Brick exterior is durable and attractive, but occasionally, painting it becomes a good idea. If you have been considering having your brick exterior walls painted, there are a few things to consider first.
1. Are you comfortable with ongoing maintenance?
Painting brick is a nice way to give aging or discolored brick a good look. However, you do have to keep in mind that painted brick with can require more attention through the years than brick with no paint at all. Periodically, you may have to have the paint touched up.
2. Have you considered the appropriate color?
Picking the color of paint you want to apply to your brick is a huge undertaking. Remember, darker brick coated with a lighter paint color may need touch-ups a little more often. You should also keep in mind that something really dark, like charcoal grey or dark brown, can give the home an entirely different personality. It doesn't hurt to bring in the help of an exterior house painting professional to help you choose the proper color.
3. How many other elements will need to be changed?
Going from brick cladding to painted brick cladding can really change the outer appearance of your home, especially if you are going from a dark brick color, like red, to a lighter paint color, like cream or white. Take a look at the other features of your home, such as the roof, shutters, doors, and gutters, to make sure they are going to flow well with the major change. Some homeowners pick a paint color based only on what they like, just to find out that there are major changes that must be made to other elements for the house to have a nice overall look.
4. Is the brick you have now in good shape?
If you have a brick cladding that is starting to crack and fall apart due to age, painting it may not always be the best choice. It is a better idea to have areas of decay repaired before the paint is applied. Otherwise, the brick underneath will continue to break down after the paint is applied, so painting it will be a moot point. If you have old brick that is impossible to match, the beauty of painting it is you can use whatever brick you can find to make the repairs as long as they are roughly the same size and shape.