sometimes use soot mixed with paraffin to age new lime mortar joints.

 

[Shytalkz]

Could always get all your mates to pass by, back up to the wall and leave their engines running while they have a cup of tea with you

 

[^woody^]

You need to do a traditional soot wash, which is what is done in conservation areas.

Soot or mashed up coal or ash, possibly a bit of topsoil too, and mixed in a tub of water and left over night.

Then brushed onto the wall. Once dry, give it a rinse, but not a soaking - you want the residue to stay and not streak down the wall

It may require a few attempts, and take care to do it evenly or it looks wrong

 

[spice28]

Thanks to woody and stuart, that is very useful info!

 

[Shytalkz]

Ooi, why tf would you want to go and make some nice clean brickwork look all ****e and grotty again? Toning down a repair in an old wall, I can understand. But wholesale grot reintroduction???