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Besides painting ugly brick so you can have a more neutral stone color, you can buy a product to dye it, if you still want it to be in the red brick family.
The stain has to be applied to each brick, so it takes a while. I haven't seen this in person, but it looks good in the ads.
Almost anything can have a finish applied to it, including brick. The trick is to make sure that the brick or other surface being refinished is prepared correctly and the right products are being used. If done right, the look of your brick can be completely changed.
To get an idea of the possibilities, see these before and after pictures of brick fireplaces.
I actually had this plain white brick fireplace in my new house that I am sure someone had painted long ago. It was so stark and cold looking and we plan to put slate around it one day, but don't have the time or $ right now. So, I had a gallon of chocolate brown paint from my old house and decided one day to experiment. I just started sponging the brown paint on and after about 10 bricks or so my kids came downstairs and said, "wow, that looks awesome." It took me less than an hour to do. I kinda actually like the look of my fireplace now and won't be any rush to put the slate around (prob a good thing cause who knows when my hubby will ever get around to it). I actually had a friend come over today who hasn't seen it before and she thought the fireplace was actually made out of brown bricks, not painted
I actually had this plain white brick fireplace in my new house that I am sure someone had painted long ago. It was so stark and cold looking and we plan to put slate around it one day, but don't have the time or $ right now. So, I had a gallon of chocolate brown paint from my old house and decided one day to experiment. I just started sponging the brown paint on and after about 10 bricks or so my kids came downstairs and said, "wow, that looks awesome." It took me less than an hour to do. I kinda actually like the look of my fireplace now and won't be any rush to put the slate around (prob a good thing cause who knows when my hubby will ever get around to it). I actually had a friend come over today who hasn't seen it before and she thought the fireplace was actually made out of brown bricks, not painted
My husband and I are debating about whether to paint the exterior of our brick house. It is ugly, multi-colored brick from the 50s. We would use the brick paint, or maybe even a stain, not house paint. The bricks are a light brown, however in some areas they are red or yellow, almost like they were designed to have an "airbrushed" look. The mortar is pinkish but is stained dark in many areas.
We tried having them cleaned using a VERY gentle powerwash, since that didn't work I don't know what other option we have!
However, I am worried that when we go to sell in 2-3 years potential buyers will be turned off or think we were trying to hide some real problem as opposed to just aesthetics.
painting brick forces one to create a maintenance issue where one did not exist. those that do it are often cursed by the owners that spend the money sandblasting the paint off wondering why anyone would ever paint brick to begin with. If you don't like the look of brick.. sell the home and buy what you like. Don't paint it.
I WOULD NOT SANDBLAST BRICK!!! Unless you want to hire a MASON to replace the damaged areas
Would you do it? Would you buy a brick house that has been painted?
Something about it is kind of unsettling for me. I do know that there are some ugly brick colors that need to be painted over and have seen some paint jobs that look ok... but I think there's definitely a right way and a wrong way to paint brick.
Here in Urbana, IL. there are a fair number of homes with painted brick...
Peeling paint on exterior brick is even considered to be a "type of look" that some enjoy.
My advice is to visit a forum for pro painters(as well as noobs) called
painter forum www.painterforum.com which I belong to.
There are other forums for painting questions as well, but I have suggested the one I frequent most often.
A properly prepped/painted brick exterior can last for years. The prep is the key...For all Painting projects.
And I've yet to find a way to get rid of the paint itself. If you can save yourself the heartache, don't buy it pre-painted!
Try either a slient paint remover, or the Peel Away stuff.
I have read COUNTLESS home removating blogs, and nearly all of them used one or the other or both of those products.
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Painting Fireplace or other brick
