How to Stain Brick

A step-by-step guide to staining brick on your floor, wall, or fireplace

Person wearing gloves staining the brick of a fireplace indoors

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 2 - 4 hrs
  • Total Time: 1 - 2 days
  • Yield: Stain brick on a fireplace or small wall
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Estimated Cost: $50 to $100

Learn how to stain your brick fireplace, exterior wall, interior brickwork, walkway, brick flooring, or other masonry surfaces. As long as the brick is structurally sound and the surface isn't painted, staining brick is one of the best ways to refresh it.

What Is Brick Staining?

Brick stain is a permanent surface finish that darkens or colors the brick. Brick stain is a mineral product that soaks into the brick and becomes a part of the brick. It can never chip, bubble, or pull away from the brick.

Staining Brick vs. Painting Brick

Staining brick and painting brick are competitive treatments for brick. Staining emphasizes the brick's color, while painting emphasizes texture.

Staining Brick

Brick stain covers the surface of the brick with a thin color. This color can either be solid and opaque, much like paint, or light and thin to preserve the brick’s basic color scheme. 

Brick stain soaks into the pores of the brick and allows it to breathe. Brick stain will not refurbish heavily damaged brick, and it is exceedingly difficult to remove.

Tip

Stain cannot be applied to painted brick. But paint can be applied to stained brick.

Painting Brick

Brick painting covers the entire surface of the brick, including the mortar, giving the brick a uniform appearance. With no gradations of color, painted brick emphasizes the texture of the brick.

One advantage of painting brick is that the paint covers all of the surface flaws. A disadvantage is that the paint seals up the porous brick and does not allow the brick to breathe.

Staining Brick
  • Transparent

  • Thin layer

  • Pores open

  • Patches visible

  • Cannot be removed

Painting Brick
  • Opaque

  • Thick layer

  • Seals pores

  • Covers patches

  • Removable with difficulty

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Clean buckets
  • Paint brush
  • Wood stirring stick
  • Nylon bristle scrub brush
  • Waterproof gloves
  • Drop cloth
  • Eye protection

Materials

  • Brick stain
  • Mild detergent or TSP

Instructions

Various cleaning supplies on a wood surface.

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  1. Test the Brick Stain

    Locate a section of brick fireplace or other area that is less noticeable and test the brick stain on this area. In some cases, you may even be able to locate an extra brick in a shed or basement to use for testing. If you cannot find spare bricks, pick a section on the side of the fireplace apron, walkway, interior brickwork, or exterior siding.

    Swatch of brick stains being tested for color

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  2. Check the Brick For Sealant

    Dip your fingers in clean water and flick a few drops onto the brick. If the water immediately soaks in, this means that there is no sealant. You can begin staining the brick after cleaning it, as described in the next step. If the water beads up on the brick, it is likely coated in a clear sealant. Any sealant present will not allow the stain to penetrate the brick.

    Brick with sealant

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  3. Remove Sealant From Brick

    If needed, remove sealant or issues like moss from exterior brick with a pressure washer. Pressure wash the brick on a wide spray to avoid damaging the brick. Problem areas can be gently scrubbed with a metal brush. Test for sealant again to ensure it has been removed. Generally, interior brick will not be sealed since it is not subjected to damaging exterior elements like rain, snow, and sun. Do not power wash indoor brick.

    Cleaning Brick
    Use care when pressure-washing brick or stone surfaces. Diane Macdonald/Getty Images
  4. Clean the Brick by Hand

    Clean the brick by scrubbing it with the nylon-bristle brush. Clean with a mixture of mild detergent or TSP in a bucket with warm water. Rinse with clean water.

    Let the brick dry for a full day before staining as a surface free of moisture is best for the application process. If you clean the brick in the morning and the weather is warm and dry, the brick may be dry enough by the end of the day for staining.

    Person cleaning brick with brush
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin
  5. Protect Your Home and Yourself

    Switch out the previous drop cloths for new, dry ones. Tape up to the edge of the brick. Wear waterproof gloves, work clothing, and shoes, plus eye protection.

    Person with gloves prepping to stain brick

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

    Tip

    Practice staining brick by using a brush and clear water, since water and stain have the same consistency. This helps you gauge the rate of stain delivery, plus you can get a sense of how fast the brick will soak up the stain.

  6. Mix the Stain

    Mix the stain pigment with water, as directed by the product instructions. Mix thoroughly until all of the pigment is dissolved. Clumps of undissolved stain pigment will stain the brick and be difficult to lighten.

    Person wearing blue glove mixing brick stain

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  7. Apply the Stain

    Dip the brush in the stain mix and run the brush across the brick in smooth, overlapping coats, making sure that no area receives more stain than another area.

    Person applying brick stain

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  8. Cure the Stained Brick

    Curing time depends on the temperature, humidity level, and airflow. Stained brick in warm, dry, lightly breezy conditions will be dry to the touch almost immediately upon application. Areas where the stain may have pooled up, instead of soaking into the brick, may take a day or two to be dry to the touch. For particularly thick, pooled areas, dab with a clean cotton rag to remove the excess.

    Person curing brick stain

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Tips For Staining Brick

  • Add more water to the mix to produce a lighter, thinner stain coat.
  • Start with a lighter coat, as it can always be darkened.
  • Stir the stain mix frequently since the pigment settles to the bottom.
  • Go easy on staining the mortar as it will absorb more stain than the brick.
  • When staining any flooring, plan where you will start and end. Usually, start in a far corner and back your way out to an exit.
  • Avoid walking over a newly stained area.
FAQ
  • What’s the best type of stain for bricks?

    One of the best stains for brick is water-based brick stain since it's easy to apply and allows the brick to breathe. The stain that can be used on brick should be formulated for brick, concrete, or masonry.

  • Is staining brick better for interior or exterior surfaces?

    Staining brick works equally well for interior or exterior surfaces. Like other exterior coatings, brick stain is subject to UV fading. It will also deteriorate from the exterior surface at the same rate that the brick deteriorates.

  • How long will brick stain last?

    Interior brick stain can essentially last for as long as the brick lasts, since the stain becomes part of the brick.

  • Does stain make brick darker or lighter?

    Stain makes brick darker overall. Stain turns both the light and dark areas darker proportionally.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. The Impact of Staining on Masonry. Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA).