Here's our kitchen brick floors:

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They seem to do brick floors in kitchens (non sealed) down in Natchez, Mississippi. In those old antebellum homes and they are gorgeous. But I don't know how they would clean them.

If you ever want to take a trip to Natchez it is worth the trip, they have a pilgrimage in the fall and spring. The house's there are absolutely darling and most are just plain gorgeous.

Incidentally Wooka your kitchen and floors are lovely.

Wodka, love them - details please what is the name of them etc etc and if you don't mind me asking what was the cost?

I painstakingly laid brick paver floors in a herringbone pattern in my last house. Then we sold it 6 months later. Those brick floors are the ONLY thing I miss, and long desperately to have again.

They were stunning to look at, the easiest to care of, and were surprisingly neutral color and decor-wise.

To clean ours, we vacuumed, and every so often would use a rope mop and some slightly soapy water to rinse them down. They didn't show spills, didn't show dog fur, didn't show scratches, and always looked good. (can you tell how much I miss them????)

We have them in our investment house kitchen and den as well.

Here is my old living room:

Our entire home has brick floors. We built this place 15 years ago and had the floors sealed before we moved in. They used Ring Brick Floor Sealant and they never stain. They always look warm and beautiful to us.
BUT, we also have in-floor radiant heat and the floors stay warm all through the cold season. In the warm season, they're cool, but never cold. If you'd be on a slab, I think brick floors could get uncomfortable in Winter, without in-floor heating. Brick floors don't show every little spot.
Negatives:
~ you drop a dish on them and chances are, the plate will break . . . into many pieces!
~ you'll need to get a special mop, as the ones you can buy at Target, etc. will quickly shred on even the smoothest brick floor.
~ they're harder on your feet and legs than wood or vinyl floors, but they last forever and you can add as many rugs as you want.
Those are the only three negatives I can think of after 15 years in this house. I love our brick floors.
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here are my floors. They just have not color. When there is light directly on them they have some gold tones in them but from a distance they are pretty blah. Not a good choice on my part

My dad put down brick (veneer I think) floors in our kitchen & DR in the house I grew up in. It was gorgeous. Upkeep was very minimal. It was so nice and cool on our bare feet.

newdawn and rdsso, thank you both. We like it, too.

We live in Pass Christian, MS, so never really have a problem with the floor being too cold. I put a runner near the cooking area, (only because it wasn't long enough to go in the foyer), but it has worked out well and cushions the brick nicely, since that's where I spend most of my kitchen time.

I'm sorry to say I don't have a "name" for them, other than they are brick pavers. Not sure of the cost, either, but I think it was pretty reasonable.

renofan is right, they don't show anything! My old kitchen had large beige ceramic tile, and, although pretty, it showed everything - spills, dust, footprints, etc.

I have brick floors in my kitchen, dining room, laundry room, powder room and DH's gun closet. Ours are actually a product called Portstone, which is very similar in weight, thickness and installation to your average ceramic tile. They wear like iron, never look dirty, go with everything and I've never thought they made the house feel dark.

The grout is actually a medium grey, rather than the white it appears in this pic due to the flash.

I LOVE brick floors!! Gosh, and the pics above are gorgeous!! Wish I had them.

Go for it.

Smiles:)

Just thought I'd add this pic of our small foyer, where they laid the brick in a more "herringbone" pattern? than in the kitchen or guest bathrooms. Plus, it's a little closer up, so you can see more detail.

Good luck with your decision.

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I love them. Now to convince DH. If anyone has a ball park of what they cost I would appreciate your input. Do I go to a tile store to get them? Is the install more expensive than having regular tile laid? We have an Acme brick store about 45 miles away they may have them. I am looking for brick pavers right? Thanks for the great pics.

rdsso, I was going through some old papers when we had our house built last year, and found some figures for the brick floor. Now, bear in mind that we live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and at the time we built, everything was higher than normal, so you might find brick in your area less expensive.

It looks like our brick was $6.50/per square foot.

Our Portstone was around $2.85 per square foot. Of course, that was 4+ years ago and things may have changed. We installed it ourselves (exactly like tile), so I can't speak to what labor for the project would have cost had we hired it out.

DH laid the tile we have now that I don't like, so maybe I can talk him into laying this too if I promise I will keep it for ever!!!!!. I know there are some young guys here in town that laid a brick floor for their mom that sometimes do tile laying on the side so maybe they would help also. I haven't had the nerve to approach him about it yet but he is one of these that will say if you think you can afford it!!!! The tearing up the old tile is the worst part and I feel bad because he laid it.

We have had brick in our back hall for 20 years. We resealed in once. It always looks clean.
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rdsso, I am in the Memphis area, and see a lot of brick floors in our area...I think it would be a great choice. A close friend of my mother's had brick floors in a conservatory-type room, and I remember falling in love with them when I was about 6. My sister has Portstone floors in her home and is also pleased with them. She has very active young children and her Portstone pavers are holding up very well. All of the photos in this thread show how lovely and classic brick flooring can be.

Wodka, your floors are gorgeous. I think that your entry is particularly stunning. The paint color is also so pretty--would you mind sharing the color name?

How thick are the bricks being used for this?

Reno_fan, your floors are spectacular! What kind of pavers were they & how thick? You did a great job!

Nice to see you back, Wodka. Your kitchen is gorgeous!

Everyone who laid their own: Did you use grout or mortar?

paint chips, thank you for the welcome. I still "lurk" alot - ha.

southernheart, thank you, too. We used SW's "Mannered Gold" in the foyer and all bathrooms; the rest of the house was SW's Blonde.

These pictures are absolutely STUNNING. It's true, they give a warm feel, and the decor in these rooms is equally gorgeous.

Although.... am I the only mom here who keeps picturing banged up children? I wonder if these might even limit resale for that reason? That's my only negative... they are beautiful.

Wodka, thank you for your response. Your home is beautiful!

Wodka, was that price installed? I think they usually charge
$3-4 a square foot to install but I might be a little low on that since it is brick. I am probably look at $7 to $8 a square foot for labor and material if I am lucky.

I think you also have to consider how thick these bricks are.

rdsso, I just re-checked - the $6.50/sf included labor, but not tax.

I would just shop around, perhaps call Acme Brick, just for starts, and see if they can give you a general idea of total cost and/or options. You could even show them all of our pics and see if they have something similar, depending on what you like.

thanks so much that will give me an idea of what to expect!!

SqH, my sister's Portstone pavers were really no thicker than travertine, etc. She's on a conventional (raised) foundation, so she chose to use Portstone due its lighter weight as opposed to true brick. She said that, if she were on a concrete slab foundation, she would have chosen brick.

My mother's friend's floor was made up of pavers cut from antique whole brick using a masonry (wet) saw. Her pavers were cut uniformly, at a width that was even with her hardwood floors after installation.

Thanks SouthernHeart! I did google a bit and find references to both 1/2" and 15/16" cut bricks for flooring.

I called acme and they range for $2.30 to $5 a square foot and he thinks install is about $3-4 a square foot depending on the job. So high range is $9 a square foot. I will have to price around and see what I can come up with. There is a lady here in town that has brick I really like but she is one of these that everything she does to her house is top secret so I don't know if she will give me any info or not. I may have to play secret detective!

I am shopping around for brick floors for our kitchen and laundry. I love the real brick pavers, but we have a crawl space so I am worried about the weight. I've talked to a dealer about Portstone, and we are seriously considering that option, but I am afraid it may not look as real as the pavers do. Does anyone who has it have any thoughts on it or pictures? (Southernheart, do you have pictures of your sisters floor that you or she could post?) FYI - the dealer I met with a few weeks ago quoted me a price of $6.91 per sq ft for the stone, all the installation materials (sealer, grout, thinset etc...) shipping and tax - but we will install ourselves.

Housewitch has posted Portstone, above :)

We have sealed old chicago pavers in kitchen and bathrooms in our 3 month old home. I have noticed a lot of white spots that have appeared on both the brick and grout lines. Have any of you noticed this? Also, what do you clean your brick floors with? I've been using water and a very small amount of vinegar.. Thanks! You all have beatiful floors!

Did I miss the answer on thickness? I'm not understanding how, if you use regular bricks, your floor doesn't end up much higher than the other flooring in the house.

Susan

Susan, If you have a raised foundation you would use brick pavers which are not as thick as regular brick. If you are building on a slab you can use any brick.

Here are a few pictures from Southern Living 1984.

Thanks caminnc...our home is on a slab. I guess I still can't see how using traditional brick (for ex., in a kitchen) wouldn't raise the height of the floor, compared to the other rooms (family rm). I also wonder if it's hard to stand on, which is my problem w/ tile in my kitchen.

Susan

We are on a slab and have brick pavers (see our pics from earlier date.) I purchased a rug (runner) that goes in between the island and cooking area. I'm 58 years old and have had no problems or even thought about having difficulty standing on it.

camminnc, I love the SL 1984 pics - to me, brick has a "timeless" appeal, as these pictures prove.

Here is a link to our builder's website. You can see the brick floors in the master bath and kitchen. Our pavers were purchased from Boral Bricks in Hattiesburg, MS.

http://www.southgateconstruction.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=26

We have 1/2" glazed pavers on the "racetrack" of our home (the loop that runs between the dining room and living room and through the kitchen). They've been there 30 years and still look great. I think if I had been the one to install them I'd have used a darker grout. But then I was in another state in the 7th grade when the decision was made.

There is actually a small pile of them in a corner of the yard (yes, no one who has ever lived here has ever dealt with the pile. Amazing, no? But there is also a pallet of original bricks. Don't even ask.) I'll have to go pull one out and see if there is a manufacturer's mark on it.

jakabedy, I think I just fainted.......What a gardeners dream!!!!! oh, maybe I didn't faint, I'm asleep visiting my Dream Home! That Is Spectacular!

I have brick floors in most of my house. They make the room dark and are very very hard to keep clean. We have a rainbow vacuum and even with it still have to sweep several times a day to keep clean.