Painted Brick?

[DawnM]

We have been looking at some houses.  We were in a very nice, but older neighborhood today and two of the houses were getting their brick houses painted.  I actually really liked the look but DH argued that painting brick makes it no longer maintenance free and he doesn't like it.

Then we went to a brand new neighborhood where you have to buy the land and have one of the models they offer built.  About 3/4 of them are built so far.  Several of them have painted brick out front and I liked it.

And, the other thing I was wondering......there is one home we are looking at with darker brick, a little dated, but the house is great.  I wondered if we could have it painted to update it.  DH hates the idea, but I am curious.

Is it that horrible to maintain if it is done well?

Do you like the look?

I have been looking at this site for pros and cons, but wondered if any of you have a painted brick home?

http://beckiowens.com/pros-and-cons-painted-brick-exteriors/

[Scarlett]

I am with your husband.  I think in general painted brick is ridiculous. However I have seen some reeeeally ugly colored brick that needed to be painted.  So it is t a deal killer for me...but I find it dumb in general. 

[DawnM]

3 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

I am with your husband.  I think in general painted brick is ridiculous. However I have seen some reeeeally ugly colored brick that needed to be painted.  So it is t a deal killer for me...but I find it dumb in general. 

 

One vote for ridiculous and dumb.  LOL

[DawnM]

Looking at some like these:

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

 

One vote for ridiculous and dumb.  LOL

TO clarify I think painted brick looks very pretty.  

[DawnM]

6 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

I am with your husband.  I think in general painted brick is ridiculous. However I have seen some reeeeally ugly colored brick that needed to be painted.  So it is t a deal killer for me...but I find it dumb in general. 

 

Just now, Scarlett said:

TO clarify I think painted brick looks very pretty.  

 

I think I am confused.  

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

 

 

I think I am confused.  

I think it looks good but why paint a maintenance free surface.  Especially in a new build.  Sometimes existing homes can have ugly colored brick...so I understand painting it. 

[Sherry in OH]

I agree with your husband.   It is more maintenance and I do not like the look.   

Painting exterior brick is not a DIY job.  If not done properly the integrity of the brick will be compromised.  This leads not only to flaking paint but to crumbling brick.  Even when done properly, it is more maintenance than natural brick.  Algae and dirt are more visible on paint, requiring more cleaning.  Once you paint, like any other painted surface it will require repainting in the future.  If the natural brick is truly a deal-breaker, look into staining rather than painting.

[forty-two]

I've always thought it was kind of ridiculous, and all the irl painted brick I've seen I've hated - looked so flat and monochromatic in a bad way.  I never understood why people did it - imo the result was always worse.  Plus there was no going back. 

But I admit the pictures in your link were pretty. 

But repainting every 3-5 years?  No way - no look is so cute that I'd commit to that insanity for the rest of the house's life.  One of the reasons I like brick facades is because of their low maintenance.  But even siding and such doesn't need repainting every 3-5 years.  I really can't fathom why *new builds* are going with painted brick instead of either picking a brick color they like or going with siding or something meant to be painted.  (Especially those pricey-looking custom builds.  All the new build neighborhoods I've seen in the past 10 years were too cheap to do all brick - it was all siding, or brick fronts and siding for the sides and backs.)

[Selkie]

I would only do it if I were stuck with really ugly brick. Otherwise, nope - too much maintenance.

Our house is classic red brick all the way around, and we haven't had to do any maintenance in the 22 years since we built. 

[DawnM]

Ok, thanks!  Sounds like it is more trouble than it is worth.

[Kidlit]

We have painted brick.  We’ve lived here since summer 2015, and we’ve noticed no issues.  Our house is large and though the paint color is not what I would’ve chosen, the house was built in 1963 or so, and the original brick color (which we still have on the hearth in the basement) wouldn’t have been what I would choose, either. The brick looks very dated in 2019.  (Think dark, very variegated.). It would be overwhelming on such a large house, so for me, painted is better.  

Again, we have noticed no maintenance issues 4 years into living here, either. The only times it has even occurred to me to think I about repainting it is when I see a paint color I prefer.  Lol.

We obviously do live in an older neighborhood, and quite a number of houses around us are painted brick. 

[DawnM]

17 minutes ago, hopeistheword said:

We have painted brick.  We’ve lived here since summer 2015, and we’ve noticed no issues.  Our house is large and though the paint color is not what I would’ve chosen, the house was built in 1963 or so, and the original brick color (which we still have on the hearth in the basement) wouldn’t have been what I would choose, either. The brick looks very dated in 2019.  (Think dark, very variegated.). It would be overwhelming on such a large house, so for me, painted is better.  

Again, we have noticed no maintenance issues 4 years into living here, either. The only times it has even occurred to me to think I about repainting it is when I see a paint color I prefer.  Lol.

We obviously do live in an older neighborhood, and quite a number of houses around us are painted brick. 

 

Interesting.  Thanks for the input.

 

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

Looking at some like these:

 

There is a house in our neighborhood that looks almost exactly like the big colonial in your bottom photo, and every time I drive past it, I’m struck by how stunning it looks next to other “regular-brick-colored” houses. I just love it!

I don’t know the family other than to wave at them when I drive by, but the next time I see them outside, I’ll stop and ask them about the maintenance on the painted brick.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Catwoman

[SKL]

I don't like the look AND I don't like the maintenance.  I much much much prefer the original brick look.

I always feel sad when people "remodel" and it includes painting their perfectly good brick.

[katilac]

I don't know how often you would have to paint it, but with such light colors I imagine you'd be powerwashing quite frequently. That's a huge DIY or a very expensive one if you pay somebody, particularly with two stories. 

We painted our brick fireplace because it was a very alarming shade of pink (and already painted) but would not have chosen to do so. It was a nightmare, lol. I will say that we haven't had to repaint in 15 years but it is both inside and not used all that often. Because we live in the deep south and really don't need a fireplace. 

[Mom0012]

 I think the painted brick looks really pretty. However I would want to know how much it would cost to have it painted every 3 to 5 years as they are recommending. A friend of mine has a house with a wood siding and has had to repaint it a couple of times and it was seven or $8000 to have done. 

[gardenmom5]

I think there are a number of factors.  around here, I'm seeing older brick homes be painted as part of an exterior make-over.  they look really good.

I used to think painted brick was awful - but sometimes, the original brick is a horrid color, or clashes, is very limiting for roofing, etc.  if it is particularly porous - paint can actually seal it and help to protect and extend its life.

[StephanieZ]

I suspect that WELL painted brick could last a very long time w/o maintenance. Good strategy on color choice, good prep work, high quality paint of the correct variety . . . and you could likely last decades with one paint job (same as you can with properly painted hardi-plank or concrete). 

If I were building new, I sure wouldn't plan to paint brick. But, if I were facing an ugly brick on a nice house, I might do it . . .

[EMS83]

I'd rather reside the house than paint brick, personally.  But it's also not something I'd buy/not buy a house over.

[Garga]

I positively love the look of painted brick. White with black trim is my favorite, white with dark green is my second favorite.

Years ago, I remember reading about painting brick just because I loved it so much (even though my house isn’t brick) and all I remember is that you have GOT to know what you’re doing. Not every painting company knows what they’re doing. You need people specially trained in brick painting or you’ll mess up the bricks badly. Something about how bricks need to “breathe” or something like that, and if you close up their access to air, you’ll mess up the bricks.  Maybe they need to be able to dry out if they get wet?  I don’t know.  It sounded pretty serious, though.  

If you’re going to do it, do a ton of research ahead of time and find a company that knows what they’re doing to do it.  Don’t ever try to wing it on your own.

[PrincessMommy]

I think painted brick is pretty but I also like the natural color.  It really depends on the house.   We have brick that is kind of dark and we have a lot of old trees.  I'd like to paint it.  Our bandmates had a painted brick house they lived in for 30yrs.  he told me they'd never painted it themselves and it looked fine.  It was painted white.  They only painted it just before selling their house last year to spruce it up.  One plus is that, unlike siding, you can just re-paint it.  

I also wonder if painting an older brick house may help with dampness. 

[KungFuPanda]

I don't like he idea of painting a brick home, but If I were selling right now I'd be tempted to do it.  It's just really in right now.  I'd also paint my walls an updated color.  

[DawnM]

4 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I don't like he idea of painting a brick home, but If I were selling right now I'd be tempted to do it.  It's just really in right now.  I'd also paint my walls an updated color.  

 

What color is an update for walls right now?  Ours are just a tan and it fits with all the wood we have, but the houses I have been in lately that are new are mostly gray/blue colors.

[PrincessMommy]

have you done a google image search "painted brick house before and after"?    There's some nice photos.  Pinterest has a similar thing, if you're on Pinterest. 

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, PrincessMommy said:

have you done a google image search "painted brick house before and after"?    There's some nice photos.  Pinterest has a similar thing, if you're on Pinterest. 

 

Yes, I have.  I like the look, it reminds me of what I grew up around, very European style.   

[HS Mom in NC]

I prefer the natural red brick if it's in good condition. If the brick is an ugly color or in poor condition then I prefer it painted.

I'm always inclined to take the lowest maintenance option for personal and financial simplicity, and I'm inclined to stick to classic looks for resale value.  Anything that's going to look too dated can narrow the field of potential buyers. You never know when life is going to happen in such an unexpected way that you might need to sell your house.

[DawnM]

13 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

I prefer the natural red brick if it's in good condition. If the brick is an ugly color or in poor condition then I prefer it painted.

I'm always inclined to take the lowest maintenance option for personal and financial simplicity, and I'm inclined to stick to classic looks for resale value.  Anything that's going to look too dated can narrow the field of potential buyers. You never know when life is going to happen in such an unexpected way that you might need to sell your house.

 

oh, we have done SO MUCH this last couple of months.  We just haven't kept up.  We have gotten so busy.  So, we have had to pay for it all at once.  A lot is stuff DH wanted to do and can do, and hates hiring out for, but now we have run out of time.

[Farrar]

Wait, wait, wait. Who says brick is maintenance free?!? Please get me my $15k repointing money back then.

We have painted brick. Most of the rowhouses in our row and many of the ones around here in general are painted. You either have to periodically paint or reseal in order to protect the pointwork. The side of our house that’s painted hasn’t been repointed because the paint extended the life of the pointwork.

[DawnM]

13 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Wait, wait, wait. Who says brick is maintenance free?!? Please get me my $15k repointing money back then.

We have painted brick. Most of the rowhouses in our row and many of the ones around here in general are painted. You either have to periodically paint or reseal in order to protect the pointwork. The side of our house that’s painted hasn’t been repointed because the paint extended the life of the pointwork.

 

Wow!  Good to know.  I have no idea what repointing is though.

[PrincessMommy]

37 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Wait, wait, wait. Who says brick is maintenance free?!? Please get me my $15k repointing money back then.

We have painted brick. Most of the rowhouses in our row and many of the ones around here in general are painted. You either have to periodically paint or reseal in order to protect the pointwork. The side of our house that’s painted hasn’t been repointed because the paint extended the life of the pointwork.

No! It most certainly is not. Our brick house is having issues with mortar, esp close to the ground and below grade where moisture is an issue.

[Katy]

I think a German Schmear (mortar smeared to look like aged paint) or a true lime wash (which turns to limestone upon curing) would be much lower maintenance and might pass your DH's concerns.

Even with pointing brick is generally lower in maintenance- power washing it occasionally and repointing as needed isn't super difficult.

[Sherry in OH]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

Wait, wait, wait. Who says brick is maintenance free?!? Please get me my $15k repointing money back then.

We have painted brick. Most of the rowhouses in our row and many of the ones around here in general are painted. You either have to periodically paint or reseal in order to protect the pointwork. The side of our house that’s painted hasn’t been repointed because the paint extended the life of the pointwork.

 

It isn't maintenance free, it is less maintenance.  You shouldn't have to repoint for 20-50 years.  That is longer than most people expect to live in a house.   

I can understand why someone might want to paint an older home.  But new construction?  Brick comes in many colors.  If you want a white exterior why not use white brick?  Or choose a a different exterior material such as siding, clapboard, or stucco. 

[elegantlion]

We once painted an all brick house. It went from red brick to dark grey. Ex was a professional, so it was well done, he probably used a sprayer. He did the work in about 2000. I drove passed the house not too long ago and it still looks great. I know the other owners have not painted. So if done well, it shouldn't need extra maintenance, it might still need some maintenance, but less than a traditionally sided house. 

Edited April 1, 2019 by elegantlion

[Farrar]

1 hour ago, Sherry in OH said:

 

It isn't maintenance free, it is less maintenance.  You shouldn't have to repoint for 20-50 years.  That is longer than most people expect to live in a house.   

I can understand why someone might want to paint an older home.  But new construction?  Brick comes in many colors.  If you want a white exterior why not use white brick?  Or choose a a different exterior material such as siding, clapboard, or stucco. 

Yeah, it's an every hundred year event. But a very expensive one. I can say strongly that homes that maintained over time can extend that longer.

There are few new homes here. And I love the look of a nice block of painted brick houses here:

My block isn't quite that distinctively pretty, but I still like the variety of colors. They're not all painted, but it would be boring if they were all still original.

[Farrar]

Adding, for the painted brick haters... our basement is also exposed painted brick. You'd all hate it. 😉 

And for anyone unclear. Repointing is when you dig out the decaying mortar between the bricks and redo it entirely. It's an arduous and cruddy process for the masons. If you have it done on a home, you need a mason who understands your brick - apparently different bricks need different mortars. By the time most homes need the pointing redone, the brick is inevitably vintage.

Edited April 1, 2019 by Farrar

[medawyn]

I grew up in a painted brick home (gray, with black trim).  The neighborhood was all homes built in the 20s and 30s, and many were brick.  Our particular home was not at all well maintained, so the contractor we bought it from had had to replace sections of brick + did an addition.  Painting the brick was necessary and looked nice.

Many houses in that neighborhood should not have been painted, because the brick was lovely and vintage. The house across the street, however, was a terribly unattractive yellowish brick.  We were thrilled when new owners moved in and had the brick painted until we realized that they painted the house the colors of a local university.  The change was... not really an improvement.

[Lady Florida.]

The house I grew up in was brick. At one point my mother had it painted (long after my brother and I were adults and moved out). The brick was starting to look bad and it was cheaper for her to have it painted than to have the brick ?? whatever it is you do to brick to "fix" it. I never liked the look but I understand why she did it.

ETA: It was painted a light gray with darker gray trim.

Edited April 1, 2019 by Lady Florida.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I LOVE painted brick!  I've painted both of our brick fireplaces and love it.  When we built a house 17 years ago I really wanted painted brick but DH wasn't for it.  

I've attached a link to a famous blog that recently did their house in VA and it turned out so pretty!

https://www.younghouselove.com/painting-our-brick-house-white/

Edited April 2, 2019 by 1GirlTwinBoys

[Sneezyone]

On 3/30/2019 at 4:18 PM, DawnM said:

We have been looking at some houses.  We were in a very nice, but older neighborhood today and two of the houses were getting their brick houses painted.  I actually really liked the look but DH argued that painting brick makes it no longer maintenance free and he doesn't like it.

Then we went to a brand new neighborhood where you have to buy the land and have one of the models they offer built.  About 3/4 of them are built so far.  Several of them have painted brick out front and I liked it.

And, the other thing I was wondering......there is one home we are looking at with darker brick, a little dated, but the house is great.  I wondered if we could have it painted to update it.  DH hates the idea, but I am curious.

Is it that horrible to maintain if it is done well?

Do you like the look?

I have been looking at this site for pros and cons, but wondered if any of you have a painted brick home?

http://beckiowens.com/pros-and-cons-painted-brick-exteriors/

 

Yes, I like the look. No, I would never do it. The maintenance is ridiculous. My brick exterior needs a power washing every couple years and a trim repaint once every decade. There's not enough aesthetic improvement to make me waste money on painted brick.

[PrincessMommy]

23 hours ago, Farrar said:

Yeah, it's an every hundred year event. But a very expensive one. I can say strongly that homes that maintained over time can extend that longer.

There are few new homes here. And I love the look of a nice block of painted brick houses here:

My block isn't quite that distinctively pretty, but I still like the variety of colors. They're not all painted, but it would be boring if they were all still original.

I love that.  I really want to paint our house but right now we have other pressing issues.  But, I think a lot about the color I would want... not white or grey...  I like the sage green one in your picture.  However, I wonder if it would look dingy too quickly.   There's a house in our neighborhood that is a beautiful wedgewood blue color.  I'd love that too. 

[Farrar]

51 minutes ago, PrincessMommy said:

I love that.  I really want to paint our house but right now we have other pressing issues.  But, I think a lot about the color I would want... not white or grey...  I like the sage green one in your picture.  However, I wonder if it would look dingy too quickly.   There's a house in our neighborhood that is a beautiful wedgewood blue color.  I'd love that too. 

My classy neighbors just painted theirs that wedgewood blue with white trim last week. It does look nice. Mine is a very wild orange with green trim. We are not respectable in this house.

[madteaparty]

I’m just surprised there’s this many brick houses in the US. Our last farmhouse was all brick but DH tells me it’s quite expensive to build brick vs the equivalent in wood...

anyway our last place wasn’t painted and the brick hasn’t been pointed, and looked brand new (from the outside. Once we replaced windows. Inside was a different story). 

[PrincessMommy]

5 hours ago, madteaparty said:

I’m just surprised there’s this many brick houses in the US. Our last farmhouse was all brick but DH tells me it’s quite expensive to build brick vs the equivalent in wood...

anyway our last place wasn’t painted and the brick hasn’t been pointed, and looked brand new (from the outside. Once we replaced windows. Inside was a different story). 

there's probably not that much new construction that is brick.  My house was built in 1960. 

[PrincessMommy]

9 hours ago, Farrar said:

My classy neighbors just painted theirs that wedgewood blue with white trim last week. It does look nice. Mine is a very wild orange with green trim. We are not respectable in this house.

I bet that's so cool. I think I'd do that if my neighborhood was something like the one you posted.  

Edited April 2, 2019 by PrincessMommy

[madteaparty]

46 minutes ago, PrincessMommy said:

there's probably not that much new construction that is brick.  My house was built in 1960. 

Yes, our previous house mentioned is from the 40s. I guess that’s why I commented, I’ve never seen new construction being brick which is what the OP posted. But I haven’t seen much. 

We will build something, eventually, and DH is resistant to the brick idea even though that’s what I’m used to...

Edited April 2, 2019 by madteaparty

[Scarlett]

On 3/31/2019 at 9:08 PM, Farrar said:

Yeah, it's an every hundred year event. But a very expensive one. I can say strongly that homes that maintained over time can extend that longer.

There are few new homes here. And I love the look of a nice block of painted brick houses here:

My block isn't quite that distinctively pretty, but I still like the variety of colors. They're not all painted, but it would be boring if they were all still original.

That is stunning. 

[Selkie]

A lot of the new construction around here has brick on the front and maybe the sides, and then they put siding on the back to save money. Sometimes it is only the front that is brick, if the sides aren't very visible from the street.

Our house was unusual when we built it because it is brick all the way around. It was worth the extra expense to us - we love the way it looks and the brick has required zero maintenance.

[Pawz4me]

Brick adds a lot of expense. A few years ago when we were considering having a house custom built the contractors we interviewed estimated that brick versus siding would cost $30,000 - $40,000 more. We eventually decided to buy instead of build, and one of our highest priorities was having a brick exterior. In the past we've had both sided and brick homes, and we find brick to be far superior and well worth the extra cost if you can afford it. Our brick homes have all been maintenance free and seemed to be much more sound proof than the sided homes we had. I don't think I'd ever consider painting a brick house. I don't recall ever seeing a brick house before/after painting where I thought the look was improved. And any way you slice it the paint is going to be more maintenance.

[shawthorne44]

In the neighborhood where I grew up, the developer used the same size bricks on every house but different colors.   Then on the last house in an area he'd use all the misc. leftover bricks and then paint them.   So, when I see a neighborhood of unpainted brick houses, with one painted that is what I'd think.   It would be a deal-killer for me unless all the houses were painted, like that rowhouse photo.  

I don't even like the white colonial.   I love colonial and I love brick houses.   But painted brick colonial seems wrong.