Can you paint a brick wall? Many homeowners wonder if a brick wall can be painted on and how to
paint a brick wall. Yes, you can paint a brick wall but it is different than painting on other surfaces. As
with most exterior paint jobs, painting a brick wall requires you to have proper weather conditions:
- You need a nice dry sunny day to start your brick wall painting.
Furthermore, a brick wall needs special preparation. On top of preparing the brick wall, you will need to
repair damage to the surface of the brick wall. After this, you will have to protect the area around the
brick wall and remove fixtures. Lastly, you will paint the actual brick wall. You can use primer first and
then paint or use a primer + paint combo to get the painting job done. After all this, you’ll get your brick
wall looking amazing.
Painting a Brick Wall Summary
- Paint the brick wall during appropriate weather.
- Prepare the brick wall for painting
- Repair damaged areas on the brick wall
- Protect the area around the brick wall from paint
- Primer and paint
Proper Painting Weather
Painting a brick wall begins with the right weather conditions. You will need a nice dry day to get started
on the wall. This is obviously due to the fact that there is a lot of drying that will need to be done. You
will we washing the brick wall with water which will need to dry off. Then there’s the paint its self. The
time it takes for the water and coats of paint to dry on the brick wall will depend a lot on your specific
weather climate.
Preparing the Brick Wall
So, you picked a nice sunny day to start your brick wall painting project. Your next step now will be
preparing the brick wall, this means cleaning. One of the differences with a brick wall is that brick
develops efflorescence:
- Efflorescence is a salty buildup on rough surfaces.
To begin the brick wall cleaning process, remove any removable fixtures that are on the brick wall. After
the wall is cleared of as many fixtures as possible is when you will use water to clean the surface of the
brick wall. The best method for cleaning the brick wall with water will be a power washer.
- You need a washer that can do around 3000 psi for a brick surface, you may want to consult a professional power washer.
After the wash, let the brick wall completely dry. This could take a few hours depending on your
weather, mostly on your humidity levels.
Fixing Damage to the Brick Wall
Now that you have a clean brick wall you can start looking for and fixing damage to the brick wall. Most
brick walls that have some age on them will have some damage, such as little holes. You will use mortar
that is suitable for brick. The best way to repair brick with mortar is using a caulking gun. After you’ve
repaired damage, wait for the mortar to dry.
Protect Areas Around the Brick Wall from Paint
While you are waiting for the mortar to dry you can start protecting the areas you don’t want to get
paint on. This is obviously done by taping off areas you don’t want painted. Make sure you use good
quality painter’s tape.
- Quality tape will not leave residue after removal.For large areas, you can tape on paper.
You can buy big rolls of paper for this purpose. What a lot of
people don’t think about is the ground around the walls. There is probably a bunch of things here you
don’t want to get paint on, such as plants and decorations. You can use tarps to protect the area on the
ground around the brick walls.
Painting the Brick Wall
Now comes the actual painting of the brick wall. You want to use a small paint brush for edges and a
paint roller for large surfaces. The amount of paint you need will depend on the amount of surface area
your brick wall has:
- Brick has more surface area than other smooth surfaces due to the porous nature of brick.
- Consult an expert on how much paint you need for your surface area of brick.
When selecting your paint, make sure it is appropriate for a brick surface. While you are painting, you’ll
need more paint than normal on your brush due to the porous brick wall. If you want to go the primer
then paint route, do three coats of primer and let each coat properly dry. Then do the same with your
desired paint. With a primer and paint combo, you can just do three coats. And if you want your brick
wall looking amazing, we suggest using a professional painting company.