March 28, 2024

Dragon Esdelsur

Home Sweet Home

Should you paint your brick house?

Whether it’s thanks to the texture, colour, or the general atmosphere, the natural look of brick is synonymous with home. It has a timeless look, that will forever look good on houses. Some might say you shouldn’t deviate from this classic look, but we say you can if you want to. Having a painted brick home offers a stylish and modern impression. It has the same texture, and even keeps some of that natural look we all love. 

Before you get out the old paint roller, consider a few things first. There are some great benefits to painting brick, such as adding a layer of protection, but there are also some downsides to consider. Read on to learn what is so great, and not so great about painting your brick home.

Benefits

Painted brick offers many great benefits, and to ensure you capitalise on all of them, it’s best to hire local Perth house painters.

Easier to clean

It has always been a challenge to clean brick properly. Usually, it requires a good pressure washer and a lot of time to make sure you clean every section of it. Even then, you have to be careful not to break away the mortar as you clean it.

If you decide to paint your brick home, you can blast away at it with a pressure washer and all the dirt and grime will come off a lot easier. The smooth surface of paint doesn’t have any pores and makes it hard for grime and mould to properly attach itself.

Offers a new look

There is something great about brick, it has a warm and comforting feel to it. Having an interior brick feature, or brick above a fireplace can set the theme and atmosphere for a home. Bricks have a timeless look to them that will always look great. 

All that said, painting over it can also go a long way in adding a great look to a home. The great thing about painting brick is that it doesn’t devalue what we love so much about brick. It still has that same great texture and feel to it. Whether you paint an interior or exterior brick wall, it’s going to add a modern flair to your home. 

If you’re looking to sell or rent your home, painting over brick can potentially raise the value of your home. Renters or buyers will see the painted brick as a modern sleekness that gently juxtaposes with the homely comforting feeling given by the bricky texture. For a high quality paint job, search for professional painters in Perth

Layer of protection

While bricks are associated with being tough and strong building material, they are prone to damage from the elements. Bricks, especially exterior ones, have to basically go naked into the elements, with no form of protection. Rain, wind, dust and whatever else the environment can throw at it takes its toll. Bricks may end up chipped, or even eroded, if it isn’t properly looked after. By painting your brick wall, you’re sealing it from the elements and offering protection. Exterior paint is hardy and designed to endure the environment. 

Disadvantages

Like anything, painting your brick will have its disadvantages. Check them out here, to make sure you’re making the right decision:

Mostly permanent

If you do decide to paint your brick walls, it will essentially be permanent. Whilst there are methods out there to remove paint, it can be quite risky and potentially damaging to the brick beneath. In that scenario, the best option is to repaint or paint the bricks of a different colour. In the end, it’s a decision that needs to be made and lived with. 

Gets dirtier easier

Even though painted brick is easier to clean, it gets dirtier faster or at least, looks dirtier faster. Bright colours, like whites, beiges, light blues and yellows are notorious for showing up grime and dirt. To keep your colours looking vibrant, you’ll have to clean more regularly. 

So maybe, you’re thinking that darker shades, like black, browns and dark reds would be better. Not really, even though dirt and grime won’t show up as easily as it would on a white, it will still be noticeable and still look bad. 

If you’re not one for washing your house all the time, keeping your bricks bare might be the best option. Bricks have a kind of natural look that isn’t affected too badly by a bit of dust and dirt. This isn’t to say you should let it go too far. Mould growth and salt in the air can eat through brickwork, causing erosion and crumbling. 

Traps moisture

Due to the porous nature of bricks, they actually “breathe”, soaking in and expelling water as it evaporates on warmer days. Brickwork that hasn’t been painted properly, may end up trapping water and not letting the brick “breathe”. This trapped water causes your brick to swell, crack and peel paint on the surface. Thus, making it look pretty bad, and even causing weakness to the structural integrity of your home. 

To combat this, painters usually need to wait for a warm day as the brick will be at its driest, and use breathable paint to ensure there isn’t any swelling or cracking.  

Will one day require a repaint

Every pain job will eventually need a do-over. There are several reasons to do so with normal interior/exterior paint, such as scuffing, cracking, swelling and peeling. The same thing happens with brick paint. If anything, due to the harder surface of bricks it will need do-over more often. Even the highest quality paint, which should last a number of years, will eventually end up needing a repaint. 

Some tips for painting brick

Use the correct paint

Masonry paint is the kind of paint you will need to use for brick. Normal paint doesn’t attach itself very well due to the porous nature of bricks. It will just end up chipping and peeling off.

Start small

Painting your brick house can be radical and exciting, but can also be daunting. Because painting brick is permanent, we suggest you try it out with a smaller element of your home. Such as a feature wall, the exterior brick window sill or a chimney chute. This way, you can let the paint grow on you, and decide if it’s for you or not. 

Never paint deteriorating brick

Painting old, deteriorating brick can be tempting, but it’s best not to do it. Paint requires something to adhere to, and deteriorating brick will still slowly degrade causing a slipping under the paint and bubbles. This will look terrible, and peel away sooner rather than later. 

Get a professional to do it

There is a lot to think about when painting your home, especially when it comes to brick. Get in touch with some contractors to get the job done for you. If you’re in the area, there are some great house painters in Perth that will do it for less than what you may think, and to a high quality too. Keep the risk to a minimum when hiring one of the great painters in Perth.