ᐅ Painting historic large-format bricks in a wine cellar

Hello everyone,
my parents built a kind of "wine cellar / potato cellar" using Reich format bricks. Afterwards, we cleaned the individual bricks with a cement residue remover.

My parents have now heard that the bricks should be coated to protect them. Since no one knows with what exactly, I wanted to ask you in the forum:

• Do you think it makes sense to coat the bricks?
• Can you suggest what they should be coated with?

Sorry for the limited information. Unfortunately, I don’t know much more myself, and I’m supposed to start looking with just this little knowledge... :-)

Thanks for your answers!
Martin

I’m not going to take the time to look up Reichsformat bricks [emoji23]

Best regards

ypg schrieb:
I’m not going to take the time to Google Reich format bricks

No one needs to. As the word "format" already indicates, it only refers to the dimensions. Whether the brick is 25cm (10 inches) long or today’s "republican" 24cm (9.5 inches), the color doesn’t care.

MartinL schrieb:
My parents heard that bricks should be painted for protection.

Protection from the big bad wolf, the boogeyman, Bee Buffy, or what?

Bricks are tough and not afraid of the dark basement.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

And regarding the definition of brick, isn’t it fired clay?

How long has this basement been there?

toxicmolotow schrieb:

How long has this basement existed?

I understand it as the basement being new, with bricks from an older building incorporated into it.

In the Reich format—as well as in its successor, the current "standard format" (NF), to my knowledge—only solid bricks were common. Therefore, the term usually implies that these are not perforated bricks, nor ones with lightweight aggregates. In other words, they have a smooth, solid surface.

---

https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

The basement was newly built in 2002. The bricks are somewhat older – unfortunately, I do not know their exact age.
And here is an illustration:

The picture is not mine. This is approximately what it looks like.