Paint is one of the ways for using to make your cinder block walls look like stone. Cinder blocks are mostly made of cement.
To make it look like stone, you will need some different shades of the same color or lighter shades that look quite good with others. You can mix it up with one another to come up with different shades to make it more to look like stones. You will also know the whole process at the end of the entire article.
There’re also some advantages and disadvantages of painting cinder blocks which we talk by the end of the article.
The Best Combined Colors for Cinder Block Wall To Look Like Stone
- Brown
- Gray
- Cream
- Tan
Use brown and gray mix for one shade, gray and cream for another, tan and cream and gray and tan for another shade. The mixed texture will be shown clearly on the walls. You can use the flat paintbrush to apply it.

The wall with 10′ High × 47′ Wide will take at least half a day to paint the whole surface.
The using technique is effortless. All you will need
- Pressure Washer
- Cardboard Box
- Oil-based Paint
- 3 Flat Brushes of Paint
The steps you will follow to paint cinder block walls to look like stone. Those pieces of equipment are given below
Step 1: Using a Pressure washer
First, cleaning the surface is a must. For cleaning the cinder block surface, you need to use a pressure washer. You also have to wait to let the surface dry.
Step 2: Using cardboard for holding the Paint.
You will need the cardboard box for mixing all the ingredients of the Paint. You will have to mix it with a flat brush for blending the paint.
Step 3: flat paint brush for applying Paint
You will need three flat paint brushes for applying the Paint. It is going to be hard to apply while coating two oil-based paints altogether with a paintbrush. But you can not use a sprayer or Roller for this kind of effect.
Step 4: Choosing paints for the stone effect.
As I said, oil-based paints are best for cinder block wall because of its stone outlook. It will look better and more realistic on the surface. To apply the Paint with those flat brushes and let it dry for the next day. You will see a significant change on your cinder block walls.
What kind of Paint does it Require?
The light matt shades are perfect for this kind of Paint. Take just one dark shade to mix with other light colors. It will look like various shades of block shape on one surface.
For best results, try to use the Paint of a good brand. Sherwin Williams paints are best for cinder block walls. And cinder blocks are strong and made with cement, which means you can use oil-based paints on it. It works better.
If you want to use any acrylic or latex paint, it is better to talk with the professionals.
Is it Possible to Use Water Paint For Stone Effects on Your Cinder Block Wall?
Cinder block walls are mostly made with cement. During the use of cement for making cinder blocks, we need a lot of water.
Cinder blocks absorb a lot of water inside it. As latex paint is water-based, the water paint will not stay well on that cinder block surface.
It is not even stronger than oil paint. So it is better to use some strong paint-like oil-based paints on the cinder block wall than the water one.
Is it Necessary to Clean Up the Cinder Block Surface Before Using Paint?
It is essential to clean up the surface before using Paint on the cinder block surface. You can use a wet rug for cleaning out the surface and wait until it gets dry fully. You can use a pressure washer for removing any dirt from the surface. It works better than a rug, usually.
It is essential to dry out the surface. Otherwise, the Paint will not dry out quickly. The surface would not get that smooth texture to look like the stone wall.
Choosing The Perfect Paint Color for Cinder Block Walls
Some colors give stone effects to your surface. Sherwin Williams has brands like Keystone gray, artisan tan, coffee, and many other shades. You can use it for having a couple of cinder block walls. It will give a stone look to your walls.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Cinder Block
There are some advantages and disadvantages of Cinder Block. They can be made of steel as well. When it comes to walls, which means the main element of cinder block walls is cement. Now we’ll get to know some beneficial and non-beneficial things about this.
Advantages
- Fire Resistance
- Weather Resistance
- Soundproof
- Lower Energy Usage
Fire Resistance
Blocks of cement are not flammable. It is an amazing quality cinder block wall to keep safe from fire-related accidents.
Some unexpected things happen in our lives. One of them is a house on fire.
And if you use cinder block walls for your home, you can come up with an amazing experience. The things you might have used blocks of cement are saved from the fire.
Sometimes you can come up with some dark ashes from some other kinds of stuff. The cement will not affect it.
Weather Resistance
There are a lot of places in this world with huge wind troubles. Cement is one of the essential elements to save a home from a strong wind.
Bricks are not strong enough to handle too much sun or too much water. Sometimes the bricks can get damp. Using cinder blocks instead of using brick can help you to protect your home from damages.
Soundproof
Sometimes we face a lot of sound pollution in the urban areas. Cinder block walls are best for this kind of problem.
Especially for call centers and music studios, cinder block walls are best to use. It will help not to spend any more money on making it a soundproof one.
Nowadays, population growth is increasing day by day. To lessen sound pollution, most developed countries are using cinder blocks because of keeping the houses soundproof.
Lower Energy Usage
It sounds quite unrealistic. But it does. In the winter season, cinder block walls will help you protect from those extreme levels of temperature.
Using a heater on a cinder block wall can keep the room heated longer than a brick house. Eventually, using air conditioning in the summer season, it will keep your room cool for a long time. Thus, how it will save the energy of not using electric things too long.
It is not just sound but also weatherproof. It is why the temperature can not go through smoothly from a cinder block wall. If you are using a temperature protected paint, you don’t have to think for years about reconstructing your place.
Disadvantages
- Costly to Build a Building
Blocks of cement are more costly than bricks. It becomes too expensive to build a whole structure using blocks of cement. And especially when you are using a good brand paint for making it look like a stone wall. The price range would be higher. So make sure to make a budget before thinking of using cinder blocks walls at your home.
- Not Solving the whole Sound Problem.
Cinder block walls are best for soundproofing. But it will become successful after the wooden doors and windows are soundproof as well. Otherwise, the sound will inter inside and go outside. It might not benefit you if you have used cinder block walls for that purpose.
- Blocks might Need to Cut off.
When you plan to add chandeliers on your house or other electric lights to make your rooms look luxurious, you can sometimes cut down some of the cinder blocks. But cutting out the blocks is one of the toughest things.
You might get much more for this cutting process because you will need professionals to do this work. So you can say that it’s a big problem for those who are not ready to give away a lot of money for this work.
These are things you need to know before going through the procedure. Knowing about the pieces of equipment, paints, and of course, the steps and techniques of reaching for the results are really important. Keeping the idea of that surface you will use for making it look like a stone is a must.
Try to follow the rules given step by step with the pieces of equipment required, and you’ll have the best stone look on a cinder block wall.