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Tips for Painting Brick

Painting brick can bring new life to a worn wall or change the look of brick whose color you’ve come to loath. Careful preparation and selection of materials will result in a job that looks good and reduces future maintenance to a minimum.

Tips for Brick Painting Preparation

  • That icky white stuff. If your bricks are coated with a white, powdery substance, don’t panic. The material is called efflorescence, a deposit of soluble salts that come from bricks as they age. Often, efflorescence can be removed with a dry, stiff brush. If this doesn’t work, a weak muriatic acid solution will do the trick. When working with acid, be sure to wear gloves and goggles and to rinse the brick thoroughly after cleaning.
  • Remove mildew. If your bricks are mildewed, use a 3:1 solution of water and oxygen-type bleach. Spray the effected areas and allow the solution to set for 10 to 15 minutes. Stubborn stains may require the use of scrub brush. Rinse well before proceeding.
  • How dry is dry? Bricks are porous materials and it may take some time for them to become completely dry. Allow bricks to dry to the touch and then wait another day or two to be completely safe.
  • Patch it up. Inspect your bricks and repair any small cracks with acrylic caulk. Damage to joints may need to be re-pointed with mortar. Allow repairs to dry completely before continuing.
  • Got dust? Brush or vacuum the wall to remove any excess dust or grit.

Painting Your Brick

If-after all that prep-work- you’re still willing to proceed, here are some tips to get you started:

  • Primer directive. Priming is a pain, but this step will extend the life of your paint and improve the look of your finished paint job. Select an exterior latex primer listed for use with masonry. If you had efflorescence spots, cover these before laying a full coat-a double layer of primer is cheap insurance against a recurrence.
  • Go stretchy. Although exterior acrylic paint can be acceptable on brick, you’ll be happier in the long run if you choose elastomeric acrylic paint. Elastomeric paint has a high acrylic content, making it extremely durable and flexible. This type of paint is great for filling small cracks and covering rough surfaces. Be aware, however, that elastomeric paint will soften the look of your brick’s surface. If you want the detail to show through, stick with a traditional exterior acrylic.

Let it weep. If your brick wall was installed with weep holes, try not to fill them in or paint over them. If your weep holes have wicks-they look like old shoestrings, try not to cover these with paint.