Yes you can paint the brick on your house

Yes, you can paint it and yes you can choose any color you like.

In the Rock Hill and Fort Mill area, it’s common to find homes clad partially or entirely in brick. If you have brick on the outside of your home, you might think there is little you can do to update it or change its color. While it’s a timeless and earthy architectural finish, it can date an older house and make a newer one seem kind of cookie-cutter. Whether it’s a brick front or brick on the bottom of your exterior when you decide to paint you are only limited by your imagination. Today, stains and paints have been created to work well with the porous material and let you use color to bring new life to your bricks.

Many people assume changing the brick is as simple as painting a wall. The job is a bit more complicated than that. In addition to basic painting skills and tools, you need to know five things before considering painting.

Painted brick is relatively permanent

Most of the time, exterior paint can be changed and removed fairly easily. With brick, this isn’t the case. To put the brick back to its natural state after painting, you’ll have to go through a complete restoration process. This sort of process requires specialized knowledge, tools, and products. Before you decide to paint your brick, be fully prepared to commit to the color and choices you make. Restoration can be cost-prohibitive for many homeowners.

Any sources of water damage must be detected and dealt with

You must thoroughly look for signs of water damage or intrusion before starting. Damp spots, mold, or any other water-based issues are signs of an underlying issue. Adding paint over it will only seal in the problem and cause worse damage to occur. This can also damage the paint you put on by causing it to peel and fall off. If your bricks are damp, work with products that will allow the masonry to continue to breathe and allow the water to escape. Consult with professionals if you have any concerns about underlying water issues before you begin this project.

Efflorescence is a common problem in brick

Inside the brick and mortar are water-soluble salts. As the water evaporates, the salt stays behind on the walls creating efflorescence. This happens when the bricks aren’t sufficiently prepared before a finish or sealant was applied. Our painters are experienced in dealing with correcting problems from previous paintings. They also are well versed in preparations before painting or staining brick to avoid future issues. For example, it’s imperative to inspect and clean brickwork before beginning work. Our teams know this and will not cut corners on your projects.

Excessive alkalinity can cause the paint to fail

When painting brick, alkalinity can also damage the final results. Bricks are typically neutral but the mortar around them contains soluble mineral salts, which are alkalis. Free alkalis will lead to the disintegration of oil-based paint and films. This process is called “saponification”. Applying the appropriate primers can prevent this sort of failure in the paint.

Some on-going maintenance is required

The painted brick will require regular maintenance. Keeping your painted bricks in good condition will provide protection against failure and the elements. When working outside, taking sun exposure and UV Rays into consideration is important. Once the paint begins to fade, you’ll need to consider repainting to protect the walls. One way to avoid frequent repainting is to prime appropriately and choose a lighter color like off-white or a light natural neutral color.

Don’t let any of this scare you off!

What we are talking about here is proper prep work and inspection. Using modern paints and primers, the results can be dramatic and long-lasting. As a DIY project it’s probably not a good idea but having professionals who understand all the steps and have access to the right paint products makes quick work of painting your brick.

The benefits

Brick provides a novel and interesting texture to your exterior, seeing it painted in a color that doesn’t normally occur with the brick also adds interest. If you think an on-trend dark navy blue with white trim looks good on a wood-clad house imagine what it looks like on brick! If that isn’t to your taste at least you will no longer be tied to a dark earthy pallet any longer, Tan works, white is popular, there is no shortage of color options.

Schedule an Estimate

If painting your exterior bricks is of interest to you, call us! We have experienced teams ready to take on the project for you. Schedule a free, no-obligation estimate with CertaPro of Rock Hill, and let’s discuss your project.