Not sure how to but I will try

Post the photos here in the comments. Use the little camera icon.

You can see the blonde wood, stone of massive fireplace and brick

As you can see it runs past my dining room into my kitchen and farther down to my office. Behind me it runs past the stairs into the bathroom. My living room is sunken with wood, so is the breakfast nook

That stone wall is a massive fireplace

That cabinetry to the left is a sample of the huge amount of same color cabinetry in the kitchen and lower office.

I changed the back wall and counter in the kitchen to this. It looks great, as sim an artist and I like things to be more creative rather than a solid color.

More and more if the honey cabinets. They really must have liked it. We do too, but my style is a little different.

See how the floor almost looks checkered? Ugh.

Yep...brick does that. Because each brick has a slightly different clay mix. Each one is unique. They are the toughest floors you will ever have. But they have upkeep and they are maddening to keep looking good.

Are we 'assuming' this is real brick? Or is this the 'faux brick tiles' that were SUPER POPULAR in the 1970's????

If we are working with REAL brick (porous things that love to grab oil, and grease and dirt and water, etc) then these can be stripped and stained and resealed. If these are the porcelain/ceramic ties, then there is nothing you can do but clean the grout.

Is there a place where a brick has been chipped or cracked? Or has been cut so we can see what it is made of?

And can you define "Arm and leg"? Some people feel a few hundred dollars is a lot (someone just paid $800 for 1400sf of wood floors to be recoated...it's a complete fail BTW). Others are hoping for something in the $3K - $5K range.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, it’s real brick. I have them in the garage. They have a super strong shiny sealer on them. 3-5 would be great price wise.

Can you stain brick to get the red out?

Also anyone know anyone who does this kind of work in the Portland Oregon area? And wanted to mention if you look up close to the picture that shows the fireplace wood floor and steps, you can see the white that’s leeching through the grout. It’s subtle, but oooglee! Lol.

Would it be expensive to take out and put something else in?

OK.... First things first. No you can't bleach out the colour. It is all the way through. If you break a brick, you reveal red brick. You can go darker...not lighter.

Second, you must strip every stick of wax/polish off the brick.

Third, you then need to stain them and let them dry. They will be a very deep colour...like espresso.

Fourth, you then have to add more polish or wax. And you still have to maintain them.

The grout could be doing one of two things.

1. It could be the original Gray colour, or,

2. It is efflorescence. Which is ground salts coming up through the grout and being deposited in top of the grout or brick. There is nothing you can do for efflorescence....other than clean, clean, clean.

I know the cost of stripping stone cleaning and resealing them is about $3/sf...or so. Adding in stain (which is NOT guaranteed to work or look good) is extra. If you estimate $5/sf you should be safe.

Jacking it brick is about $3/sf. Then the cost of replacing goes up very quickly....Patching subfloor and getting in New tile could be another $15 - $18 per square foot.

To refresh a floor is always cheaper than replacing.

How much do you LOVE the brick? If you don't like it it might be best to save up for a few years for replacement.

Go over the brick with some type of floating floor. You will be happier in the long run. The brick screws up your cabinetry, the stone of the fireplace etc.

Floating Floor Examples

There are three types of flooring that are most commonly installed with floating floor methods:

• Laminate flooring: The prime example of a floating floor is laminate flooring, which is almost never glued down to the subfloor. The floating method allows the flooring to respond to changes in a room's relative humidity by expanding and contracting without buckling. Laminate flooring planks are generally joined together along the edges and end with a modified tongue-and-groove system, often known as "click-lock" or "fold-and-lock." The shape of the interlocking grooves may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, since there are several proprietary methods of connection.
• Luxury vinyl flooring (LVF): Sometimes known as vinyl plank flooring, luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) usually snaps together board-to-board, in much the same fashion as laminate planks, although some types can also be glued to the subfloor. Tiny tongues and grooves engineered into the boards allow them to lock together. Some forms of LVF are semi-flexible planks, while others are quite rigid.
• Engineered wood flooring: Some engineered wood flooring is installed by nailing or stapling it down to a plywood subfloor. However, other brands are installed as floating floors. Similar to laminate flooring, engineered wood flooring is designed with a decorative surface layer glued over a plywood or MDF core.

what exactly do you want? sounds like you like the brick but want it a diff color?

it's waxed and sealed like it is for easy upkeep.

I like your wood elements in the room.

I like the brick, but only if it was contained in the laundry room or entry. otherwise, it's just too much of it.

Flooring isn't cheap. Why don't you call in some brick specialists (who specialize in refinishing) and see what your options are?

I'd keep the wood flooring, maybe add a bit more, and remove the brick and do a black slate.

I think the black w/the wood tones would look amazing.

doesn't have to be black. you could do this sienna color slate tile. see how the warm tones would work w/your cabinets?

And if you don't want the slate up-keep, do a porcelain that looks like real slate.

Great ideas!

I"d at least find out if your brick floors can have a new life. When I need to find a niche craftsperson, I start by calling folks who look like they are close to what I want and ask for advice or referrals. Here's an interesting one who is in Portland, OR https://www.drmasonry.com/

Also, post on a community site like NextDoor. Someone may know someone who knows someone who did this.

I was stymied trying to find large flat panel noncombustible material for my fireplace to achieve a certain look I wanted. After many calls and discussions all over the country, I found a great vendor who supplied the material at a great price.

Good luck!

Thank you to all. Great suggestions. Your efforts and time to consider my dilemma is much appreciated.