As every homeowner knows, maintaining the appearance of your home not only contributes to its longevity, but also is a key contributing factor to your home’s value. Brick homes have traditionally been perceived as having a higher value than wood-clad, aluminum, or vinyl-sided exteriors. However, there are instances when the natural color of the brick begins to fade or when there’s a desire to change the color to something more to one’s taste that the idea of painting the brick becomes feasible. Hence the question arises: should I paint my brick house?
The Advantages of Painting Your Brick House
A freshly-painted house can bring new life to a home increasing its curb appeal and value. Painted brick offers more protection from weather elements (rain, snow, sleet, etc.) extending the life of the brick and negating the need for costly repairs. A painted surface is easier to clean — brick surfaces contain numerous nooks and crannies in the brick surface that can gather dirt and grime making cleaning problematic. Painting the brick can make your home more energy efficient. Brick is a porous material which does not stop outside air from penetrating to the inside. Painting the brick creates a greater barrier to air penetration reducing heating costs in the winter and cooling costs during the summer.
The Disadvantages of Painting Your Brick House
While painted surfaces are easier to clean, painted brick surfaces are not as easy to clean as a flat surface and require pressure-washing for a thorough cleaning. And, the primary disadvantage is once brick has been painted, it is not a simple nor inexpensive task to remove the paint should you decide you want to go back to the original brick surface.
Are There Any Other Brick Finishing Options Besides Paint?
A relatively new option for owners of brick homes are penetrative stains specifically formulated for brick surfaces. These stains are designed to penetrate the surface of the brick to enhance or modify the original color of the brick. Brick stains are longer-lasting than paint provided they are applied properly. If you’re considering an update to your brick exterior, staining is worth considering. (If the house has already been painted, staining is not an option unless the paint is removed.)