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Daily Herald October 20, 2002 Color of brick not set in stone Staining gives new look to mismatched masonry Author: Jean Murphy Daily Herald Correspondent Edition: All Section: Homes Plus Page: 1 Article Text: When Mary Ann and Dennis Olson decided to enlarge their all- brick Elgin home this year, they didn't worry about matching the brick color for the addition. That was different from the angst they suffered nine years ago when they added on a master bedroom. At that time, the contractor was unable to match the dark brown brick of their home in the North Country Knolls subdivision. "We didn't want to introduce siding to an all-brick house so we were quite upset," Mary Ann recalls. "Then someone at one of the brickyards told us about Nawkaw." An international company with an office in Hanover Park, Nawkaw's brick staining process can correct brick color, add decorative touches and fix graffiti. Brick has been a mixed blessing for years. People love its look and sturdiness, but most also have very rigid opinions about brick color. Renovations and additions cause problems with brick because it's difficult, if not impossible, to match dye lots years after construction. Painting had been considered the only way to change the color, but that has its drawbacks. Paint seals in! moisture and can promote mold growth and speed decay. Enter Russell Gray, who in the 1970s founded Nawkaw Corporation International of Toronto, Canada. Gray developed a water-based stain for brick, which he used to help brick manufacturers correct their dye lot problems. In 1983, he began using it to alter brick color on homes and businesses in Canada and in 1988 he brought the concept to the United States. "Nawkaw's specialty is matching the color of new and old masonry so that additions are not detectable," says Emmet Croke, general manager of Nawkaw Midwest Inc. of Hanover Park. "The Nawkaw process can make a new addition appear as if it has been there all along or make an old building look like the new addition." Crews match the colors on-site by mixing about 20 colors in stock. "There are almost infinite color possibilities," Croke explains. The Nawkaw staining on the Olson home from nine years ago still looks beautiful, Ma! ry Ann says. "If you look really hard, you can tell," she adm its. "But it is like when you put up wallpaper and you can see the flaws, but no one else can see them. None of our guests have ever been able to tell that our brick is stained. We always have to point it out to them." When the Olsons decided to add on again to their house, brick color was not a worry. Their contractor, Cecil Holtz, made arrangements for Nawkaw to go back out to stain another new section of yellow brick. "Just knowing that Nawkaw was out there and could match our brick gave us a whole new comfort level," Mary Ann says. Realtors and contractors are just as happy to learn about the brick staining option. "It will be a boon for me to be able to tell someone who absolutely loves everything about a house except its exterior brick color that there is a remedy out there," says Joanie Schwarzbeck, a broker with Coldwell Banker of Park Ridge. "Until I saw this treatment done on a local commercial building, I had no idea that brick ! color could be changed and I am thrilled by the knowledge." Croke says his company is often contacted by people before they buy their homes. "They want to make sure before they sign the papers that we can come out and either lighten or darken the brick, limestone, stucco, dryvit or concrete block," Croke says. "And we tell them that as long as it is an absorbent material, we can stain it. Materials like marble and ceramic tile cannot be stained." Brick color alteration is not only used to blend in additions and repairs. It is also used to make color changes on entire buildings and to give extra punch to dull buildings. "Subtle or dramatic color treatment enhances the appearance of masonry buildings," Croke says. "Highlighting architectural details like quoining or accent bands add character to masonry." The company has stained brick at Benedictine University's Lownik Library in Lisle, Evanston Hospital in Evanston, Friedrich's Fu! neral Home in Mount Prospect and even the United Center and Wrigley Fi eld in Chicago. The average cost, according to Croke, is $3 per square foot for jobs over 1,000 square feet. So a typical 2,000-square-foot two- story bungalow could have all of its 14,000 bricks stained for a total cost of about $6,000. The cost per square foot is higher for smaller jobs. For instance, an average fireplace can be stained for $500, he says. Nawkaw Midwest has 10 two-man crews working in nine area states and is generally scheduled six weeks in advance, according to Croke. But they can work virtually year-round, as long as it is not raining and is 20 degrees and rising. In January, Nawkaw will begin to market a do-it-yourself brick stain under the brand name "Nawtone" through the Internet (www.nawkaw.com) and some as-yet-undetermined local distributors. Nawkaw Midwest Inc. can be reached at (630) 681-1400. Caption: Emmet Croke, center, general manager of Nawkaw Midwest Inc., oversees the brick staining for Mary Ann Olson, right, of Elgin. Brick staining allows Olson and her husband to match the masonry of their addition to the original dark-colored brick. Photos by Dave Tonge/Daily Herald Nawkaw Midwest stained the exterior of Friedrich's Funeral Home in Mount Prospect, giving it a facelift without replacing the masonry. Bob Chwedyk/Daily Herald Before staining, this fireplace was a medium brown. The lighter color of the brick gives the room a whole new look, below. Photo courtesy of NawKaw Midwest Inc. Copyright 2002 Daily Herald Record Number: 619824 |