We are rennovating a home and are considering painting the brick a taupe colour or keeping the brick and adding cream trim. The brick looks like a very dull colour... it's akward to us and we are not ready to stucco ** anything right now. Link to virtual tour below -- a little tough to see through trees but hopefully you can get the point....


Virtual Tour

In my humble opinion, you should NEVER paint brick, it will absolutely kill the resale value of the home not to mention the the upkeep for ever after. the house needs some color to make it an eye catcher. in that setting I would look at a nice "forest green" or "chinese red". try having the brick pressure washed you'll be supprised at how much it will help.

just remember, even though you don't think so. you will sell it at some point.

Painted brick is a traditional idea stemming from colonial days when brick was very porous and had to be painted to waterproof it.

Paint it with the right stuff and you won't have to paint it again for 15 to 20 years. One example of the right stuff is "Modac", manufactured by American Coatings Co. in Pennsylvania. It won't be cheap, but it will perform, and it will last.

This house looks like a prime candidiate for painting. Curb appeal would be increased dramatically. You could try power washing it first with a good detergent meant for the purpose, but I wouldn't expect miracles.

I have to admit...I love painted brick, however, most people are concerned about upkeep. As a new home builder, I've found that darker brick is very desireable right now, especially with nice contrasting colors. With the right tri-color scheme you can transform even the dullest home into spectacular. Don't be afraid to add color...just don't over do it.

In my opinion, I would never paint brick. It ruins the beauty of having brick. Its like painting over hardwood floor.

Some brick doesn't have much beauty, and the brick on this house is an example. Look around as you drive and see how many painted brick buildings you see, and look carefully to see how subtle and beautiful they are. While you're doing that, look at unpainted brick buildings and see how hideous some of them can be. It depends on so many things either way, but to eliminate painted brick universally as a solution is as big a mistake as painting a beautiful brick building.

We just purchased a red brick ranch style home that has some craftsman elements. The house currently has mint green trim and doors and no shutters. We are trying to decide what colors to paint the trim and doors and whether or not to hang shutters. Any suggestions?

Hi, I realize this question was posted some time ago, but I would like to comment anyway.

What we tell our clients regarding painting brick is simply that there is no reason to keep your brick in the buff if it is ugly to you. There is a plethora of very ugly brick styles, unfortunately, and they can really drag down the curb appeal of your home.

Painting ugly brick may not seem like an upgrade, but if it is impacting the house negatively, you really should paint it out, for the greater good, which is always your equity. An unattractive brick home will not sell as well as an attractive painted brick home.

Also, brick with an odd color or strong pattern limits your other options, such as roof, trim , and accent color. So painting truly unattractive brick opens your home to allow more updating of the color scheme to occur, bringing your house back fully from the brink of bothersome or the fringe of frumpy.

Best of luck to you and everyone with the same dilemma.

Michelle
CurbappealforDummies.com

curb appeal for dummies, I have a 1930s red brick colonial with an ugly light grey roof with tan yelloish grout and two pillars. ive picked out a taupe grey for the gutters and trim black or maybe grey for the shutters...any suggestions

I have to disagree, somewhat, with Michelle. Appearance is important but so is maintenance, and once you've painted your brick you have to keep on painting it every so often, and you can forget changing your mind and trying to take the paint back off.

Freshening up the windows, trim, and cornice will make a huge difference, and a good cleaning can help the brick and mortar a lot. You can use a muriatic acid solution but please follow the directions and all safety precautions, but be careful pressure washing since the masonry is getting close to 80 years old and modern high pressure sprayers can do damage in a hurry.

To me, the two best things about brick are its sound insulating properties and the fact that it doesn't need periodic painting. If it's truly ugly or you're wanting to sell then by all means go for it, but I would make painting the very last option.

Good luck!

Does anyone know of an online home design service? Anyone heard of RDC Architects?

Logan

Keep in mind that once brick is painted, water can get trapped between the layers of paint and the brick. This, over time, can lead to water damage to the mortar as water settles into cracks or crevices. If the house is in an area where freezing and thawing is prevalent, the trapped water as it expands and contracts (or freezes and thaws) can cause further damage.

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Paint it with the right stuff and you won't have to paint it again for 15 to 20 years. One example of the right stuff is "Modac", manufactured by American Coatings Co. in Pennsylvania. It won't be cheap, but it will perform, and it will last.

This paint, or more correctly, coating, has unusual properties...it allows water vapor to pass through it out of the wall, but yet, it can withstand a fire hose from outside. That's why it doesn't peel, and that's why it lasts 15 to 20 years without recoating. If one does paint a brick building, this is the stuff to use.

Richard, you seem to know what you are talking about and have the credentials to back it up. I just bought a ranch style home that had the brick painted a horrible gray. What would you recommend for the exterior color, with complementing shutters and trim? I am just so sad to see it this color and it really needs freshening.

The color you want a house to be is very subjective. White homes typcially brighten up and show off features on a house. A contrasting front door color is often used to draw ones attention to the front door. This says your invited in.
Colors must be picked that will show off the features of the home and its surrounding landscape. White with a maroon shade for shutters often work. You should get a few color wheels from your local paint store for ideas on what works.
Do not forget the color of the roof. This needs to be part of the color choice as well.