Painted brick homes

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by wasel

I put this in the ATL forum because we live here and the trend seems to be local. How do you feel about painting the brick on a home? Our house currently has natural red brick but my husband thinks we should paint it when we get the siding painted.

I am really torn. It looks OK on certain houses, but I'm hesitant because I feel like it ruins something "classic" that can't be changed back after this painted brick trend fades.

So fellow ATLers, what do you think? Do painted brick houses look appealing/attractive to you? Any experience with maintenance of this?

What color are you considering? I don't care for the ones in white, and they seem to chip like chalk.

My ex-hubby and I had the bricks painted on our first house. I don't even recall exactly what situation we were trying to resolve except finding a less expensive option than re-bricking it.

The color was some shade of red and it didn't chip, but I hated it. Perhaps if we had used a different shade for the grout, I'd not have thought it looked so weird, but I most definitely thought painting it was a mistake.

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[hautemomma]

Consider mortar washing or staining / dyeing over straight-up paint. A more elegant look, I think, that is also more forgiving with time.

[wasel]

Originally Posted by ElleKaye

What color are you considering? I don't care for the ones in white, and they seem to chip like chalk.

My ex-hubby and I had the bricks painted on our first house. I don't even recall exactly what situation we were trying to resolve except finding a less expensive option than re-bricking it.

The color was some shade of red and it didn't chip, but I hated it. Perhaps if we had used a different shade for the grout, I'd not have thought it looked so weird, but I most definitely thought painting it was a mistake.

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It would be a warm tone (not red) probably something like a beige or a warm olive. We would keep the trim white.

[arjay57]

I love the look of painted brick. It has an elegant, old school feel.

You can blast it off if you don't like it but be sure to use something like pecan shells rather than standard sandblasting so that you don't damage the bricks.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by wasel

It would be a warm tone (not red) probably something like a beige or a warm olive. We would keep the trim white.

Those colors sound nice. I guess my issue was I still wanted it to look like laid bricks hence my problem with the grout. I like what you are saying though and wish I thought of it back then.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by wasel

It would be a warm tone (not red) probably something like a beige or a warm olive. We would keep the trim white.

I like that taupe-y color you see a lot up in Brookhaven.

[Rainbow2011]

I just looked at an old ranch home that had little curb appeal as the red brick was different colors and dated. 2 doors down a similar brick home was painted grey with black shutters and it was beautiful. I have also seen tan/biege brick with dark shutters and I prefer the painted brick on old homes vs regular red brick. On new home I like deep red brick no paint.

[JoeTarheel]

A street or neighborhood always looks nice with a mix or red brick (or other color) homes and painted brick homes. I think it makes the environment look much more interesting. Either way is fine - painted or not - but you can't really go wrong with painting.

[wasel]

Originally Posted by hautemomma

Consider mortar washing or staining / dyeing over straight-up paint. A more elegant look, I think, that is also more forgiving with time.

I thought I replied to this the other day but I guess I didn't.

I have not heard of this technique. I'll have to look that up.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by hautemomma

Consider mortar washing or staining / dyeing over straight-up paint. A more elegant look, I think, that is also more forgiving with time.

In a lot of cases, I do prefer this look.
IMO, it depends on the quality of the brick. Most of the older houses that had painted brick were built out of what was referred to as 'common' brick; there was no texture to the face of the brick, and usually it was used with the architect's intent to have it painted. My grandparents' house in Druid Hills was painted brick, and it was lovely.
I also like the effect of partially sandblasting a white painted brick house to achieve an antiqued effect. You see this often in some of the south Buckhead neighborhoods.