5 myths about painting brick masonry

To paint or not to paint? It’s a tough question. On one hand, fired clay brick is a supremely durable building material either painted or not painted, so as a designer you really can’t go wrong. On the other hand, why turn one of the world’s lowest maintenance facade systems into something that needs regular maintenance over time in the form of repainting?

You’ll have to make that decision on your own, but you should do it without being influenced by several myths about the painting of brick masonry.

Myth #1: Painting brick is necessary to achieve any look that is not just red and traditional.
Truth: Brick comes in a huge variety of colors and textures. Most colors of paint applied to brick structures in the wild could have been specified in the brick itself — and the colors would have been literally baked into the brick units for decades of permanence without maintenance. Mortars can be tinted to match the brick, creating an even color tone across the facade.

Myth #2: Painting brick allows cheaper materials or poorer workmanship to be used, saving money.
Truth: Good brick construction is good brick construction regardless of whether the structure is painted. The same protocols and standards for making a durable, long-lasting structure apply either way.

Myth #3: Brick masonry needs to be sealed with a coating to resist water penetration anyway, so painting actually does a service to the structure.
Truth: A properly designed brick structure built with good workmanship repels and manages water penetration all on its own. No sealants or coatings are necessary to get the best system in the construction industry for fighting water penetration.

Myth #4: Brick absorbs paint well, so a painted brick structure won’t have to be repainted very often.
Truth: Most paint authorities agree that, once painted, exterior masonry will require repainting every three to five years.

Myth #5: Painting brick masonry is no different than painting any other exterior surface.
Truth: Painting brick requires special attention to surface preparation and paint selection. One notable feature of a good paint for brick is that it be porous. Further contradicting myth #3, brick needs to “breath.” A paint that thoroughly seals the facade can trap moisture behind the film, against the brick surface.

For some designers, the look of painted brick is just the ticket — if it’s done right. Therein lies the rub: while brick construction is pretty straightforward, there are lots of ways to mess up the painting of brick masonry. That’s why the Brick Industry Association has dedicated an entire Technical Note to doing it right. So, if you must paint a brick structure, do yourself a favor and check the Tech (Note).