Burning Question: To Paint Or Not To Paint?
This is one of those topics that we just know will stir things up. Where do you stand when it comes to brick houses. Specifically: to paint…
… or not to paint?
We know some people are adamantly against painting exterior brick while others love the look of a charming painted brick cottage. And what about whitewashing, liming or sandblasting for that aged effect? Is the only acceptable brick treatment to leave it au naturale? Or do you prefer the look of brick with a bit of paint on top? We whipped up this handy little poll to keep everything tabulated, but we’d also love to hear more about why you voted the way you did, so feel free to comment away with more details.
[poll id="6"]
First pic courtesy of myhomeideas.com, second pic from a House Crashing adventure of yore.
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i don’t mind a painted one. husband likes the classic look of brick. so when we get a house if its classic brick we would leave it, but if it was painted brick i would probably paint it in the colors i wanted.
hot topic though
Check out all these great images of brick treatments: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2010/03/painted-brick-houses.html
Being from the Pacific Northwest I don’t see a ton of brick that has been painted (or treated), the images on that post introduced me to a lot of lovely brick options!
My To-Be-Mr and I discussed this the other day while walking by a recently renovated – and painted – brick apartment building in Dupont Circle (DC). The building is painted taupe with white trim, and it looks fabulous.
Before painting brick, take into consideration the brick design. Bricks that are tightly packed with a thin grout line don’t look as good painted as those that are spaced evenly apart with a slightly thicker and more symmetric grout line.
At least that is what we concluded.
I LOVE a painted brick house! I moved into my white one 15 years ago and have NEVER YET had to repaint it! There is also an option to color or dye your brick (saw a treatment in an episode of Sarah’s House).
We just bought a brick house, which would normally thrill me beyond belief. But the brick on the house is absolutely ugly. There’s a definite difference between “classic” brick and what’s on our house. Here’s a link to a gorgeous “after” painted brick house. I’m planning to use their paint scheme for ours. Makes it easier!! :)
http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2009/10/exterior-house-details/
I adore brick houses and wouldn’t dream of painting the brick. When we were house shopping, a brick house was high on my list of wants, but we couldn’t find one in our price range that was also in decent shape and in a good neighborhood.
I’ve seen some lovely unpainted brick houses {like yours!} and some lovely painted ones as well! I think it all depends on the upkeep. If you have unpainted brick and good curb appeal, it will look great. If you have painted brick and make sure you prevent it from mildewy, it will look great.
But if you have unpainted brick and don’t pay attention to foliage, a nice front porch, etc., your home will look stark and old. If you have painted brick and fail to keep it looking fresh, it will look dingy.
In conclusion, it’s all about curb appeal and upkeep!
P.S. Any news on baby Will???????
Hey Natalie,
As for updates about sweet Katie and lil’ Will, that’s not our news to share, but we’re sure Katie will tell you all about everything as soon as she has a chance to come up for air and update her blog. Stay tuned…
xo,
s
I voted that I never met a brick house – painted or unpainted – that I didn’t like, but that isn’t the whole truth. I would rarely go for painting brick, but there are some instances with SOME bricks where I feel that (or staining) is the only option. If it is that deep, too uniform brick or if it is too orangey-salmon 1960′s/70′s, then it has GOT to go.
An old real brick house would be a shame to paint-it has acquired a look of age, patina and warmth over years that new brick or facade could never attain. Change it up with painted trim or landscaping-but otherwise don’t touch it.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/x6pKsCiW1sZNbcBlqIzDOPJrhxH_Oawc0egP6d9e5sg?feat=directlink
Painted brick is nice, but you have to research what kind of brick and especially what kind of mortar yours is, otherwise you’re setting up your house for some problems.
Also, sandblasting- NEVER EVER a good idea for exterior brick. When bricks are baked, a sort of hard “shell” forms on the exterior of it, which protects the interior from moisture, etc. When that shell is sandblasted off you expose part of the brick that can’t handle the outdoor elements.
Personally I like natural exterior brick, with the inside edge around windows/doors painted to add depth.
Just some food for thought for those thinking of painting and especially sandblasting.
I think it depends on the style of the house. Some brick home just look better painted and some look better all natural. IMO I think craftsmen style home look better with a little color and ranch style look better with the natural brick.
Nooooo! Don’t paint the brick! It’s an abomination! My DH bought a home before we were together. It’s a split level that’s part siding and part brick, and the brick is painted this hideous eggy color that matches the siding and makes the whole house look totally BLAH from the outside! And worse, it’s now starting to chip off in places so it looks umkempt, but we can’t bring ourselves to repaint it! Is there a way to get paint OFF brick? I’d love the raw brick look. Sigh.
NOOOOOOOOOOO! Don’t paint brick, it’s so beautiful the way it is! I LOVE our house, but I would have done anything to have found a red brick home! One day! But no brick is not meant to be painted!
Love brick…painted or unpainted. That said, we painted the U G L Y brick on our 50′s rancher 15 years ago and never had any problems with the paint. We have a half-brick facing on the front of the house and painted the brick and siding the same color — it’s a rich chocolate brown with crisp white trim and a red door.
I choose paint, :)
A few years ago, I was looking for a new house to buy, and found a nice 1930s semi at the edge of a nice town. I went back for a second viewing, and found them painting the external brickwork…. brick colour!! It looked awful.
I think it just depends, some brick homes look great all natural but others are plain ugly and could use a good paint job.
I like the BOTH. Hows that? :)
Did you guys ever think about painting your brick exterior? I personally like both looks, but it depends on the natural brick color.
Nope, we love our house in all of its unpainted glory thanks to the whole zero maintenance thing. VA has terrible green mold that grows each season (and it’s especially noticeable on painted brick houses, which have to be scrubbed clean with bleach to remove it). So we definitely will not be hopping on the painted brick bandwagon anytime soon (although we agree that it’s a totally charming look for places without the dreaded green mold issue). You know we love painting interior brick though!
xo,
s
I like others think it depends on the bricks and the architecture of the house.
In my city, houses built between 1880-1900 are very common. Usually, “soft” brick was used unless the family building the house was wealth. Soft brick has its problems, and it can disintegrate or fall apart. Most people paint over the brick to protect it. Hard brick is usually left alone- or the failing bricks are carved out, replaced, and regrouted.
We live in a historic district, and the National Register recommends that brick houses that remain unpainted today should stay that way. They will not grant approval to paint a historic brick that is not currently painted. If it is painted, then you can change the color (a historic choice, though) if you want.
After living in DC for a few years, I became so used to seeing row houses painted all different colors that I can’t stand when I see townhouses elsewhere that are all one color….not to mention that most of these houses are old enough that they need tuckpointing and upkeep about the same regardless of paint or no paint. To each his/her own, isn’t that the point of decorating your home??
[url]http://ohad.me/images/20060523012658_dc_logan_townhouses_row_small.jpg[/url]
leave brick alone! it looks so awful after the paint has dulled and begins to peel. now…inside that’s another story. it’s fine!
Love painted brick – painted brick fireplace surrounds, too :)
Does anybody know the gray paint color that Sherry and John posted? It is beautiful! I am fond of an unpainted brick house if the brick has texture and a variety of color. I do not like brick that is uniform in color. I also do not like a brick house that has an addition and the brick colors/texture do not match. As for my situation, my husband and I are painting our brick house. We purchased the house painted and we put an addition on the side. Any color suggestions? The house is a cape style.
Of course the amount of light that your home’s exterior gets (and even the direction that it faces) can dramatically change how paint colors will look on your facade, you might want to check out Benjamin Moore’s Wales Gray 1585 or Silver Mink 1586 for something similar. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I never thought I’d want to paint brick. But after moving into a 1901 house with a bad gutter, our sandy mortar was being washed away, and the bricks were sucking water through and ruining plaster walls. Makes me wonder if a coat or 2 of paint could have prevented some of that damage.
I really think it depends on the style of house. Tudors look great in raw brick colors, but the brick is usually a darker color. Something happened when they started building ranches. The color selection of brick must’ve greatly expanded, because some of them are straight up fonky colors. In those cases, I think a coat of paint-and maybe a front porch built onto the house-really makes a difference!
http://photocraftbook.wordpress.com/
I think painted brick can def. go both ways. It all depends on the style of your house, and the lines. I think those are the most important!
If definitely depends on the color of the brick! Sometimes that sape of the house as well. We are renting a house from an old couple and I wish every day that I could paint that darn brick! It’s kind of pale, peach,pink purple, and cream. Not cute.
I’ve seen some really ugly brick colors and partially painted brick, so I say heck yes to painting over that. I definitely wouldn’t paint brick to be different on the block or if the brick is in great shape and a decent color.
I have found painted brick houses to be cute, but normally it’s not, but I like painted brick fire places. But really I thought this post was really interesting since I just attended a conference on preservation. I just thought I would mention that you can completely ruin brick by sand blasting it for the purpose of creating an aged look like you suggested or trying to clean it or remove paint. I had no idea that brick is soft on the inside and just hard on the outside, if you strip away the hard surface, you leave spongy insides that deteriorate quickly. I just thought I would mention it in case anyone was considering it.
I like cement rendered and painted.
I think your house will look a million bucks from the outside with render and paint.
:)
Hi guys! I was wondering if you had any idea what color yellow they painted their front door. We have the same style brick house with black shutters and white wood trim. I LOVE this yellow door and would love to do it, but don’t want to try 15 paint samples till we find one we like. PLEASE let me know if you can find out what color that is. Thanks!
Hey Alisa,
Unfortunately we don’t know the exact color of that door, but Benjamin Moore’s Limon might be similar. Of course lighting will alter the way any color reads, so be sure to grab at least a few swatches and tape them up on your door so you can compare them and evaluate ‘em at different times of the day. Good luck!
xo,
s
I’d never paint pretty brick because it will require paint thereafter which isn’t very “green” for one thing. But then there’s some really ugly brick out there; that’s another story.
And I must comment on Kelli’s picture: too cute!