Should I Paint My Brick Exterior? Pros and Cons

Pictures of painted brick exteriors have flooded Pinterest and Instagram in recent times, prompting many brick homeowners to wonder if they should give it a try while painted brick has gained a lot of popularity lately, it a finish that has actually been there for years.

Painting exterior brick can be a simple way of giving your home a fresh, on-trend look. Many homeowners find very good reasons why they should paint their brick homes, but is it really a good idea? If you’re considering updating your brick exterior with paint, here are some pros and cons to consider.

Pros of painting brick

• Easy to keep clean: like most masonry surfaces, brick is naturally porous and easily traps debris and dirt that can be quite difficult to clean. Painting brick surfaces make them smoother, less porous, and easier to clean when necessary.

• Boosts curb appeal: painting your brick exterior is a perfect way of upgrading your curb appeal and increasing the value of your home. There is nearly no color limitation when it comes to brick, but using dark colors such as smoky red or moss green can give your exterior a unique twist.

• Provides protection from the elements: your brick exterior is almost always under constant attack from weather elements, including rain, UV rays, humidity, frost, and sleet. Painting your brick exterior will provide a protective sealant against precipitation and other seasonal weather changes. The typical brick fading and deterioration can also be slowed down by paint.

Cons of painting exterior brick

• Painted brick is permanent: it’s important to keep in mind that once you paint your brick house, you can’t go back to its original brick exterior. Professional painters know that once brick is painted, it needs to stay painted. Trying to remove the color can be quite costly. Thankfully, you don’t have to restrict yourself to one color. You can always change when need be.

• Moisture can cause the paint to chip: Moisture us generally a problem to paint jobs on nearly all exterior surfaces. However, things can get a little trickier with painted brick, especially near the ground. Repainting regularly after 5 to 7 years can take care of this concern.

• Requires more frequent cleaning: painted brick might be easier to clean, but dirt and mold are more visible on these surfaces than natural brick. You should consider arranging for occasional power washing to keep your exterior clean and crisp, which, thankfully, only costs a few hundreds of dollars.

Tips for Painting Exterior Brick

Bricks are designed to have their own natural color with no intention of painting over them. However, if the idea of painting over your brick exterior sounds exciting and suitable for your situation, feel free to experiment. While at it, here are some tips to help you successfully paint over your brick exterior.

• Use the correct paint: as earlier mentioned, brick exteriors are extremely porous. For this reason, you need to choose high-quality masonry paint and primer that will guarantee durable results. You might want to request for some color consultation at your local paint store or from your favorite painting contractor.

• Don’t paint chipped or deteriorating brick: paint should not be used to hide mold, mildew, or deteriorating brick. Painting damaged bricks only serve to let moisture into your paint system and cause paint failure sooner than later.

• Take small leaps: Painting brick is permanent, so you need to be absolutely sure that this is something you definitely want to do. You can always consider other ways of freshening up your home exterior, such as trim painting, repainting shutters and windows, or experimenting with accents at your fireplace.

• Hire a professional painting contractor: as you can already tell, painting a brick exterior is a delicate affair that should only be left to experts. Professional painting contractors know just the right paint, the right tools, and materials required as well as the cleaning and preparation processes necessary.

Bottom line

Painting a brick exterior is an easy way of improving your curb appeal and protecting your exterior. But as you can see, it’s a decision that may require some professional help.

Speaking of professional help, if you’re considering painting the brick exterior of your home, Matthew’s Painting Company can help!

Our crew has years of experience in brick exterior painting, currently serving the areas of Warsaw, Syracuse, Lake Tippecanoe area, Winona lake area, Columbia City, Indiana, and surrounding Indiana cities.