Why You May Want To Reconsider Painting Your Home's Exterior Brick

While painting your home's brick exterior sounds like a great way to give it a refreshed, new look, there are a number of drawbacks to doing so, including the need to maintain it. Further, consider how paint changes the function and condition of brick. An unpainted brick exterior, for example, will dry quickly after a heavy rain. However, adding a layer of new paint to that brick, depending on the type, may mean moisture gets trapped on the surface for longer. While there are a few ways around this, if you haven't committed to painting your brick home yet, you may want to reconsider.

Many people recognize the benefits of painted brick, like the added visual appeal, especially if the color is one that you prefer or helps to make your home feel a bit more modern than it looks with unpainted brick. Sometimes, painted brick makes a home look larger as well, and it may allow any type of bushes or flowerbeds you place around the exterior to stand out. Others like the thought of having a clean surface, one that's presumably easier to maintain. But before you paint, consider these drawbacks to a painted brick exterior.

Paint has its place in exterior projects, and sometimes, it can help to create a like-new look that's more affordable. However, when it comes to brick, there are further considerations than aesthetics. Consider what adding paint — which, in most cases, doesn't allow vapor to permeate through it — will do to brick, a naturally porous material. Once you paint brick, the brick can no longer breathe to dry out. Ultimately, over time, this will cause damage to the paint, including areas of bubbling and others where the paint will simply peel away. This happens because moisture will be absorbed by the brick, including all the way from the soil at its base and as a result of high humidity. That moisture gets trapped in the brick and cannot dry out, leading to paint damage.

That leads to the second concern of painting a home's brick exterior, which is keeping the paint looking sharp. Many people paint their homes a lighter color and instantly love the results. However, the exterior of a home is exposed to the elements, and that means the paint will get dirty and chipped. You'll need to keep cleaning it and using a cleaning method that doesn't damage the paint like power washing might. Touch-ups of any chipped areas will happen more often than you may realize, and you can also expect to have to repaint the home whenever the color fades, which could be as often as every few years. Also, remember that if you paint brick, it is very difficult to go back.

If painting brick isn't ideal, what can you do to bring a more modern, refreshed look to the exterior of your home? There are a few options to think about, including simply having the brick cleaned well. That could brighten it up significantly, especially if the home's exterior has never been cleaned like this before.

Another option is to try brick staining instead of painting. Much like staining a piece of wood, this process changes the color of the brick but keeps the same texture present. It allows you to create a more consistent look in just about any color you desire but doesn't layer on layers and layers of paint on the brick exterior. Staining tends to last longer and is easier to keep clean — and doesn't chip.

Alternatively, you could consider a brick coating that will allow for a completely transformed look. Products like Rhino Shield are a type of coating that looks like paint, but the difference is it repels water. This helps to reduce the risk of algae growing on the surface (which makes cleaning painted brick even harder). You'll still need to monitor cleaning and update your paint every few years, but it may be a bit longer with a product like this. No matter what, though, make sure you use the best types of paint for brick exteriors if you decide to go that route.