Painted Exterior Brick

There's nothing about brick that dates a house.
I'd clean it with a power washer and maybe bleach any moldy spots and rub with a stiff brush before rinsing it but I wouldn't paint it.

i always scratch my head at painted brick. left alone, it lasts forever. painted, it requires constant, ongoing maintenance.
but then, i love love love my 'dated' traditional brick house.
khairete
S.

Natural brick or stone may go through popularity phases, but they will never be dated – too classic and beautiful.

I've never seen painted brick, interior or exterior, any color, that didn't look just plain terrible to me. But it's a matter of taste.

I have always heard that you should never paint brick because it traps moisture in the brick and ultimately degrades it. But people do it. I wouldn't.

Love your idea but painted brick just doesn't work around here.

I see it occasionally and wonder what owners are trying to cover up.

I really dislike painted brick on the exterior of a home. I some times think it is okay to paint a fireplace however but it is not my preference. When we were looking for our first home, I didn't go to one home because it had painted brick.

I think brick is so classic. I don't think I ever saw brick that looked "dated".

Update your home by getting a beautiful door (perhaps with beveled glass), update your landscaping, add or change your shutters. I personally love black shutters. I think brick and black shutters with a red door is a classic look.

My sister in law painted one of her houses. The bricks were originally red, but she then painted it a beautiful French Vanilla. Brightened it up so much. The neighbors honestly though it was a new home. She accented it with a Pretty Blue and a medium Taupe. The house was always in the shade in front, so it looked a lot better with a light color. She also replaced the front porch light fixtures with larger lights.

Here are some examples.. Makes the homes look fresh and tidy.

http://followpics.co/i-love-the-idea-of-painting-brick-an...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWeR2LmsYDg/TmJ0NMIWNmI/AAAAAAA...

http://www.tphblog.com/wp-content/plugins/image-shadow/ca...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_56g3QP_6Yx8/TC_q6p0tY-I/AAAAAAA...

I personally would keep the brick the way it is and find another way to give the front of your house an uplift

I hate to see painted brick. Maybe get some shutters or paint your door a different color. Also new shrubbery and flowers will help. Good luck!!

I've always loved red brick. It is what attracted me to my house in the first place. I think it would be a bad idea to paint it. Red brick is classic and will never go out of style, but painted brick seems like a fad and I'm sure it would create a lot of upkeep.

I like natural brick...and stone for that matter. To me, they are timeless and low maintenance.

In my new 'old' house, someone painted the original brick fireplace. I could CRY! That will be a project I take on at some point. First I need to tackle the windows that they also painted...shut...GRRRR!

best luck!

Gonna have to vote for a good clean & repoint.
I don't like the look of painted brick. To me it looks like something is being covered up and it looks dingy quickly.

I actually like the look of red brick, but Laurie's suggestion sounds really nice too. For me, I would keep it the way it is, but that's just me :)

"Naked" brick isn't applauded right now, but it's actually a classic. We have a brick house - that is, the whole house is brick. It was my husband's top wish-list item because he didn't want to have to repaint. (He has a lot of trim to repaint periodically, though, so he doesn't get out of the job entirely).

Painting the brick? When in doubt, don't. What can you do instead to refresh the curb appeal of your house? The door will make a big difference. For many years we had the front door, the garage door, and the trim in two different shades of gray, and they went well with the red brick. Then we replaced the windows, and the only option was white. So we repainted the garage door and all the trim the darker shade of gray, bought a black mostly-glass storm door to be unobtrusive, and painted the front door (which is the original wood door) a dark red that went with the brick without matching it. Let your door be the attention-getter.

Landscaping can also help you to see your beautiful home and not just your brick front. There's a lot of landscaping that you may be able to do yourself.

I've seen painted brick I really like. There are some houses that have brick patterns that painting really updates. Look at pintrest and see what you like.

If most of your home is siding, I can't help but think painting the brick would be a good idea. The right color would be awesome.

I wouldn't paint exterior brick. Power washing might give it a lift. If your house needs an update or some curb appeal I would opt for something else. The front door is a good idea. Maybe new shutters or new landscaping can give you a new look. Do you have a front porch? You could also do some updating there. Sign up for www.houzz.com and search for ideas. You could also look up Curb Appeal which is on HGTV (or google it) or "this old house" They have some great ideas of things to do. You could also search for "painted brick fireplaces" and see if they have some makeover ideas.

I know what you mean, I can get the same way about my brick. I've seen it done and it can look good. But then I think, what's better than a nice brick or other natural look like stone. Also, once you paint it then you'd have to paint it again which defeats part of the purpose of brick. Maybe it just needs a good power wash. Once you put in a new door you'll see a whole new look and vibe. It's amazing what a new door can do.

Not sure exactly the color of your brick. Brand new, bright red bricks are not at the top of my favorite list. I prefer an older more industrial brick look. Distressed or aged a bit like an antique brick wall is very cool.

I don't think the inside and out side brick have to match exactly. You could do a wash on the interior brick if you like continue it outside eventually.

I love some of the looks here, particularly the inside shots...

http://www.houzz.com/whitewashed-brick

I wouldn't buy a house with painted brick on the outside. I don't care for red brick either though. If you're going to live in this house a long long long time they do what you want. No one else matters.

If you're thinking about moving and doing away with the house with the red brick then don't paint it but perhaps have it sand blasted to clean it or fix it up a bit.

Repainting brick is popular around here. It looks good so I won't say it doesn't. However, in my mind there are two significant concerns. First there is no going back once you paint brick and so you have just signed yourself up for ongoing exterior maintenace - periodically repainting. No thanks in my book. Houses always need work so why add more to the list? Secondly there is a concern with trapping moisture in the brick with the paint. Not the first layer perhaps but certainly as you add layers. The trapped moisture will degrade the brick and its mortar over time. I say leave the brick alone and work with it. My house is a brick color I don't love but we have used our landscaping, light fixtures and other exterior features to work with the brick. I will admittedly never love my brick but I can more than live with it. Good luck.