Painting a Brick House

[Jacob A.]

Dear BPer's,

I was hoping to get some feedback from some of the experienced rehabbers out there. I will be closing on a gorgeous little brick ranch on Tuesday and was tossing around ideas of how to spruce up the curb appeal a little bit. The idea came to my attention when watching flip this house the other day to paint the brick a very neutral gray, beige or off-white. I was wondering if any of you have had experience painting brick and if it yielded good results for you or not? Thanks in advance.

[Rebecca Jeffers]

Hi Jacob,

I'll chime in on the "its OK to paint the brick" camp. I would take into consideration what is normal and acceptable in your area. Here in the DFW area there are many painted brick houses. Especially in Dallas. And they are lovely. It can be a way to distinguish the house and modernize. Yes the paint over the years can begin to fade but in many cases this adds to the charm. So speaking from an aesthetic point of view I think it is an option. Also there are paint washes that can be lovely on red brick. Intentionally going for the aged look from the beginning.

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide.