Old Canaan Building Materials

Painting brick is a decision that cannot be easily reversed. Once a brick building is painted, the paint must be maintained indefinitely — the alternative is an expensive and often damaging removal process. This is not an argument against ever painting brick. Some New England brick buildings were painted from the beginning and look correct painted. It is an argument for understanding what you are deciding before you decide it.

A painted brick building reads entirely differently from an unpainted brick building. The texture of the brick disappears under the paint; the mortar joints disappear; the color becomes whatever the paint is rather than the inherent color of the brick. On a building where the paint is historically correct — a Federal period house that was painted white from its construction — the painted surface is part of what the building is. On a building where the paint was applied as a later decision, the paint reads as an overlay.

Historically, some New England brick buildings were painted at construction — typically Federal and Greek Revival period houses where a smooth, white exterior was part of the design intent. The paint used was lead-based oil paint. Contemporary exterior masonry paint for brick includes elastomeric coatings (for buildings with known moisture issues), mineral silicate paint (Keim Mineral Paint — highly vapor-permeable and the most durable modern masonry paint), and standard latex exterior paint (least durable, least appropriate).

Paint on brick must be re-painted on a cycle, indefinitely. The first painting commits the building to this cycle. Paint that fails and is not renewed allows water to infiltrate behind the film, which causes spalling of the brick face as the paint traps moisture. The correct paint for a brick building that will be maintained is a mineral silicate paint — breathable, highly durable, and bonds chemically to the masonry.

Painting brick is correct on buildings where it is historically documented. It is a mistake on unpainted historic brick where the brick face and mortar color are part of the building's character. The test is simple: was it painted originally? If yes, paint it correctly. If no, leave it alone.

Keim Mineral Paint (mineral silicate) from specialty architectural coatings suppliers. It is the most durable and most vapor-permeable exterior masonry paint available and the correct specification for brick that will be painted.