Options for Painting Brick

Painting brick has been trending for the last few years, so we outlined all the options below you have to change the look of your brick siding or fireplace.

Painting

The first option is to paint the brick.  This consists of using a masonry primer, and painting 2 coats of latex paint over the brick.  This is the most basic method, and generally recommended if you want a specific color/sheen combination.  Latex paints come in all sheens, and you can easily tint them to any color you’d like.   This is a very popular option for painting fireplaces.

The downside of using standard latex paint is that you will need to repaint every 10 or so years if it is outside, and unlike the options below, paint will not let the brick breathe.

Mineral Paint

This option is similar to painting, however a mineral paint can adhere directly to brick without needing a primer.  In addition, mineral paints allow the brick to breathe and release moisture, where a standard latex paint & primer combination will not.  And with the mineral paint’s superior adhesion to the brick, it will last significantly longer than a standard latex paint will.  R&J Painting is a Romabio Preferred Pro, and we are able to offer a 20 year warranty when using their masonry flat.

The downside of using the masonry flat is that tinting to custom colors is more difficult, and it is only available in flat.

Limewash

The last option is to limewash, also known as whitewash the brick.  This product is similar to the mineral paint in that it’s mineral based, and can be applied directly to the brick without a primer.  It is also only available in flat.  It differs from the paints because it can be used to create a distressed look.  The distressed look is achieved in two ways.  The first is done by diluting the limewash.  The limewash can be diluted very little for a solid color, or it can be diluted to be semi-transparent.  The second way is by washing away the limewash after applied.  This create pockets of brick peeking through.

Deciding what to do with your brick can be a tough decision, so contact us to schedule a free consultation with our experts.