Should I paint my brick house?
We get this question a lot.
For some homes, painting the brick can completely change the exterior and make an older house feel much more updated. For others, we may recommend leaving the brick alone.
It really comes down to two things: the condition of the brick and what you want the finished home to look like.
If you’re thinking about painting the brick on your Fort Worth home, here are a few things worth considering first.
Why Paint Brick in the First Place?
Usually, homeowners are simply tired of the existing color.
Maybe you have red or orange brick that doesn’t fit the look you want anymore. Or maybe you’ve updated the roof, windows, or landscaping and the original brick suddenly feels out of place.
Painting can give the home a completely different look without changing the structure itself.
We’ve seen the right exterior color take a house that felt dated and make it feel clean, bright, and much more current.
That can be a pretty dramatic change for one project.
Make Sure the Brick Is in Good Shape First
This is the part we don’t recommend skipping.
Before painting brick, we want to know what’s going on underneath it.
- Are there cracks?
- Is the mortar in good shape?
- Are there signs of moisture?
- Is anything loose or damaged?
Paint can make brick look better, but it won’t fix those problems.
If we think painting the brick is going to create more problems than it solves, we’ll tell you. It makes more sense to address the issue first than cover it up and deal with it again later.
Painted Brick Does Need Maintenance
Natural brick is pretty low maintenance.
Once you paint it, you now have a painted surface that will eventually need attention again.
That doesn’t mean painting brick is a bad idea. It just means homeowners should know that before making the decision.
The North Texas sun is tough on exterior finishes. Over time, painted brick can fade or show wear just like other painted surfaces.
How long it lasts depends on the condition of the brick, how it was prepared, the products used, and how much sun and weather the home gets.
Good preparation makes a big difference here.
What About Limewash?
Another option homeowners ask us about is limewash.
Paint and limewash aren’t really the same look.
Paint gives you a cleaner, more consistent color across the brick. If you want a major transformation, that may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Limewash has a softer, more natural appearance. Some of the variation in the brick can still show through, which can give the house more character.
One isn’t automatically better than the other.
It really depends on the house and the look you’re trying to create.
Choosing a Color for Painted Brick
This is where things get fun.
White brick is popular, but white isn’t your only option.
Warm whites, creams, greiges, and other soft neutrals can all work really well on Fort Worth homes. Darker colors can also look great when they’re used on trim, shutters, doors, or other accents.
The biggest mistake is choosing the brick color by itself.
You also need to look at the roof, stone, windows, gutters, garage doors, landscaping, and anything else that isn’t changing.
Everything needs to work together.
And always test the color on the actual house.
Texas sunlight can make a paint color look very different outside than it did on a small sample inside the store.
So, Should You Paint Your Brick House?
Maybe.
And we mean that in a good way.
If you love your existing brick, there’s no reason to paint it just because painted brick is popular right now.
But if you’ve never liked the color or you’re trying to update the entire exterior, painting the brick can make a huge difference.
The important thing is making sure the brick is ready for paint and that you understand what comes with that decision.
At Millan Painting, we’d rather give you an honest answer than recommend a project your home doesn’t need.
If you’re considering brick painting in Fort Worth or the surrounding DFW area, we’d be happy to take a look, talk through your options, and help you decide what makes sense for your home.