How to Make Faux Bricks

Brick paths and floors lend a timeless elegance to homes and gardens. Unfortunately, brick is expensive, needs regular maintenance, and can be difficult to work with. Using concrete to make faux bricks, however, gives the look of brick with the easy care of concrete. The use of concrete color allows you to make faux bricks any color you want, including blue, purple and green. Faux concrete bricks may only be used for paths and floors. If you want a faux brick wall, you must use other methods, like stenciling and painting to achieve a brick effect. While the process of making faux bricks is simple, you must cure the concrete fully before using the faux bricks.

Things You'll Need

• Goggles
• Plastic gloves
• Premix concrete
• Concrete mixing tub
• Powdered concrete colorant
• Water
• Mold release
• Clean cloths or sponge
• Plant sprayer
• Concrete molds
• Plastic scoop
• Plastic tarp
• Concrete sealer

Instructions

1. Pour enough premix concrete into a tub to fill your molds. Mix only enough concrete to fill the available molds.

2. Add powdered concrete colorant to the dry premix concrete and mix together. Once water is added to the premix concrete, you will not be able to adjust the color.

3. Add water to premix according to package directions. The mix should be stiff, not loose or runny.

4. Use a plant sprayer to evenly spray the inside of the molds with mold release. Or you can apply the mold release with a cloth or sponge. You only need a thin layer of mold release on the inside of the molds, wipe up any excess with a cloth or sponge.

5. Fill the molds to the top with concrete.

6. Tap the molds against the ground or a hard surface several times to remove air pockets.

7. Cover the mold with a plastic tarp for at least 24 hours. If possible, store the filled molds on a flat surface out of direct sunlight.

8. Flip your mold over. Gently remove the mold from the concrete. If the mold sticks, try tapping the center of the mold.

9. Cover the faux bricks with a plastic tarp to keep moisture in. The faux bricks will need to cure for at least a week. Follow the package instructions.

10. Seal your faux bricks with a concrete sealer. Choose a penetrating sealer if the faux bricks will be outside.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear goggles and plastic gloves when handling concrete colorant, premix concrete and concrete sealer. If you have asthma or allergies, consider wearing a face mask. Once the concrete is poured into the molds, cover with plastic. Keep the molds as moist as possible. Use molds with a design of several interlocking bricks. For small projects, you can use vegetable oil instead of mold release. To use faux bricks to make a mosaic or pattern, use two or more different colors in the concrete.

• Mix and pour concrete when the temperature is above freezing. Always clean molds between uses. Always reapply mold release between uses. Never use motor or heating oil in place of mold release. Make sure you cure the concrete fully according to package instructions. Drying the concrete is not the same as curing the concrete. Curing cannot be rushed.

Resources

• Concrete Molds