As we’ve mentioned in our previous blog, painting your Brick walls will most likely end with tears, regrets, and broken hearts.

We will reiterate the dangers for you:

• You risk damaging the bricks themselves
• You risk damaging the external foundation of your home
• You risk damaging the attractiveness of your home
• You risk destroying a piece of history
• You risk having to go back and tediously remove the paint yourself, taking hours of your time away.

Yes, these risks are real and real scary, but believe it or not, there are some exceptions, some special occasions, that make it okay to paint brick. Yup, you read that right.

Bricks Inside The Home

Thankfully, bricks inside our home are not subject to the harsh elements and changes in environments as outside bricks are. Because of this, humidity and moisture shouldn’t be a problem, so paint away to your heart’s content!

If The Brick Has Been Painted Before

If you bought the house with the brick walls already painted or had it done professionally, you will need to regularly repaint your bricks.

Seeing that the process of repainting is far less scrutinizing and less tedious than removing the paint, we recommend going with this option.

Just remember to always use breathable paint that is mineral-based or silicate. These are the go-to recommendations for brick paint. We also recommend getting the job done professionally, as the amount of tedious detail, repair work, and prep-work is overwhelming for a DIY job.

Severely Damaged Bricks

In the scenario where you’ve moved into a house that’s very old with its bricks decaying and the mortar between the bricks is turning into sand, then painting over the bricks may be your only solution.

If this scares you, then you will have to contact a brick contractor and talk about replacing the brick and mortar.

Overdue Repaint Jobs

There are a few rules of thumb to go by to see if your house’s bricks have been in need of a repaint:

Homes built with brick before 1870

Handmade Bricks

Bricks with faded paint

If your home has these boxes ticked, it’s likely that the construction process utilized a type of brick that requires regular repainting to maintain its health.

However, the paint you will use will not be modern over-the-counter paint. It will likely be a paint that’s natural and traditional, such as milk or lime-based paint.

Conclusion:

While painting the outside of your brick house is almost always a terrible idea, there are some cases when it can be necessary. Thankfully, painting bricks inside your home is not an issue, so have fun and get creative!

The post The Only Time It’s Okay To Paint Brick appeared first on Search A Brick.