Pros And Cons Of Painting Exterior Brick
Every building material decision comes with its pros and cons. Painted brick is no different.
Pros of painting a brick house
There are quite a few benefits to painting a brick home. Here are a few of the top reasons you should paint your brick home.
- Huge visual impact Painting brick gives your house a whole new look and can even add to your homes value by upping your curb appeal. It sets it apart from your neighbors homes and looks unique with a more uniform effect than unpainted brick. Painted brick, done well, looks very sophisticated and modern.
- Weather protection Painted brick can be better protected from water damage, fading, and the elements than unpainted brick.
- Easier to clean With a smooth painted surface, rather than so many nooks and crannies of unpainted brick, its much easier to keep your home clean and beautiful. When the pine pollen coats everything in yellow, no problem. Its easy to wash away in a snap.
- Youre not stuck with one color Change the entire appearance of your home when you repaint by opting for a new color. If you prefer variety, this option may be very appealing.
- Creative opportunities Most people who paint their brick homes use one color for all of the brick areas. But with paint, you have a lot more flexibility to make your own style statement. Use two contrasting but complementary colors to highlight certain architectural elements.
Cons of painting a brick house
A white painted brick home – Craftsman style on Lake Murray, SC
Pressure Washing Brick Homes
Pressure washing is perhaps the MOST CRITICAL step in the entire process of painting a brick home. Dirty or moldy brick will cause an uneven topcoat but importantly the paint will lose adhesion and durability.
Not all homes can be cleaned with intense pressure. Washing older brick homes with high pressure or could damage brick mortar.
The force of pressure washers varies and are rated in PSI . Typically, when pressure washing unpainted Brick, its recommended to use a minimum machine rating of 2,500 to 3,000 psi.
How To Paint Brick
Painting red brick white is a hot trend both inside and outside the home. You may have even considered doing it yourself but are unsure how. In this article well learn everything there is to know about how to paint brick.
Red brick is a classic look thats been used for centuries as a house siding, to build chimneys or around the fireplace. Its still a beautiful look thats very much in style. But with the more modern trend of use white everywhere, red brick doesnt always have a place. Everyone these days seems to want light and bright. Lots of white, real wood and clean, crisp design. Painting that old and tired looking rustic red brick is definitely a viable option that can have fantastic results. And its not that hard or expensive to do and even makes a great DIY project. But there are a few important things you need to know if you want professional looking results. Things like making sure the bricks are prepped and clean, priming the bricks, painting at the right time, avoiding peeling or bubbling, and learning which paint to use.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know on how to paint bricks like a pro.
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Using The Right Tools
Before you start painting make sure you have the right tools for the job. Get a paintbrush and a large enough sprayer to cover the size of your bricks.
Using the right tools ensures that you can paint your bricks well. The right tools ensure that you can reach the smallest and tightest corners in your house.
Best Colors To Paint A Brick House
Before you consider hiring someone to paint your exterior brick, here are a few reminders:
- Brick is already engineered to be a certain color. This is an important fact to keep in mind when youre considering what color to paint it next. For example, some homeowners choose to only repaint trim or doors on the home youll want those new colors to coordinate with the current color of the brick.
- Removing paint from brick is messy and nearly impossible. Make sure youre fully committed to painting your brickthere will be no going back!
- Damaged brick must be repaired and restored before painting over it.
- The right prep work, supplies and paint are paramount to ensuring the life of the project.
While there are some simpler exterior painting projects, painting exterior brick on a home is a big job, but a worthwhile one when you get it right. It can totally transform the look of your house, increase curb appeal and even get you more money when you decide to sell. While theres some original brick we love and wed never want to see painted over, we cant deny that some of our favorite updates come when our clients elect to paint their brick homes.
Here are some of the best colors to paint a brick house.
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Why Is Your Brick Wall Cracking Up
The condition of a particular brick wall, your responsibility is to see if any segments of the brick wall are protruding outward or not. The most widely recognized where a brick wall may swell outward may be the base or the highest point of a wall. Free or failed mortar joints mainly cause these structural faults.
The apparent lumps in a specific structure hardly affect or lower its importance. They ought to appear to professionals so they could be relieved at the opportune time.
Now the inquiry arises, what causes cracking? All things considered, it is mainly caused by the setting of the dirt beneath the walls parameters. The primary cause could be the land that was not appropriate enough to develop a structure.
Another reason could be of shifting of the dirt beneath the system. The dirt may then shift because of groundwater and so forth. Other causes of cracks inside a wall could be contraction and expansion of the wall or freezing patterns and then thawing or spoiled record over the window.
Poor peoples wall is unable to withstand a great deal of that, after which it surrenders and gives indications of deterioration.
Henceforth, the concerned house proprietor should counsel a designer or a masonry contractor to examine the damaged areas. It is profoundly important to see whether the crack has opened to an extraordinary or not.
What Is The Best Paint For Brick Walls
Paint
When it comes to the best paint for exterior brick walls, our experts would recommend Emperor Masonry Paint. It contains the latest nano-technology that creates a super hydrophobic coating on masonry which allows it to completely repel water while remaining completely breathable. In a 25 year accelerated weathering test, it was shown to not change in performance or appearance for the full 25 year test, demonstrating a minimum 25 year longevity.
This super hydrophobic surface also means it is self-cleaning and by keeping masonry dry. Tests showed it keeps surfaces 6°C warmer on average, as wet building materials transfer heat much more than dry materials. That is why Emperor Paint has been verified by the Energy Saving Trust.
Thanks to its performance in tests, Emperor Masonry Paint comes with a lifetime guarantee as it has been proven to withstand any weather conditions for decades without peeling or allowing moisture to absorb into the brick.
Available in 12 popular standard colours, including white, off-white & light grey.
An alternative option if you are looking for a non-traditional or darker colour is Armstead Masonry Paint, which offers excellent value for money if you are looking for a standard masonry paint. It can perform for up to 15 years and is shower resistant in 30 minutes. Not only this, it can be mixed in almost any colours thanks to our paint mixing service.
Primer
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What To Consider Before Committing To A Painted Brick Home
If you live in a brick homeeven a home with just a little decorative brick or masonry on the exterioryou’ve likely realized that there aren’t many ways to change up the look and feel of a brick siding home without grabbing a paintbrush. That’s because, for many of these homes, the brick work is structural not easily swapped out the way vinyl or aluminum siding might be.
Sidler restores historic buildings and homes and comes across tons of brickwork in need of repair in Orlando, Florida, where his company is based. He typically approaches the decision to paint brick depending on the type of brick and its current condition.
If you have solid brick on your home that still looks great, Sidler cautions against painting it. That’s because brick is one of the lowest-maintenance features on your home’s exterior, but painted brick will require upkeep.
“Brick requires very little maintenance, but now you’ve created a maintenance cycle,” he says. “The paint will fail, and people don’t realize they’re going to have to do a $15,000 paint job every decade.”
Of course, if the brick on your home is showing its age but still maintains its structural integrity, a paint job might be just the facelift it needs.
When it comes to painting interior brick, the stakes are a bit lower and the reward can be higher, Sidler says. Laura Bierman, an interior design consultant at YouthfulHome.com, a home services finder, agrees.
“Go for it,” he says.
Painting Your Brick Is Permanent
Once you paint your brick home, you cant go back. If you are okay with knowing this, then you are okay to go ahead and paint. You can always change the color down the road, but you can’t remove the paint from the brick.
You could strip the brick down with chemicals or sandblasting, however, once that is finished the bricks will never look the same. They will appear much more worn down. So if you do decide to paint, make sure it is a decision you plan to stick with.
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Green Painted Exterior Brick
Green is making a huge comeback for both interior and exterior paint and home decor. But instead of thinking of the light sages from the mid-2000s, instead focus on earthier greens or greens with olive or tan undertones. These greens fade beautifully into your landscape, so if you have a generous yard or old trees, your home can feel like a relaxing hideaway.
Green painted exterior brick also looks great with warm natural woods, so consider adding porch or trim details in this finish.
Great greens for exterior brick
Green Briara deep neutral green
Condition Of The Bricks
Before you paint your brick house, you need to check the condition of the bricks. Before painting, clean your brick house. Also, check the status of your bricks.
Are they cracked? If they are, you can fill the cracks before you start painting. If the bricks are chipped you should find a way to repair the bricks before you start painting them.
Do not paint bricks that are in poor condition.
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// Revere Pewter + Ashwood Moss
Ashwood Moss by Benjamin Moore is an up-and-coming color we think youll see more of in the coming years. As exterior design trends lean more into the warmth of beige and green, colors that blend the two into a visually interesting neutral will only become more popular. We love this application of Ashwood Moss on the siding paired with Revere Pewter on the brick. It turns this commonplace home exterior into a unique, distinct two-tone transitional house.
Consider The Permanence Of Painted Brick
The debate on painting brick has less to do with the look of it than with the permanence of the project. It is difficult to remove paint from brick. You have three basic options: sandblasting, manual stripping, or pressure washing. Each method requires a great deal of time and effort. If you decide you really like the way the brick looks painted, keep in mind that the nature of brick’s relation to moisture will quickly wear away at even the most durable paint, requiring repainting every three to five years.
Consider that painted interior brick is even more permanent because it rules out the possibility of pressure washing or sandblasting the paint, should you decide to reverse the project. If the interior brick is part of a wall that reaches the exterior, such as the interior side of a fireplace, you can expect to repaint that area every three to five years as well.
Many homeowners like to cover over the brick with stone veneer, which is a project no less permanent but one that conveys higher property value.
Undertake this project with much consideration and care. View it as irreversible. If you decide you want to paint the brick, here’s how to do it.
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What Paint To Use On Exterior Brick
When painting exterior brick, we believe the best paint for brick is Sherwin Williams Loxon Masonry Topcoat for the top finish coats. Its critical to use outdoor brick paint if you decide on painting the exterior of your brick house.
There is nothing worse than painting your beautiful brick dream home with the wrong type of paint and having problems with peeling, moisture, or mold after your investment.
Loxon is engineered for providing high-performance protection for brick walls that are above grade. It blocks water to protect your masonry from moisture penetration, which keeps your home smelling fresh rather than damp and musty. We also love that it is available in a variety of colors.
The sheen is flat which helps to hide any surface imperfections. And this product is certified for low chemical emissions which makes it healthier for people to be around.
For technical notes on brick painting from The Brick Industry Association with specifics on what types of paint work best and how to properly prep brick walls for painting, click here.
Painting Exterior Brick: Things To Consider
Painting exterior brick can certainly be beneficial, but its also a task that comes with some important considerations.
- Painted brick is permanent. After you paint your brick house, you cant go back to its original brick exterior. Professional painters know that once brick is painted, it needs to stay painted. And the process of even trying to remove paint from brick can be very costly. The good news is that you can change the paint color as often as youd like, so you dont have to be married to one hue forever.
- Moisture can cause paint to chip. This is true for many home exteriors, but excess moisture can be a valid concern with painted brick especially near the ground. Simple repaints every 7-10 years can help prevent this, however. Occasional repaints will also keep your exterior brick looking fresh at all times.
- You may need to clean your house exterior more often. While painted brick is easier to clean than a natural brick exterior, dirt and mildew are much more visible on painted exteriors. Opting for an occasional professional power washing can keep your brick exterior crisp and clean. This service is very affordable and typically only costs a few hundred dollars.
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Apply Primer And Paint
Paint four-inch strips of preliminary along with roof windows, corners, door frames, and baseboard edges utilizing a trim brush. This is useful in keeping you from contacting woodwork as you utilize the paint roller.
After you are done, utilize warm water in washing the brush and put this aside to dry. Roll your paint roller until you coat the entire surface. Turn it over your walls utilizing crossing and smoothing strokes.
Smaller despondencies found in the sealing and old wall can be filled by the groundwork covering stains and old paint. Allow the groundwork coat to dry totally for 4 hours.
The flat paint will assist you with achieving a matte completion. Utilize the trim brush in cutting in edges, covering the groundwork in an even manner. Utilize another paint roller as you apply the paint.
Cover your walls as you did when you applied the groundwork coat. Allow the flat paint to dry for six to eight hours or until your paint is totally dry to contact. If necessary, apply another coat.
Will I Regret Painting My Brick House
Its unlikely that youll regret painting your brick house. Brick is a fairly durable material, so it will likely withstand the elements better than other materials. Plus, painting your brick house can give it a fresh, new look. However, there are a few things to keep in mind before painting your brick house. First, make sure to use a high-quality paint that is specifically designed for brick surfaces. Second, pay attention to the prep work involved in painting your brick house. Proper prep work will ensure that your paint job looks its best and lasts for many years.
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Choosing Color For Painted Brick
While brick houses are most often painted white, the whole spectrum of the color wheel is in play when considering painting your brick home. When choosing an exterior paint color in any application, there are a few things to consider. Since paint colors have varying light reflectance values , they appear different in direct sunlight, shade, depending on which direction your house faces, or with certain landscaping. Therefore, where you live is a major consideration in what color you paint your home. Additionally, you want to consider the style of your home and personal design preference. Its OK to like something thats not trending on Pinterest! Your neighborhood rules or historic ordinances might also affect your options. Finally, exterior renovation can be an expensive undertaking. Choosing a color that youre going to love for years to come is important!