Painting the Brick on the Exterior of Your House

Deep mysterious grays with white accent pops

Over the years, we have had many clients as us about painting the brick on the exterior of their house.  For some people painting brick os an absolute never and they cringe at the idea.  For others, its a surface just waiting for its new color.  Brick provides a timeless look that needs very little maintenance which is what makes it so attractive to have.  It gives a home a solid amount of weight and can look beautiful.  Some would say that brick by itself can become dingy and requires maintenance due to the porous surface allowing for dirt and debris to become trapped and difficult to remove. There are many different viewpoints on painting brick, let's review some of the major points.

Is it Okay to Paint a Brick House?

Yes!  It is for sure OK to paint the brick on your house. When you choose your painting company and you know you want to paint your brick, make sure that you have HOA permission.  Some HOA's will not allow this.  Once you have the permission from the HOA, you will have to make sure that the painting company you work with chooses the right paint.  You will want your paint to be an elastomeric paint, or a stone and masonry paint.  Both of these types of paint will have the ability to adhere to the brick.  In some cases, a primer coat will be needed to cover the brick first so that the paint will stick no matter what. The one thing to note is that when you paint the brick of your house, this is a semi-permanent decision.  Going back to brick would be very costly and potentially not be worth the money.  Before you paint your brick, be sure that this is a decision that you want to make.

What is the best color to paint a brick house?

It is our recommendation to paint your brick a complimentary color to your house.  I know this probably goes without saying but when you choose your color palette for your house consider choosing a color that either directly compliments the colors for the body and trim of your house so that it can act as an accent, or choose something that plays well with the colors you are. choosing.  If you are having trouble with choosing the right color, get in touch with us for Color Consulting.

What are the pros and cons of painting exterior brick?

Some of the pros of painting your brick can be to update and enhance the overall feel of your home.  Even if you change colors for the body of your house, they will have to coincide with brick colors and usually, you will want to compliment them.  When you paint your brick, you not only open the door for any other color palette but you can change the overall look and feel of the house.  Painted brick has been trending for the past couple of years and seems to be a popular trend.  Another plus side to painting the brick on the exterior of your house is that brick is not immune to decay and dirt and staining.  Brick has small nooks and crannies that dirt will get into and cause stains and become dingy.  When this happens brick can be cleaned but usually, this weathered look is either desired or not.  When it's not, painting the brick can be a great option.

The Cons of painting your brick is that you cannot go back easily.  To remove the paint will most likely damage the brick and the color may not completely come off without really degrading the brick itself.  

Is Painted Brick High Maintenance?

The maintenance of painted brick is similar to the paint on the siding of your home or the trim on your home.  The paint will fade over time and will need to be repainted when you repaint the siding and trim of your home.  Painting the brick on the exterior of your home will not require any additional maintenance than normal painting. 

It is recommended to repaint the brick on your house after you have painted it the first time, every 3-5 years.  With the climate of our Colorado Front Range, high heat in the summer months, and the cold temperatures of the winter months, it's would be a good idea to repaint every 5 years on average anyway.  

Does painting brick increase home value?

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to increase the value of your home is to paint the exterior of your home.  Choosing colors that complement one another and enhance the visual appeal of your home in the neighborhood is an easy way to increase the value of your home.  Many of our clients look for ways to refresh or brighten their homes' appearance right before they sell their home and painting is one of those ways.  Brick can be a beautiful addition to your home or sometimes it can become dated and dingy.  When you paint the brick, it can bring to life a once dull and lack-luster appearance that would not have necessarily happened by painting the body and trim of the house alone.  

Overall, painting your brick is a personal decision that requires a pro to do, with the right tools and knowledge of the process, which we have.  For the past 18 years, we have been providing our neighbors along the front range of colorado with sage advice for Color Choices and the right product choices.  If you're ready to get on our schedule for painting your house or want an estimate, reach out to us and we would be happy to help with free advice and a free estimate.  You can schedule right on our website for your convenience here:  Schedule a FREE Consultation. Or you can call us: 303-960-5584 to answer any questions or schedule a free estimate.

We look forward to serving the local front range community.