Tips From the Experts on Painting Exterior Brick

Exterior brick and paint are both among the most popular options for those looking to introduce a dash of decorating pizzazz into their exterior décor. Any number of different paint colors can add a touch of personality to your exterior décor, while red brick is a decorating feature unto itself, and one that, when cared for properly, can last for decades.

So why not combine these two exterior decorating ideas and paint your red brick? It may be tricky, but as long as you are careful and heed these tips, you can do it and bring out the best in both decorating features.

1. Follow the Proper Steps

To avoid messes and make painting on red brick exteriors as clean, quick, and easy as possible, you’ll want to follow a few basic tips, beginning with:

• Cleaning and Prepping the Brick: You don’t want dirt and grime getting mixed in with or held in place by the paint. Doing so will cause your painted surface to fail prematurely. Instead, you want to make sure that you clean the brick with soap, water, and a healthy amount of vigorous brushing along with pressure washing. If you need something stronger, you could try trisodium phosphate and bleach if there is mildew present.
• Apply Primer: Depending on the job, you may need one or a few coats of latex primer.  Masonry primer is best.
• The Type of Paint: Elastomeric paint works well, given how elastic it is. Acrylic latex paint is also acceptable.
• Apply Paint: This is easiest with paint sprayers, however you should use a roller with a thick 1 1/4  nap to roll in what you spray.

2. Tinting the Primer

If you are changing the color of the brick wall to a color that is drastically different than the white primer, tint your primer to 50% of the color you chose to paint your brick with.

3. Bring Plenty of Paint

Another common mistake is to underestimate how much paint you’ll need. You may think that it’s “just” a brick wall, but remember that you want to add at least 2 coats to make sure that the color integrity remains constant.  I would plan on figuring about 150 sq. ft. per gallon.

5. Whitewashed Brick Walls

One trend that is gathering steam among those painting their exterior brick walls is to whitewash them. This can imbue a space with a sense of being both classic and modern. The crisp white can also brighten up the exterior considerably as light bounces off it. 

There is no shortage of great design ideas that can be put into place via exterior red brick painting schemes. Simply follow these steps and you’ll be able to clean and paint your brick with the best of them.