Painting is one of the fastest ways to change the exterior of a house, and brick takes paint as readily as siding when the surface is prepared correctly. The work fits in a weekend for most homes: inspect, clean, repair, prime, and paint. The sequence for painting brick siding, from prep through primer to the final coat, is the same process used on professionally finished exteriors, and the steps below follow it in order.
Brick is porous, alkaline, and uneven, so the failures that show up on painted brick, peeling, bubbling, and chalking, are almost always prep failures. The sections below cover the inspection that decides whether the house is ready, the cleaning and repairs that keep the coating adhered, the primer and paint choices that match the substrate, and the maintenance that stretches the job for a decade.
Inspect the Brick Before You Open a Can
Start with a thorough inspection of the bricks and mortar. Check that they are in good shape with no cracking or breaking, and if you find issues, consult a repair professional before proceeding with painting. The same first step drives bigger projects, including the colorful whole-house remodel that transformed a 1907 farmhouse, where the paint scheme only worked because the underlying masonry was sound.
What the inspection should cover
Walk the full facade and note four things: cracked or spalled brick faces, crumbling mortar joints, white powdery efflorescence, and any prior paint that is peeling or chalking. Tap suspect bricks with a hammer handle; a hollow sound means the brick has separated and should be replaced. Check flashing at windows, doors, and the roofline, because water entry behind the wall is the fastest way to ruin a new coating. A working checklist keeps the walk quick:
- Cracked or spalled brick faces
- Crumbling or missing mortar joints
- Efflorescence, the white salt deposits that signal trapped moisture
- Prior paint that peels, blisters, or chalks
- Failed flashing or caulk around windows, doors, and the roofline
Take photos of the facade before you start so you can track cracks and patched areas, and schedule the work for a stretch of dry weather. A brick paint job needs three consecutive dry days: one to wash, one to dry and repair, and one to prime and paint.
Signs that need a professional
Structural cracks wider than a hairline, bulging walls, or mortar that crumbles to the touch call for a mason before any paint work. Painting over failing masonry traps the problem behind a coating that peels within a season, so the repair bill only grows.
Decide Whether Painting Brick Is the Right Move
Painting brick is difficult to reverse. Paint fills the pores of the masonry, and stripping it later is expensive and damaging, so the decision should be deliberate. Painted brick also needs repainting every 5 to 10 years, while unpainted brick is essentially maintenance-free. Homeowners weighing a repaint alongside other upgrades can hear how airtight construction and building assemblies change what exterior work pays off in the Passive House podcast episode with Bronwyn Barry.
Moisture and breathability
Brick and mortar absorb and release moisture, and a coating that seals them completely can trap water behind the paint. Use breathable exterior paints, 100 percent acrylic latex, over a masonry primer that lets vapor pass. Avoid oil-based and glossy coatings on exterior brick, because they blister when moisture moves through the wall.
Permanence and resale
Some buyers prefer the natural brick look, and paint removes that option. If the brick is in good condition, consider whether a deep cleaning, repointing, or limewash delivers the refresh you want without committing to paint. If the brick is discolored, patched, or simply dated, paint is a legitimate fix. Four questions settle the decision:
- Can I live with the color for ten years? Repainting is the only way to change it.
- Is the brick worth keeping bare? Paint cannot be removed without damage.
- Are there moisture problems? Fix them first or the coating will fail.
- Does the street mix painted and unpainted brick? Matching the pattern helps resale.
Clean the Surface and Make Repairs
Paint adheres to clean masonry, so the washing step decides the outcome. Use a pressure washer at low pressure, 500 to 1,500 psi with a wide fan tip, working from the bottom up so water does not run behind the coating. Scrub stubborn dirt and mildew with a masonry cleaner or a diluted bleach solution, rinse thoroughly, and let the wall dry for 48 to 72 hours. The modern barnhouse vision behind the 2021 This Old House Idea House shows how much a clean, straight facade contributes to the finished look.
Cleaning methods that protect the masonry
Do not etch the brick with acid or blast it with a narrow pressure tip; both erode the surface and leave a slick glaze that paint cannot grip. For heavily soiled walls, a stiff brush and cleaner beat higher pressure every time. Remove efflorescence with a dry brush before washing, and treat mildew with a bleach solution before it spreads under the new paint.
Repairs to make before priming
Replace spalled bricks, fill small holes with a masonry patching compound, and let every repair cure completely before primer. Mortar joints that have eroded need repointing first, covered in the repair section below. Primer goes on only after the wall is clean, dry, and structurally sound.
Prime and Paint in the Right Order
Primer seals the alkaline surface of brick, evens out suction, and gives the topcoat something to bite. Use an alkali-resistant masonry primer, then two coats of 100 percent acrylic latex exterior paint. While the facade is being painted, check window frames and trim; window selection for the farmhouse in Fairfield County demonstrates how much the openings determine the final look of the whole elevation.
Choosing primer and paint
Masonry primer, not drywall primer, is the correct base for brick. Flat and satin finishes hide surface irregularities better than gloss, and acrylic latex stays flexible enough to move with the building. Elastomeric coatings bridge small cracks, but they form a thick film that is difficult to repaint, so reserve them for walls with persistent hairline cracking. The table below compares the common coating choices.
| Coating | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alkali-resistant masonry primer | New or bare brick | Seals the alkaline surface and evens suction |
| 100 percent acrylic latex, flat or satin | Most painted brick | Breathable, flexible, easy to repaint |
| Elastomeric coating | Cracked or aged brick | Bridges hairline cracks but is hard to repaint |
| Limewash | Homes wanting a natural finish | Permeable and traditional, needs periodic renewal |
Application tools and technique
A roller with a thick nap, 3/4 inch or longer, pushes paint into the brick texture, and sprayed paint should be back-rolled to work it into the pores. Paint in the shade or on overcast days, and avoid temperatures below 50 degrees or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The numbered sequence below covers the full process.
- Wash the facade and let it dry for 48 to 72 hours.
- Make repairs: replace spalled bricks and repoint eroded mortar.
- Apply one coat of alkali-resistant masonry primer.
- Roll or spray the first topcoat and back-roll for coverage.
- Apply the second topcoat after the first dries, usually 4 to 6 hours.
- Touch up missed spots and inspect after a full cure of 7 days.
Repair Mortar and Fix Trouble Spots
Mortar fails before brick does, and a repaint is the right moment to correct it. Repointing, cutting out deteriorated mortar and packing fresh mortar into the joints, restores the wall’s weather resistance and gives the paint a stable base. The tools are simple: a mortar rake, a pointing trowel, and a brush for the joints. The essentials of what repointing is and when it is needed apply to any brick structure about to be coated.
When mortar needs repointing
Test the joints with a screwdriver: if the mortar crumbles or can be scraped out more than a quarter inch deep, repointing is due. Match the new mortar to the old in strength and color, and use a joint profile that sheds water. Do the work before the primer goes on, because repointing after painting forces the removal of fresh paint from the joints.
Peeling paint: find the moisture source first
Peeling on brick almost always traces back to water: leaking gutters, failed flashing, or ground splash. Fix the source before recoating, or the new paint peels in the same spots. The same diagnosis applies indoors, and the steps for how to fix peeling paint on interior walls transfer directly to exterior masonry: remove loose material, address moisture, prime, and repaint.
Keep the Painted Brick Looking Fresh
A painted brick exterior rewards an annual once-over. Wash the walls with a garden hose in spring, inspect caulk and flashing at the roofline, and touch up chips before they widen. Showcase homes such as the This Old House Idea House show how showcase homes inspire real-world design decisions, and the durable lesson is that the maintenance routine matters as much as the initial paint job.
An annual maintenance routine
Inspect painted brick every spring. Look for hairline cracks in the paint film, chalking on south-facing walls, and any spot where water can sit against the masonry. Touch up small chips with a brush before they become peeling patches, and keep gutters and downspouts clear so splashback does not stain the wall. Budget roughly one gallon of primer and two gallons of topcoat per 300 to 400 square feet of wall, and buy all of it from the same batch so the color does not vary.
Planned this way, a weekend of painting brick returns a decade of curb appeal. The inspection catches the problems that would have ruined the coating, the cleaning gives the primer a surface it can hold, and the maintenance schedule keeps the color fresh without a full repaint.