Brick Painting & Staining Services
on the South Shore & Boston Area
Painting brick homes on the South Shore and in the Boston-area
There are some beautiful full and partial-brick homes sprinkled throughout the South Shore and Boston area. Lately, lots of people have asked us about painting and maintaining brick, so let’s dive in:
Painting brick homes in New England
Lately, lots of our Boston-area Clients have chosen to paint their brick homes white, cream or greige, and gray. Many homeowners are tired of the heavy “feel” and institutional look their unpainted brick home has. In fact, a quick search on designer sites like Pinterest and Houzz shows more painted brick homes than unpainted. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking of making this change too:
Painting brick is a (mostly) permanent change
Yes, paint can be removed from brick, it’s a hard process to reverse. If you feel a few years from now you’ll regret painting the brick, understand that removing the paint will be time-consuming and expensive, and the final look of your brick, since the paint will need to be sandblasted or chemically removed, will be different and more of a “worn brick” look than the original brick.
We’ve decided to paint our brick home, what do we need to know?
Trapped moisture can damage brick and cause paint to peel, so be sure to caulk any cracks or gaps, especially near doors and windows, so water doesn’t seep in.
The primer and paint applied to your brick must be specifically formulated for masonry homes. Masonry paint and stain formulas have a different PH than regular wood coatings and allow the brick home to “breathe” when dry.
A painted or stained brick home requires maintenance that an unpainted brick home doesn’t require:
- The dirt and mildew are less noticeable when bricks are unpainted, and so dirt will stand out on lighter painted brick. On the other hand, now that you can see the dirt and moss, and mold on your home, it’ll be easier to notice when your home needs to be power washed or cleaned – this is helpful for allergy sufferers.
- Down the line, painted or stained brick will need to be repainted.
- While it’s difficult to remove the paint from brick in the future, you can easily paint the brick a different color down the line. In 2021, on the South Shore, we painted some white brick homes a creamier greige with great success.
Have your brick home professionally painted
If you are considering having your brick home in the Boston or South Shore areas, we can help. Get started by setting up a free estimate appointment with our team.
Good reasons to paint your brick home:
There’s nothing like a uniform and lighter color paint to freshen up the heavy and industrial feel of a brick home. The brick and mortar “fade” to the background with paint, and your whole house looks fresher.
A Cleaner Look than Unpainted Brick
Because the bricks are dark and the mortar is light, unpainted brick homes an appearance that is “spotty” and “industrial,” and by applying a uniform color to the brick and mortar, the visual overload is gone.
Curbside Appeal
Compare the lighter brick home to its “red brick” neighbors. Painting brick adds to the curb appeal, and because unpainted brick exteriors tend to have the same tone and color value as surrounding trees, plants, and landscaping, it’s challenging to make your windows, shutters, doors, and trim pop against the unpainted brick.
Added Protection
Besides aesthetics, painting your brick home acts as a sealant to protect your brick home from our harsh New England climate while still allowing the brick to “breathe.”
Partial brick exteriors
Many raised ranches and colonials in the Boston area have a partial brick exterior. This usually means their home has bricks on half of the house and either shingles or clapboards on the other half. After painting or staining the brick the same color as the wood, the whole house will seem updated and the choppiness of the home disappears. As a result, the brick on these homes tends to fade so much into the background that it’s hardly noticeable anymore, especially from the curb.
Painting the brick on the ranch home pictured here would calm the visual overload of the exterior.
Schedule a free painting estimate for your brick home.
We offer free estimates and can answer any questions you have about painting a brick home during the estimate process. Get started by setting up an appointment online by clicking the button below.
What color should I paint my brick home?
While it’s important to be sure that the color you paint looks good in the light of your home. We offer a free, in-home color consultation with our designer to get the color just right for your home’s unique lighting and neighborhood, and this is time well spent because you’ll be living with the results for years to come.
Roof color is a significant consideration – you must make sure your roof color and your paint color do not contrast, or the whole home will look “off.” Look at the tones within your roof and choose the same tones in the paint your choose. For example, if your roof is a warm beige, be sure you choose a warm color for the brick paint.
Paint Colors that look good on brick and with red brick:
In general:
- Whites should be creamy – bright whites are too harsh against the red brick
- For trim and siding paint that will be near red brick, consider matching the color of the grout to make the home look more cohesive.
Here’s a list of white, cream, gray and black colors that tend to look nice on brick homes to get you started exploring. Email [email protected] if you’d like large (8″ x 11″) color samples mailed to you for free (even if you’re planning on doing the painting yourself).
Sherwin Williams Alabaster
Sherwin Williams Creamy
Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray
Sherwin Williams Gateway Gray
Benjamin Moore Stone Hearth
Benjamin Moore Gray Mist
Benjamin Moore Black (HC 190)
Looking for inspiration?
Check out some of our helpful resources that help with color selection, production selection, and more.
Our color consulting services
Our designer, Kate Rafoth, helps you choose colors that work with your existing furnishings. Kate has an education in interior design and worked as Sherwin Williams’ color expert prior to working with us.
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Popular and Historic House Colors of The South Shore
The South Shore is rich with history and the colors of homes on the South Shore tend to reflect that. We’ve worked with Sherwin Williams to create a palette of exterior colors that are specific to the South Shore, and allows your home fit right in.
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Which paint is best?
Get tips on the best paint products and what to look for when selecting a paint for either the interior or exterior of your home.
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