Investor · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2013 · 348 posts · 128 votes
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.
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.
well, once you've painted a brick house you lose one of the real advantages of having a brick house, i.e. never having to repaint. I bet you could get more bang for the buck with some good trim/shutter paint and landscaping.
I've done it, but only as a last resort. There are definitely people out there who think painted brick looks good, but in my experience, the majority of people would rather see older looking natural brick than fresh new painted brick.
How bad does it look? Do you have other options besides painting?
The brick is actually in pretty good shape. A good power wash will have it looking like new. Brick just seems so 70's looking to me, especially on the lower end homes. But, you can't argue with experience. I appreciate the info.
I would cover brick (with 4" of polyisocyanurate hardboard) and refinish with stucco before I would paint brick {Note: this is the plan for a deep energy retrofit on our own house}.
Generally (98% of the time) I am solidly in the don't paint brick camp. That said, there are three Multi-Family buildings - two in a neighbouring city - of which I am aware that have been painted and actually look better. One is actually textured concrete block {common around here in the early 1900s} and not actually brick: it has been whitewashed. There is an ornate Victorian 7-unit building that has been painted a rich green - a little more towards the yellow/avacado than a Kelly green - with burgundy trim that just looks right. Finally, there is a saltbox style 4-plex that is pale yellow which is acceptable.
For these four, there are another forty that look far worse for wear having been painted. An acquaintance who purchased a 5-unit stone & brick building painted grey three years ago, had it bead blasted to remove the remnants of the flacking paint.
Another hazard of painting brick is application of the wrong type of paint, or too much paint, can inhibit the brick's ability to dry resulting in spalling and accelerated disintegration of the brick.
I am not a flipper, but I am currently shopping for replacement rentals for an exchange and one of my criteria is brick, stone, or vinyl exterior. I have owned a lovely old stucco building with lots of classy wood trim and have learned my lesson. My first investment property: I personally painted every inch of the exterior the first summer I bought the place
I think it can be a great choice. I did it to a small 2-1 ranch this past winter as there were about 6 houses in a row that were all red brick small ranches and wanted this one to stand out a bit. I painted it a nice light grey with black shudders and white trim. I am considering it on a larger brick home I am doing right now. The home has settled a bit and I've had a mason point up the brick best he can but the grout lines are a bit off.
That's exactly the same scenario I'm in at the moment. On the street are about 20 other brick ranches that all look very similar and I was hoping painting it would help it stand out a bit to a potential buyer. Did you get any feedback from buyers specifically on the paint job during the sales process?
I was hoping painting it would help it stand out a bit to a potential buyer.
I would consider shutters, trim, columns, wrought iron, or a gable covering the porch prior to painting the brick...any architectural change could differentiate the property...how much will it cost to paint vs. adding a gabled porch or railings?
I was a painter interior designer for 10 years 15 years ago, and we painted brick often in black semi-gloss paint with cream stucco. and black trim. Made the old house look pretty retro. These were old almost tear down homes but structurally fine and used as rentals for professionals. There are many options for color and sheen, but I would consider all other options first like siding and trim color changes and then lastly painting brick. Also if like you said it looks dated and everyone has brick this maybe a good way to make it standout. A semi gloss or metallic paint may give you a high look that looks actually better than the brick. Just make sure the proper primer is on and use a fine pile roller to roll each coat on then touch up the cracks with a brush.
As someone who has been in the market for a good long term rental I can say that low-maintenance is a VERY big plus. For curb appeal and differentiation from the rest also consider a great front door. When all the brick houses look alike the front door is a big opportunity (IMHO).
When I was a kid, I delivered newspapers in a neighborhood that had several painted brick houses. I remember the owners always complaining that they had to repaint every so often and the paint would peel off.
I would never paint bricks unless they were pink or orange. Have you thought about changing the color of the gutters, trim, shutters, and doors to give the house more pizazz?
@Rob K. that is the plan. I''m getting a pretty overwhelming response not to paint the brick. So I think the plan will be to paint the trim white and go with some freshly painted shutters to match whatever color front door I go with. I also plan to do some landscaping in the front to break up the brick a bit. Thanks for the feedback!
@Rob K. that is the plan. I''m getting a pretty overwhelming response not to paint the brick. So I think the plan will be to paint the trim white and go with some freshly painted shutters to match whatever color front door I go with. I also plan to do some landscaping in the front to break up the brick a bit. Thanks for the feedback!
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.