Exterior Home Painting Rochester, MI: How to Paint a Brick House

Bricks are difficult to paint because they are porous and absorb paint. However, if you take the time to prepare the exterior brick part of your house, it will be easier to apply paint.

Generally, we recommend that you hire a professional painting contractor for major painting projects like exterior painting.

However, if your project is relatively small want to give the DIY painting a try, here is what you should do;

Clean The Surface

Water the surface with a garden hose. Water is particularly effective in removing most of the dirt and dust from bricks.
Use a high-pressure cleaner if there is a layer of dirt on the surface of the house or if mud has accumulated in a corner.
Use a high-pressure cleaner at 100 bar power.
Remove white spots with a stiff bristle brush. The white spots are the sign of fungi flowering or a deposit of salt.
Apply a solution of bleach and clear water to get rid of mold. Let the solution sit on the bricks for about 20 minutes, then scrape the surface with a stiff bristle brush.

Prepare The Surface

Cover windows and doors with newspapers. Attach newspaper to doors and windows with masking tape and be sure to cover the other areas you don’t want to paint.
Repair cracks –Use a scraper to empty the cracks in the bricks. Brush to remove dust and waterproof cracks with acrylic sealant. Let the putty dry for about 5 hours.

Apply a latex primer to the surface of the bricks –Use a paintbrush, roller or spray gun. Put additional coats of primer on the areas affected by organic growth damage.

Choose The Paint

Choose elastomeric paint –This will be dense enough to fill the cracks in the bricks, but you will need to apply two coats. The elastomeric paint also repels water enough to protect the surface of the bricks in bad weather. You will find this type of paint in most DIY stores.

Choose exterior acrylic paint –Acrylic latex paint allows moisture to leave the brick surface and helps prevent mold. You will find them in almost all DIY stores. In general, a single coat of paint is sufficient, and you will only need a second coat if the surface is in bad condition.

Paint Your House

Apply the paint with a paint sprayer –this is more expensive than a brush, but it allows you to paint the bricks faster. Move the paint gun sideways, slightly overlapping the areas you have already painted.
Take a roller to paint the bricks. The rollers are wider and more expensive than most paintbrushes, but they are less expensive than paint sprayers. Rollers allow you to paint a house faster than paintbrushes, but slower than a paint sprayer. Start at the top of the house and move the roller up and down, moving sideways to paint the adjacent sections.
Use a paintbrush to fill in corners that you can’t reach with a paint sprayer or a roller. Areas near doors, windows, and borders require precision that a paint sprayer or roller cannot achieve.

Let The Paint Dry

Read the instructions on the paint bucket to determine how long the paint will take to dry.

Add A Second Coat of Paint.
Apply a second coat only if recommended in the instructions supplied with the paint.

Note:
Find out if you should paint the bricks of your house a certain color. In some regions, a particular color may be required by local regulations. For example, the exterior of houses in historic districts may be subject to specific colors.

The Bottom Line

Painting a brick exterior is not a completed project.
However, if you don’t have the time, skill, or tools to complete the job flawlessly, timely, and efficiently, consider hiring a pro.

Hiring a professional painting contractor saves you time and money, as well as the stress and hassles that come with an exterior painting project.

Need professional help with your home exterior repainting project? Our highly skilled and experienced team at Eason Painting can help. Our services are currently available in Macomb Township, Washington Township, Ray Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Romeo, Armada, Troy, Shelby Township, Harrison Township, Chesterfield, and Clinton Township, MI.

Call us today on 586-465-5081 for a FREE painting estimate.