The Many Ways to Maintain Your Brick Exterior

You may assume that brick is a pretty one-note material – more practical than fashionable. However, there are many ways to update your brick exterior and give it a fresh sense of curb appeal. The three most common techniques for doing this are mortar washing, white washing, or simply painting the brick.

Research has shown that brick homes with a white wash exterior typically sell faster than brick homes with a painted, stained, or natural brick exterior. But which is more cost effective, more beneficial to the environment, and better for your home’s longevity? Explore the differences between these techniques by reading on.

Mortar Wash

A lot of people think it’s a crime to cover brick, but finishing your brick with a wash can add character and give your exterior a different feel & totally updated look. Mortar washing your brick will help give your space a sense of history and old charm.

There are two main types of mortar wash: slurry and German smear.

Mortar wash is a technique meant to mimic the beauty and character of an Old World building. The technique consists of spreading wet mortar over the brick and removing some of the mortar while it’s still wet.

In a German smear, you control the amount of coverage and texture that you want. In this technique, some of the bricks are still exposed while others are completely covered with mortar, creating a lot of texture.

In a slurry, you cover all of the bricks with mortar, resulting in a texture that is similar to a smooth stucco with hints of the brick texture showing through.

In the German schmear, some of the bricks remain red, while in a slurry, the brick is all covered in mortar. The color comes from the mortar. No painting or whitewashing needs to be done to complete these looks.

Both of these techniques create a different texture than the original brick and are permanent. Since you are using mortar, both German schmear and slurry have strong adhesion and are very difficult to remove.

This means that if you want to commit, this is a great style with little maintenance in the long run.

Limewash

Lime wash paint is a simple, natural wash that can be used on the brick exterior of your home. Lime wash is created from lime putty. Crushing and burning limestone, and adding a small amount of water turns it into a highly alkaline putty. After letting the putty mature for a few days to a few months, the putty is thinned with water to create the limewash for your brick home’s exterior. This is then applied to the brick exterior and dried, allowing the alkaline goodness to soak into the surface.

The process sounds complex, but the finished product is readily available at any home improvement store near you. And it’s also safe for the environment! Limewashing protects and seals your brick, discouraging mold and mildew.

The limewash soaks into porous surfaces, like your brick, maintaining the original texture. Since it soaks in, limewash is a durable solution. Unlike paint, it doesn’t chip and there is no need to remove prior lime wash before adding a new layer when you need to re-coat it.

If you love a whitewashed look but want the benefits of limewash, you don’t have to choose! Limewash can be used to achieve a whitewashed look and comes in several other colors as well.

You might have to go online to order a color other than white or gray, but other colors are out there. The downside of limewash is that it does cost more than regular paint.

But, invest up front to avoid paying more later, right

Whitewash

Whitewashing is a technique of covering brick with a mixture of water and white paint. As the name implies, white is the only color that true whitewash comes in, though you could mix water with any color paint.

Whitewashing maintains the texture of the brick and you have some control over how much of the original color comes through. If you want a very light finish where most of the brick comes through, you can add more water to the paint. On the flip side, you can add less water if you want more of a solid finish.

Elastomeric Paint

Elastomeric is a fancy way to say stretchy. Elastomeric paint coatings offer an alternative to exterior paint in many situations. They apply like paint but contain more solids, which give them greater flexibility and durability than traditional exterior paint.

In fact, you might think of an elastomeric coating as acrylic paint on steroids. Originally formulated to protect stucco, elastomeric coatings can be used in many places traditionally reserved for exterior paint. These would include masonry and concrete surfaces, like your brick exterior!

Their elastic properties and durability make them great for long-term protection for brick exteriors. Elastomeric coatings go on like paint via brush, roller or sprayer. The resultant coating is typically 5-10 times thicker than paint and with the ability to stretch 150-400%.

Do you have a brick exterior transformation waiting? Call CertaPro Painters of Albany at 518-631-4116 or go online to schedule an estimate today!