Bump. Brick is a specific type of flooring that is traditionally VERY porous (like a hard sponge). It takes plenty of work just to keep it looking "not bad". I'm not well versed in this type of floor (I know enough to stick with brick-look porcelain). These bricks will need be viewed as stone floors that are SUPER porous (think chalk) that require +++treatment possibly many times per year. I know the old-timers used to WAX their brick floors....keeps them shiny. But it is PLENTY of work. Like 3/year type of application type of work. If you want shiny, I think you have to remove and replace with porcelain tiles that have the same look. Sorry but brick is porous = non-shiny.

@doc5md We've been in since May, so plenty of time for second guessing ourselves! A few thoughts: Regrets: Should have insulated with rock wool between the 1st and 2nd floors and all the bedroom interior walls. Little boys are loud lol. Should have put a window in the shower. Upstairs could have been laid out better - space up there for 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and an office. The "UNFINISHED" area upstairs was supposed be an unfinished storage/mechanical room. It ended up finished and is now my office. It works fine, but we could have made better use of the space. Wish we'd put the upstairs air handler in the attic so the return could have a run of flex duct to cut down the noise. Its loud. Wish we'd put the bonus/play room in the basement. We've still got about 700sq ft in the basement we can finish later. And we can put a closet in the bonus room to make it a bedroom. But I value efficiency more than excess, so it bothers me. Not quite regrets, but might do different next time: Might have been better to have the laundry where the main floor half bath is. The thought was that my muddy kids could come in the mudroom and throw their filthy clothes in the laundry sink and go on. That has worked, but they won't always be so sloppy. A bathroom by the mudroom and carport door (most used exit) would have been nice. In the living room instead of 3 windows and a door we did a 12ft sliding patio door out to the screened porch. Its nice, especially in spring and fall, but it limited space for living room furniture having to maintain a clear path to walk.

IMO the idea of that in a LR makes no sense but I need to know your style and whay this flooring which IMO is quite a statement and difficult to decorate with. I think flooring should be a simple backdrop to the rest of the decor not the show stopper .Your are tile person so IMO you should know how it wears better than anyone. I didlike tile of any kind where I work on a daily basis the tile is hard on feet, knees and backs so if you want ease of care go vinyl plank or tile look vinyl . Easy to install easy on the body and easy to care for. I can see this in a mud room or maybe even an entry but not where you are planning it.

We are building a new house. We have a corner fireplace that has thin brick. There is a crack the whole way across the fireplace right the different directions of brick are. We brought it to the attention of our builder and were told that that is something that is very common with that and bricks and even if we go back in and fix it it will happen again. He mentioned that cracks also occur when stone is used but because the stone is close together you cannot see the cracks. What should we do? Here’s a photo of the fireplace as well as a closer photo of the crack.