If it weren’t for that ugly fire engine red brick, you know your house could be the beauty of the street. As it is, you find yourself the owner of the ugly duckling – tons of potential, but it’s just not quite there.

Now and then, you see a gorgeous painted-brick house and see what your home could be. You see these houses and ask yourself, “should I paint my brick house?” If you’re wondering if you should and how to do it right, we hope you find your answers here.

Is it a good idea to paint brick?

When you’re considering painting masonry, you’ll most likely get a lot of opinions about whether painting over brick is a smart thing to do. Die-hard purists will probably tell you no, brick should never be painted. Others think all brick is horribly outdated and should be hidden under thick layers of paint.

Most likely, you’re somewhere in the middle. You bought your house, after all. Something about it appealed to you.

Painting over brick can be a wonderful idea, especially from a design perspective. If your home has a brick color that fell out of favor a few decades ago, freshening it up with the right color can work wonders for your curb appeal. Awesome curb appeal means an increase in property value.

You may also choose to paint brick to make yearly maintenance on your house a bit easier. Paint seals the porous surface of masonry so it can’t collect water and dirt. This can also prevent moldy, crumbling bricks.

Things to consider before painting exterior brick

Assuming the bricks on your home aren’t deteriorating, in which case they would have to be replaced before painting, there are a few standard considerations before you start looking for brick painters.

Depending on the color you choose, the exterior of your home may need to be cleaned more often. White paint shows every speck of dirt that may have been hidden by the natural color of the bricks. To stay beautiful, it will need your attention. That might involve hiring someone to pressure wash your house a few times per year.

Speaking of attention, before pulling the trigger, you need to be completely sold that you want to paint over your brick. Any skilled exterior painting contractor can tell you; painted brick is forever. Removal is challenging and expensive. You can change the color, though, if you don’t stay in love with your first choice.

While you can’t remove paint from the brick surface, you will need to repaint every 10 years or so. Moisture can get underneath the paint, especially near the ground, and cause the coat of paint to chip. Being prepared to undertake this every so often will keep your house looking its best. This is also an excellent time to consider other colors -trends change.

Tips for painting exterior brick

After you have decided to paint over the bricks on your house or business, you need to make sure it’s done correctly. Remember that paint can’t be removed from masonry? Don’t get stuck with an awful paint job.

First, take a good look at the bricks you want to be painted. If any are crumbling, molded, or chipping, they are not good candidates for painting. It won’t cover up the defects; it will highlight them. Even if you choose against painting at this point, damaged bricks need to be replaced; they are a doorway for moisture to enter and cause further damage.

Another major factor in the success of your paint job is choosing the right paint. A can of latex paint isn’t going to do the trick. You absolutely must use a masonry paint, most likely applied over a primer. This ensures proper adhesion of the paint to the brick surface, which is precisely what you want for a long-lived, stunning paint job.

Before undertaking the job of painting your entire house’s facade, you may want to try other, smaller cosmetic upgrades. Painting faded shutters, trim, or doors may provide the bang you’re hoping for if you aren’t sold on painting your brick.

Trust the experts to paint your brick house

Don’t try to tackle this project yourself! Hiring experienced brick painters will save you from a nightmare. Keep your DIY spirit for a smaller project; this one is much larger than you may think it is.

A qualified brick painting company will have all the tools and knowledge to handle the job efficiently. They have experience with the proper paint for the exterior of a building, prepping the work surface, and know if your brick is in an appropriate condition for painting. You may find yourself with a big mess on your hands if you try to do it yourself.

When looking for a residential painting contractor, ask them about their experience with painting brick. Most contractors are very up to date on current design trends. If you’re on the fence about which color to choose, they can point you in the right direction.

By hiring professional house painters, you know you the stress is off your plate. They will create that flawless paint job you can only dream of, and the cleanup and responsibility are all on their shoulders, not yours.

When you choose to work with us at Cornerstone Painting, you get our professional team of exterior brick painters. We work with you to find the right colors and products for your job. Providing quality work and keeping your home safe for you is our highest priority.

We pay careful attention to the weather when we schedule your project so that we can guarantee excellent results quickly. Once on-site, we do all the work, prepping the brick by cleaning and doing minor repairs to surfaces to achieve maximum adhesion of the paint. Painting brick the right way can quickly ramp up the curb appeal and beauty of your home. If you’re in Woodinville WA and are thinking of having your brick home painted, call us at Cornerstone Painting for a consultation! We can go over the whole process with you, from start to finish.