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Another House Question - Husband wants to paint the outside brick

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metro

Brilliant_Rock
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So here''s a pic of the house we''re going to put in an offer. It''s "Ranch" style, built in 1967. My husband wants to paint the ouside brick a smokey-grey color, which darker shutters. I personally like the brick as is, but...

Anyone paint the brick of their house? And if so, any regrets? Can the paint be removed?

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Well I know it can be painted because I when we got our house I inquired about it because I HATED the hideous brown brick on our house.....brown is my least favorite color...they told us they just paint over the brick and once painted...well it can be repainted if you don't like the color.

But we ended up not doing it because I think my house was meant to be like that. I kind of feel like my house is a gingerbread house, but I've learnt to live with it.
 
My first thought is DON''T DO IT!

If you''re looking for pure opinions, I personally don''t like painted brick houses. It always looks to me like somebody tried to do something *else* with a perfectly good house. (Please don''t take that the wrong way, especially not as an insult against your husband, I just invariably think to myself "why on earth would they do that?" when I see a painted brick house.

That being said, different strokes for different folks and if you and your husband decide to do this and are happy with it, god bless ya.

There was a thread, I think in Family and Home, where someone was asking about painting their house a different color and somone photoshopped the house in that color (and maybe a few others). Hopefully someone will be kind enough to do that here (I don''t know how to or I would gladly do it for you) so you can get a sense of what it might look like *from a distance*.

To answer one of your questions, the paint *can* be removed by sandblasting the brick, but depending on how pourous the brick is (which will determine how far the paint will have sunk in) it could become quite a procedure.

In an effort to be fair I guess I have to tell you that the upside would be less (if any) tuckpointing down the road as long as the painting was kept up.
 
The only brick that should be painted is brick that was already painted! It''s really hard to remove paint, so if you don''t like it, you''re kind of stuck with it. Our house has an exposed brick wall and it was painted before we moved in. While it looks ok, we''d much prefer it if they''d left it the original red color... but then, being an indoor wall, brick dust is a problem. The back of our house is painted too but we love the red brick on the front so much I really wish they hadn''t done that either.

I think the brick looks nice as is, but in the end it is your choice.
 
Well, I personally love that color in the pic. I would not paint it. It''s a pleasing color, and you can''t guarantee you''d like it painted. If it''s hard to remove and you hate the new color, could you be happy with it anyway? Would you regret it? HTH

shay
 
if its actual brick it can be sandblasted to remove the paint.
if its just a brick covering it cant be because they will break. (they are only a 1/4 inch thick)
Being that old its likely real brick but there is a chance it isnt.
About 90% of new bricky looking houses arent real brick and it sux but they are a lot cheaper than real brick construction.
 
I honestly don't know, but my brother always used to say you weren't supposed to paint brick or stucco. I don't know the reason why, exactly, or where he got that, but what I'm picturing is the brick can't 'breathe' for lack of a better way of putting it (like moisture would get trapped? Or it peels?). Personally, I'm not a fan of painting brick either.
 
The house looks perfect just the way it is, imho! If you start painting it, it becomes a really expensive maintenance issue as it would have to be redone every three years, or earlier (depending on your climate).
 
I think it looks really pretty like it is. JMHO, but I don''t like painted bricks. I think you lose the charm of the bricks and it just looks like a painted cinderblock wall (but with smaller blocks, obviously). I would also be worried about resale value if other people also do not like painted bricks.
 
I have seen painted brick in the Indy area, particularily alot of white brick and I think it is very pretty. If I were going to paint the brick though I don''t think I would do grey. The decorator my company uses, always brings the colors inside to outside, so they all blend. Painted brick brings more of an old world look to the home, or more vintagey. What kind of look are you going for?
 
If you want to deal with the maintenance issue of keeping up with painting the house it's up to you. But I have always heard that paint doesn't adhere well to brick and you have to keep doing it over. With just leaving the brick alone you save all that aggravation.

So you really need to think - how much do I hate the color of the brick and could painting the rest of the wood trim and doors to coordinate with the brick overcome the problem you have with the aesthetic?

Personally I'd look into making the columns and the garage door play off the color of the brick. You have to keep them painted anyway and I think that is part of the problem.
 
hey metro! i would think twice before i painted the brick. there are several reasons i would do some thinking on it. first it will need to be painted in a few years. peeling brick is not attractive. second the ranch style of the house doesn''t go with the "old painted brick look". and lastly it could cause the home to be harder to sell since it is added maintainance. just my 2 cents. good luck.
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I also am not a huge painted brick fan, it does look a bit like one is trying to disguise it and that is what the house is...and it just looks masked to me. Is there a reason you cannot find a house that is more the look or has the curb appeal that you want?
 
ps I think removal involves sandblasting...
 
I don''t know much about the specifics, but i thought i''d say that i really like painted brick. there are tons of cute little row homes here in DC, particularly in georgetown that are painted. i think it looks lovely.

however, i like the way that your home looks now
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I would not do it. I think the brick looks nice as is. Once you do it, there is no going back. My old house looked very similar to yours and I hated the brick at first. Believe it or not I learned to love it.
 
Thank you for all your opinions and input!

I agree - I really don''t want to see the brick painted. I think the only reason my husband has the idea is because a neighbor of his parents painted their brick house grey with dark shutters. The house looks nice, I''ll give him that, but I don''t think this house we are considering would look quite the same way. Plus, if we only plan to stay in this house for a few years, why do something that''s not really an upgrade?
 
I didn''t read through all of the responses - but I also vote a big NO!!!!

We have a family in our neighborhood that painted their brick house about -5 months ago and it is already chipping off the brick. Not sure what kind of paint they used or if they did something wrong, but it looks absolutely horrible.

I''m sure there would be tons of upkeep on something like that (well, depending on where you live - here in the chilly north house exteriors go through quite a beating from the weather!)

good luck!
 
I wanted to add also, my new house has a full brick front and I love it. The whole appeal of brick for me is not only does it look nice but its no upkeep. Painting it is a huge upkeep!
 
Don''t paint it, for all of the reasons already listed. Plus, it would probably reduce the resale value of the home. And, environmental regulations are always getting tightened and disposal costs increasing. Even if it''s possible and affordable to remove paint from brick today, it might become cost-prohibitive later.

People live and entertain mostly indoors. Leave the exterior alone and put $$ into nice furnishings & stuff you can take with you.
 
Well, I might be the only "YES" vote, but I would paint it and the garage all the same color, black trim, then a bright colored door. The door can tie in with the interior of your house. I like both painted and unpainted brick, but I think it would update the house, add drama, and make it look larger too.

If your planning on selling it, then this could increase the value. I watch HGTV all the time and am amazed at how paint can really bring out the best in a house.
 
Don''t paint over the brick! I personally don''t like the painted brick look...it''s almost like the owner is trying hide something. Also, consider the resale value. A lot of people that might be interested in buying it down the road (if you ever choose to sell), might be turned off by painted brick. I know I would be. I hope you two can come to an agreement.
 
My house is brick and it is painted a gray color. I''ll take a picture and post if you''d like to see. It was this way when I bought it. While it wasn''t exactly a selling point ( I didn''t LOOK for a painted brick house) it didn''t turn me off either. It was what I could afford in the school district I wanted, so I bought it. There are 2 others in the neighborhood that have been painted.

I was told the maintenance is far less than painting a house made of something other than brick. This one has been painted close to 5 years and I can''t see any place that needs touching up at all. I saw a picture of this house before it was painted: it was a "speckled" brown/yellow brick... VERY dated. I know it looks MUCH better now. That brick was horrible!
 

therighttime - yeah, I''d love to see a pic!


 
I think the brick facade looks gorgeous just the way it is!!
 
i would also like to see it. thanks.
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I think it looks great the way it is. I wouldn''t paint it, especially if you are only planning on staying there for a few years. Good luck!!!
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