Simple things like changing up the trim and paint colors will make a noticeable impact — try to pick a neutral primary color, like beige, brown or gray. If you want to stray from the norm with bright accents, try painting your front door or garage door something bright, such as red, green, blue or yellow.
Brick Stain
If you want to change the color of your brick without painting it, staining is an option. Brick stain penetrates the pores of the brick and changes the color from the inside out. This means that any imperfections in the surface of the brick will still be visible after staining.
Paint the Brick
Painting the brick is the most extreme solution for a dark brick exterior, but it brightens the look. It's a good option when you don't like the brick color at all. Neutral paint colors ranging from white to taupe tend to look best.
Staining Brick -The Best Solution
Staining is a great way to change the color of your brick without sacrificing its natural look and feel. Stains are designed to penetrate the pores of the brick, allowing for a long-lasting, fade-resistant color change.
Limewash brick is an alternative for when you don't want to paint your exterior brick surfaces. The result is a white washed look made for brick.
Once applied, limewash provides protection for your brick as it is made of minerals that strengthen the brick. This protective layer creates resistance against damaging bugs, water, and fungal growth that can lead to deterioration of the brick, peeling of traditional paints or sealants, and additional wear and damage.
Paint is more maintenance because it can chip, peel, or discolor over time. Limewash is absorbed into the brick so it does not chip. It also ages beautifully. On the other hand, paint gives you more coverage and color options.
While brick can stand the test of time, painting over brick can in fact shorten its longevity. Recently, whether it's to freshen up the look of their brick, or change up their home's color palette, consumers believe a common misconception that it's okay to paint over brick. That's simply not the case and here's why.
There are tiny holes in brick that adjust to the environment and let moisture out in times of rain, sleet, hail, and snow. Putting a coat of paint over brick is very similar to putting a plastic bag over your head. It closes up any holes or “airways” and the breathing stops. Trapped moisture is a bad thing in any home.
“German smear is a masonry technique that involves applying a thin coat of mortar onto the surface of brick or stone and then smearing it off, leaving behind a textured and whitewashed appearance,” Alonzo Perez of Garland, Texas-based Alexander and Xavier Masonry.
Using a warm white or a charcoal gray brick paint color can transform an exterior when painted correctly. Not to mention, a fresh coat of paint can protect your brick from future deterioration from the elements for years.
White is the most common brick paint color requested. It's perfect for people who want to have a house that looks crisp and clean. It's also a great way to hide brick if that's something you're interested in doing because from afar, most people can't tell that it's a brick house.
Another benefit of white-painted brick is that it makes your home look bigger. That's generally true of lighter colors.
Erosion: Limewashing will erode over time, meaning it will need to be retouched every five to seven years. Not Applicable for Painted Brick: Since Limewash penetrates the brick, it can't do so if the surface has already been painted.
Although many people love limewash paint, it does create a mottled look that is hard to control and may not be for everyone. Some projects may require several coats of paint to achieve the desired effect. In addition, the high pH means the paint can irritate skin and must be handled carefully.
Limewash costs anywhere from $25 to $100 per gallon, which is similar to your standard paint. However, if you mix it yourself, you can save on costs. Lime itself only costs around $5 to $15 for a 50-pound bag. Since all you need to do is add water, you can really save money and spend even less on the paint.
Pros: Limewash is inexpensive. A whole house can be coated for $10 to $80 in supplies. If you can find hydrated lime locally, which has already been treated in a pressure hydrator and only needs to mix with water, it's as cheap as $3 to $5 per 50-lb.
The alkalinity deters wood-boring beetles and helps sterilise walls. Furthermore, limewash is inexpensive and solvent-free. The disadvantages are that much care is needed for the best results, matching coloured limewash batches is difficult, and limewashing is less successful in very fast-drying conditions.
It's a technique of applying watered-down paint. Whitewashing covers the brick with a translucent white coat. Whitewash allows the texture of the brick to show through, while covering most of its red color. You can adjust the thickness of the whitewash to control how much of the original brick color remains visible.
Think Again Before Painting That Brick
Timeless, unpainted brick is making a comeback in 2023. “Painted brick has been all the rage for the past few years and while I also view it as timeless in the correct application—there are few things more charming than a beautifully colored, classic brick exterior.