Monday 17 August 2015

Interior Exposed Brick Walls

Whats all the fuss? How do I Protect it?



The latest interior design trend to feature in homes and this season's style must-have: an exposed brick wall. Just have a read through some of the latest design inspiration blog articles and magazines to see an abundance of feature brick wall designs.

Why all the fuss? New York, spiritual home of the bare brick wall. There, no west village or Tribeca apartment would be complete without an aged, red brick wall. This interior design feature craze has now made it to this side of the Atlantic and is apparent these days when you walk into many hip restaurant, shop or hotel.

Exposed brick is a fashion statement. Stand out and textural, it stands alone in a way a painted plasterboard or plain wall does not. Less is more with this design feature: You should limit your feature brick to one or two walls at most or you’ll be at risk of a cold feeling space with not much in the way to absorb sound.

Exposing a Brick wall in your home is not always guaranteed to look the way you imagine, often when a building contractor constructs a building, they will reserve the best looking bricks for the external walls, as the internal bricks were never meant to be on show. So you may find when you hack away the plaster the wall you are presented with doesn’t satisfy the look you were after, if this is the case, why not use some of our Kingfisher Smooth or Textured masonry paint. A bright internal painted brick wall can offer as good a look for your home, accentuating the irregularities and shadows cast by the brick and is a nice feature in its own right.

Bare brick walls are traditionally found in living, dining and sleeping spaces, but don't forget the kitchen and bathroom, where it's a warming foil to sleek units and white sanitaryware, our solution for sealing is non-hazardous so can be used anywhere in the home..

Bare brick might be having a fashion moment, but it's timeless – and a timeless feature needs protecting….

Kingfisher Building Products own Interior Brick & Dust Sealer is a breathable (vapour permeable) surface treatment which stops the troublesome "dusting" typically associated with brick feature walls and decorative interior stone. Older bricks commonly deposit red dust in their vicinity because heating dries out the clay surface, encouraging fine particles to lose adhesion and detach. Soft stone and cement or lime mortar joints are similarly vulnerable. Interior Brick & Dust Sealer offers a cost-effective and lasting solution to the problem by binding and sealing porous or friable surfaces with its penetrating clear acrylic ester formula. It typically darkens the surface very slightly, often enhancing the substrate colour. In most cases one coat is sufficient for dust control but two coats can be applied for enhanced surface protection against liquid staining. Suitable as a feature wall and non-flammable fireplace sealer on most mineral based substrates.
This article originally published at Kingfisher Building Products Ltd here

Saturday 15 August 2015

Home Owners Urged to Tackle Mould Before Autumn

Home owners are being urged to re-paint their properties to tackle the spread of black spot mould before falling autumn temperatures see the return of conditions favoured by the persistent fungal growth.

Black spot mould causes unsightly marks on walls, ceilings and floors. However, it is also a potential health hazard, with its airborne spores linked to numerous health issues including respiratory conditions such as asthma. Any property offering air moisture and a nutrient source such as plaster, paint or wood is susceptible. However, house holder behaviour - including keeping windows tight shut, turning on the heating full blast and drying wet clothes indoors - can greatly enhance conditions for the fungus. Traditional cleaning and re-decoration using standard emulsion is typically ineffective with the mould growing back, usually in a matter of weeks.

Now, damp and mould specialist Kingfisher UK is highlighting the issue with the nationwide launch of a new dual-action anti-mould premium emulsion which will tackle both the symptoms and causes of black spot mould growth.

Click Here - Read more about Urged to Tackle Mould Before Autumn.