I’ve been looking forward to finishing our laundry room and half bath renovation for quite awhile. After spending several months walking around on subfloors I was beyond ready to get these brick floors installed. Although after tiling our upstairs bathroom with those tiny little hexagon tiles (AKA the tile from Hell) I was dreading starting another tiling job.
Tiling was absolutely the last thing I wanted to be doing when I started this project, but much to my surprise these thin bricks were super easy to install. The best thing about them is it’s pretty impossible to mess them up. Due to the fact that I was going for a vintage look, I didn’t have to worry about them being perfectly spaced. What a vacation for my inner perfectionist! So now I’m pretty much obsessed with them and trying to find excuses to put them everywhere.
Overview
Cost: $600.00
Time: Weekend
Area: 58 sq.ft.
Tools
- 1/4″ Trowel
- Triangle trowel
- Grout Bag
- A 5-gallon bucket
- Mixing paddle
- 1/2″ Corded Drill
- Tile Saw
- Chip Brush
- Sponges
Materials
Steps
1. Pick Out Your Bricks
I ended up ordering my bricks online from Home Depot. I went with the Old Mill Brick in the color Rushmore because I liked that they had gray tones. You may want to check around and see what your local options are. We just have to order everything online so that’s why I went with Home Depot. I really love the bricks they sell, though. The color was exactly what I was looking for.
update:
I have been receiving questions about the color of my floors. The Rushmore bricks look really gray on the Home Depot website because they used gray grout. My final pictures of my floors at the end of this post are very accurate to what they really look like. The difference is that I used white grout and it really made the colors pop.
2.Dry Fit The Bricks
I started out by dry fitting the bricks to find a pattern that I liked. I originally wanted to do a herringbone pattern but I ended up going with the typical horizontal brick pattern. Considering this space is so tiny I wanted to keep things simple.
When I was finished dry fitting the bricks they hit out exactly where I wanted them to be. So I just left them laid out on the floor because I didn’t dare mess it up. I did break a few bricks walking back and forth on them, though. oops!
3. Adhere The Bricks To Cement Board With Thinset
Now it was time to get them cemented down before I broke any more bricks. I used Versabond white Thinset because I was planning to use a light colored grout.
The Thinset becomes hard to work with after about 30 minutes so I mixed up roughly two gallons at a time. I followed the directions on the bag; mixing by hand first and then switching to a corded drill with a mixing paddle attachment.
4. Test The Consistency Of The Thinset
To test the consistency of the Thinset I held my trowel upside down over the bucket. The Thinset shouldn’t drip off but stick to the trowel. I’d say it was about the consistency of peanut butter.
At this point, your supposed to let it sit for ten minutes without adding any more powder or water. After that, I stirred it a couple more times and it was ready to go.
5. Apply Thinset To Cement Board
I began by stacking the first row of bricks onto the second. After that, I spread the Thinset along the exposed cement board using a triangle trowel, I then removed the excess Thinset using a 1/4″trowel. Finally, I laid the bricks back down using a little pressure to make sure they were secure.
6.Wipe Off Excess Thinset
I tried to keep the grout grooves clean as I went because chipping out Thinset is not fun! I was pretty good at doing this, but I wish I would have washed off the top of the bricks and edges, as I went along. It’s not hard to wipe up with water after it drys but it took me at least an hour to clean it up the next day.
7.Grout The Bricks
Now it was time for the grout. I used Polyblend Sanded Grout in Antique White. I went with the sanded grout because Non-Sanded grout would just smear and make a huge mess also sanded grout is stronger and made for large joints.
I laid about 58 sq ft. of brick and I used 1 1/2 bags (25lb). Hopefully, that will help give you a better idea of how much you will need. The suggestions on the back of the bag aren’t very helpful since they are for tile. To start with I bought one bag but ended up having to grab another one.
8.Use A Grout Bag To Apply The Grout
When grouting bricks a grout bag is definitely the way to go. It works just like a piping bag used for decorating a cake. With that in mind, the grout is easiest to work with when it is the consistency of frosting.
Using a grout bag is a major arm workout but I’m kinda weak sauce so maybe that was my problem.
Here’s something to keep In mind, the spacing between my bricks was 1/4″ when I cemented them down. After I finished grouting the grout line was more like a 1/2″ wide. Although I was actually really happy about this because it gave them that old brick look.
9.Use A Chip Brush To Shape The Grout
The grout is ready to be shaped when it still feels wet but is firm to the touch. Using the handle of a chip brush I pressed the grout down into the joint. The depth of the groove is up to you. I personally tried to keep the grout flush with the bricks for ease of everyday cleaning. After that, I used the brush end to smooth the grout and brush away the excess.
10.Be Warned
This is the most important part!
I recommend buying this Aldon Same Day Sealer and have it right ready when you finish grouting. Don’t wait to do this crucial step like I did. When I was ready to paint my laundry room I moved everything into the adjoining bathroom. The next day when I was cleaning up I lifted up the laundry soap and much to my horror it had leaked all over my beautiful floor. I scrubbed and scrubbed but it just wouldn’t come out. Thank goodness it is at least in a place where I can hide it with a rug or something. These bricks will stain very easily without being sealed. Moral of the story, seal your floors people and pronto!
11. Seal The Bricks
The Aldon Same Day Sealer was really easy to use. It looks just like water, basically you just dump it on and spread it around. It didn’t change the look of the bricks at all which I was extremely happy about because I loved how they looked. We bought a quart of the sealer but it was barely enough, I will probably buy more and do them again.
Now that our bricks are sealed they are holding up wonderfully well. Thankfully we haven’t had any more problems with staining and they are easy to keep clean.
I am in love with how this floor turned out it makes me happy every time I see it. It added some much-needed character to our house. Now I’m getting even more excited for these two rooms to be completely finished they are going to be super cute!
Are you ready to tackle Thin Brick floors? Trust me you will be so glad you did!
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I would love to see your brick floors!
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Update: I have been receiving a lot of questions about how I keep my brick floors clean so I wrote a short post with some tips for you. How to clean interior brick floors
I would love a brick floor in my kitchen. I’m afraid of them breaking when dishes get dropped. Have you had any problems with them breaking?
Hi Cassandra, I haven’t had any issues with them breaking or chipping at all. Since they are in my laundry and half bath I haven’t really dropped anything too heavy on them though. I can understand your concern for having brick floors in a kitchen, it is probably a whole different story. Sorry, that probably isn’t very helpful!
I love your floors and want to do it in our mudroom and laundry. Since now that its been a few years, have you had any breaks and if so how (or if) did you fix it?
Hi Melissa, We actually sold this house about a year ago. I haven’t heard any complaints from the new owners about them and we never had any break while we were living there.
Love your brick floor! Trying to convince the hubby to do this in our foyer and your tutorial just might do it. Thanks for sharing.
Your welcome! I wish I had a foyer to do brick floors in, that will be beautiful!
What color grout did you use?
Sorry, it took so long to answer your question, we just had a new baby. No need to explain I’m sure haha
I used Polyblend sanded grout in Antique White
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Custom-Building-Products-Polyblend-10-Antique-White-25-lb-Sanded-Grout-PBG1025/100079599
I just ordered this same brick for our fireplace wall. Mine doesn’t seem to have the variation in color that yours does in the pics. Do you feel like the look changed once you added the grout? I love your pics but am scared will hate this once it is up if it is too monotone.
I’m hoping to use these bricks on my fireplace someday too, that will be so pretty! Yes, I do think the grout made a huge difference in my floors. It has been so long since I installed them but looking back at the pictures the ones before I grouted do look pretty monotone. I hope I’m not too late in answering your question, we just had a new baby and life has been a little crazy!
Thank you so much! Congrats on the new bundle!!
Yes, the grout is approximately 30 percent of the color!
these bricks look great. i may try them out in a small space like my 1/2 bath. thanks for the tutorial.
You are so welcome and you definitely should!
Your floor looks amazing. I love the variation in coloring of your bricks. I ordered the same ones to do our fireplace wall but they look much more monotone gray. I did wash the dust off a few and that helped. I am undecided if I should install them or not? Did yours look more gray when they arrived and the grout brought out the red and darker gray tones? Or maybe the sealer did or even just wiping them down?
Thank you! It has been so long ago that I’m having a hard time remembering what they looked like out of the box. I’m sorry that’s not more helpful, I have a terrible memory! I do remember the grout made a huge difference in the final look of the floor though. It didn’t look so monotone after, so maybe it did help bring out the other colors. As far as the sealer goes, it didn’t change the floor at all and looked like I hadn’t done anything to it after it dried. Good luck with your fireplace wall I hope that it turns out the way you want. Let me know if you have any more questions!
I was going to ask a similar question about the gray tones. Your flooring looks beautiful so I’m trusting the grout will make the colors pop more. We are using it for our fireplace as well. Did you end up using these tiles Jennifer?
Hey Jennifer, We did end up using it for our fireplace and it turned out great! I will post pictures soon
Awesome! Thanks for the tutorial. We finished our fireplace last weekend and I love it! So glad I stuck with the materials and colors you chose.
Jennifer, I’m so happy that your fireplace turned out!
Our floor {plywood} has some thin glue lines where carpet was glued down. The carpet was removed. Can we put the brick over an imperfect floor?
I’ve never had to deal with this situation before but everything I have read says that the carpet adhesive can affect the adhesion of the Thinset to the subfloor. It is recommended to use a solvent and get the subfloors as clean and level as possible. You may want to double check with someone who has more experience though cause that sounds like a lot of work!
Are these comfortable to walk on? Trying to convince my S.O. to do this in our mudroom but he is paranoid that it will “hurt his feet” walking on it barefoot… hoping you can help me convince him haha 🙂 thanks!
That is too funny! Sounds like something my hubby would say. Don’t they understand that as long as it looks cute who cares! I personally don’t think they are uncomfortable to walk on. We walk on ours with bare feet all the time and I don’t even notice them, they have texture but are smooth if that makes any sense at all haha
My dream floor! You did such an awesome job, thank you for the detailed instructions, this will definitely be included in my kitchen remodel:) Beautiful!! My friend did a brick floor back in the 90’s, but she used real brick, what a job that was! Yours is so much more user friendly, thanks again!
Thank you, That means so much to me! WOW, that sounds like it was a lot of work I’m glad we have thin bricks now so we don’t have to go to that much work because they really are beautiful floors.
These are beautiful! How does cleaning work on them? Are you able to mop/swifter/vacuum, etc. My husband is concerned about cleaning them, we are looking at doing this in our kitchen!
Thank you! I use a bristle cleaning brush and scrub them by hand since it is such a small area. I mostly have to do that in the bathroom, the laundry room stays clean with sweeping and a little spot cleaning with the scrub brush. I don’t think a Swiffer would be very effective and I haven’t tried a regular mop yet, so I’m not sure on that. I would choose a darker grout color if you plan to do them in a kitchen area, white would be a nightmare to keep clean. Hope that helps, best of luck!
Great work…looks so fantastic! This can be done right on top of plywood/subfloor?
Thank you! I installed 1/4″ Hardiebacker before I laid the bricks. It is just like laying tile you need a very solid surface, plywood floors will expand and contract causing the bricks to loosen and the grout to crack and crumble.
What kind of floors did you cross over to from the brick? I’m wanting to do this in our mudroom, but am wondering about the transition to our luxury vinyl plank flooring? Just curious how you handled the cross over and if you have any pics! Thanks so much!!! They are beautiful!!!!
That is a great question! We haven’t actually done our other floors yet. We are also planning on doing Luxury Vinyl Tile planks though so I will post pictures as soon as we tackle that project. You will probably have your floors done by then though so you might have to send me some pictures haha.
I’m running into that issue now. We did the thin brick around our fireplace so it’s also on the floor there. We are laying luxury vinyl planks now and still unsure how we will handle that crossover. It’s about a 1/2” different. I know they make reducer pieces but I’m not liking how that looks. What did you do about flooring transitions?
Looks awesome! Thanks so much for the tutorial. We are planning to use these same bricks in our entryway. What thinset did you use? The old mill adhesive?
Hi Rachel, I used Versabond it is much cheaper than the Old Mill adhesive.
Hi-how many boxes did it take for your area?
I used 9 boxes exactly. I found the square footage and then added 10% to that to account for waste.
Hello,
I fell in love with these floors and am getting ready to tackle this project in my Mudroom. I have concrete subfloors and am wondering if I should put cement board down first or just adhere them directly to the subfloor. Also, I would love to do this on my covered out patio and porch, would you recommend this for outdoor floors. I’m in Orlando.
You should be fine to adhere it directly to the cement subfloor. Ya, I think they are a great option to use outdoors. I really want to use them on my porch as well, that will be beautiful!
Wow…excellent tutorial. I am actually a lover of tiling….but have wondered what using actual brick would entail. The tip on grouting and sealing is spot on! Using a. Hip brush makes perfect sense….just like a bricklayer would do. Ha…never thought of that! I am a glutton for punishment and want to do the herringbone pattern…..eek.
We are plannin our laundry room and half bath right now and I would love to see and know what dimensions you worked with. Is the bath incorporated into the laundry room? Do you have pictures or sketches? I am agonizing S to whether to keep them separate or put them in the same space….since it would be the official powder room guests would use… Care to share with a fellow Reno girl?
Thanks again for the great tutorial with perfect pictures!
Hi Linda, I was so close to doing a herringbone pattern myself, they are beautiful. I am Still working on finishing our laundry room but am planning to write a post with lots of pictures when I am done. We just had a new baby so it is taking forever to get it done. Our laundry room and powder bath together is about 66 sq. ft. We did keep them in the same space because that was the only way we could fit both on the main floor. I am trying to get creative with storage in the laundry room so I can hide the mess because our powder bath is also what our guests use as well.
Oh congratulations on your new “little person”…..you have plenty to do and plenty of time to finish your nest. Just enjoy what God has you doing right now….the rest will follow when it’s time!
I always say…..”Don’t miss the “present” of the present!” You are blessed!
Looks like we will also have a dual purpose room because I am not able to come up with a workable solution to the space either. That’s ok….we can make it work! I really wanted that little jewel of a powder room….it’ll still be special. I think I’m gonna separate it with a frosted glass door. We shall see.
Blessings,
L
Thank you, Linda! I so look forward to your comments. You always say exactly what I need to hear! I am trying to remind myself that they only stay little for so long and they will be all grown up and gone before I know it.
Hi
I know this is an older post and I’m not even sure if you’ll get this but thought I’d try. I want to do brick flooring in my kitchen and in my bathroom and your floor looks fantastic, I love it! I looked this product up and it looks like the tiles/brick are all gray. I want the red in it. I know it’s hard to tell through pictures, would you say that your floor closely resembles the pictures color wise?
Hi Rachel, They do look very gray on the website. I was worried to order them myself.I think theirs look so gray because they used gray grout. I used white and it really made the colors pop. I think that my pictures are very close to what they really look like though, the picture makes them look maybe slightly darker if anything but the tones are accurate. Home Depot sells a couple different colors as well if you are wanting more red.I wasn’t even sure I liked them when I opened the box but just keep in mind that they look completely different when you grout them.
Thank you so much, you’ve made up my mind! I looked at the other colors and they are either to red or to orange. Your floor is exactly what I have invisioned in my head. I can’t wait to get started!
YAY! I’m so excited for you! I know you are going to love them!
I am going to use these in my sunroom. Did you have to cut any of the tiles and if so, what did you use? Your floors are beautiful, thanks so much.
Yes, I did have to make cuts along the edges. I just used a tile saw, it worked great!
Thank you for a great tutorial! Looks great! We plan on using the same product as a backsplash. Your tips we definitely help.
Yay! I’m so glad you found it useful! Love the idea of using them for a backsplash
Have you had any problems with the brick cracking when you have to move your washing machine or dryer for any reason?
Hi Karen, That’s a great question. We actually haven’t had to move our washer or dryer yet so I haven’t had to confront that challenge.
Hi! I am awaiting the delivery of my new washer/dryer and have been dreaming about installing a brick floor in my laundry room to get rid of the ugly linoleum. I noticed that your washer/dryer are elevated on a built in. Would you recommend that they not be directly on the brick? Did you just build up the space with 2x4s? I am also not certain what material our sub floor is. What would you recommend we use? And absolutely NOT use?
Thanks!
Stacey T
Hi Stacey,
We put our washer and dryer on a pedestal just because I wanted them to be a little taller. I have seen people put them right on top of the bricks with no problem! As far as building it we just used 2×6’s I believe and trimmed it out with finished lumber and then painted it.
I love this look so much- you did a great job! I told my husband I wanted to do this in our mud room, he thought $600 was a bit pricey for your square footage. Did the price include your tools or only the materials?
Hi, Jennifer. They definitely are pricey that’s why I did them in such a small room. $600 is just for the materials, not the tools.
Love this, exactly want I want for my porch and walkway. Do you think it would hold up in the winter? Thank you.
This looks great! We’re thinking of doing the same in our laundry. Would love to see the rest if the room!
Thank you, I will post pictures soon!
Love your floors! Getting ready to install in our office/living room. After you have had your floors about 9 months, how are they? My husband is concerned with cleaning. We are using the Castle Gate colored brick..a bit more red variations and a light grout. Have you been happy with your sealer?
Thanks for posting this DIY. It’s by far the best and most useful one I’ve found for a brick floor. Laying this brick floor is on my to-do list for this fall. I love your color and can see how the grout choice had such a large impact. I will be laying this in a laundry/mudroom that is our entry from the garage and our dog’s entry (doggy door) from the back yard in snowy Colorado. I want to go with your color recommendation since I love them but am sooo nervous about the light colored grout. Does your room get mud/snow messes? If so, how has the light colored grout held up? Thank you again!!!
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that you found it helpful. Our bricks don’t receive any outdoor traffic so I don’t have any troubles with mud and snow. I would probably recommend checking into a heavy-duty stain blocking sealer.
Are you happy with the Aldon Sealer Same Day Sealer you used? I have reclaimed thin bricks installed with grout. Can I put the sealer on the grout as well?
thank you,
Mary
Would you say that for a beginner (as in never even done tile) would be able to do this? I absolutely love your floor.
Yes Definitely!
Hi Jessica, I am a DIY girl and blogger. I used part of your tutorial to create my own brick floors and they turned out awesome! I linked your website and tutorial to my page so others could see your incredible work! I am new to all of this but having so much fun! Thank you for your help and inspiration! If you get a chance you can check out my blog at Carlascoastalcreations.com Blessings, Carla
I want to put this in my very, very small kitchen. I live in a 112 year old home and this would just be beautiful! Has anyone on here or do you know of anyone who has installed them in a kitchen? I need to know how sturdy they are. Nothing would be moved around but dropping something might not be out of the question…..
Hi, I’ve been trying for weeks to figure out a floor I would like for our all seasons glassed in sunroom. I thought of brick a long time ago, but thought that it would be way too expensive and hard to install. After seeing your project, I now have hope that my husband could possibly do this! Can you tell me approximately how much it is per square foot? Where do I get the thin brick tiles? Thank you so much!
Hello! We are building our forever home and I am looking to do this in the laundry and mud room. Do you have any trouble with the way the washer and dryer set on the brick? The uneven floor doesn’t mess with them?
Hello! I was wondering if you could offer some insight on how the brick works with a washer and dryer? Does the uneven floor mess with how they work? We are looking to put this down in our mud room and laundry room. Thanks!
I’m worried about my dog on these floors. We plan to do the mudroom with brick and it will be her room when we aren’t home. If she pees on them will it work in and ruin them?
I love your brick floors! I’ve been considering this for years but I have a curved area. Would it be difficult (or impossible) to cut or form a curve on these bricks?
Hi! These are beautiful. What are your thoughts about laying this on top of vinyl?
Beautiful! Random question…do you think I can do this OVER TOP of my hardwoods? My hardwoods need refinished but I do NOT want to do that dirty process. Ugh! This would be a fantastic option instead! Thoughts?
Great blog. Did you back butter the brick?
Hi! Brick floors in my master bath is my DREAM! We currently have 18″ square tiles in our bathroom and the transition to our wood floors is over an inch. So…I was considering laying this directly onto the existing ceramic tiles. They are smooth with little to no grout lines but we have a long hairline crack across the floor due to a nearby rock quarry. I’d love your thoughts, opinions and or concerns regarding this….?
I love this, wondering if it has held up over time. Also is your washer and dryer on them or a platform? Thank you in advance for your answers.
How did you install the tiles around the toilet? What steps would you recommend? Also, did to install under the washer and dryer?
Hi Jessica-
This is such a great post! I appreciate your thorough directions! Quick question, did you use thin-set to adhere the cement board to the floor? Thanks so much for your help!
Hi! How did you cut the bricks for the edges? I want to do my front porch, but I don’t know if I need a tile saw or if I can just cut or break the bricks to the size needed.
Hi Christine, I used a tile saw to make all the cuts. Hope that helps!