How to Destroy Your Brick Exterior With Latex Paint

WatchHow to Destroy Your Brick Exterior With Latex Paint

Want to turn solid brick into something that flakes apart in your hand? Good news: it's easy, and a lot of people are doing it right now. All you need is a gallon of latex paint and a little patience.

We found a perfect example on the Mosswood renovation. Watch the short above. Then, for your entertainment, here's a step-by-step guide on how to ruin your brick, followed by how to not do that.

Step 1: Pick the Wrong Paint

Head to the store and grab regular exterior latex paint. It looks great on the swatch, it's easy to find, and it goes on smooth. Perfect.

Here's what you're actually buying: a coating that acts like a moisture barrier. On wood siding, that's fine. On brick, it's the start of the problem.

Step 2: Ignore That Brick Breathes

Brick is porous. It soaks up moisture from rain, humidity and the ground, and then it lets that moisture back out. That breathing is a big part of why brick lasts.

Cover it with latex and you've wrapped it in plastic. Moisture still gets in through cracks, gaps around windows, holes and from behind, but now it can't get back out. It just sits there.

Step 3: Make Sure the Weep Holes Can't Do Their Job

Brick walls are designed to let water drain out through weep holes near the bottom of the wall and above windows. Paint over them, or let them clog, and water behind the brick has nowhere to go. Now it's trapped behind the latex too.

Step 4: Wait for Texas Weather

Give it a few North Texas seasons: summer heat, a hard freeze or two, some spring storms. Trapped water expands when it freezes. Brick heats up and cools down every day. All that moisture stuck behind the paint starts breaking down the face of the brick.

Step 5: Enjoy the Results

Congratulations. Your brick is pitting, spalling and flaking off. When you pull the paint back, chunks of brick come with it. On the Mosswood house, you could literally watch the brick turn to dust. In the worst cases, moisture that gets behind there can turn brick to mud.

Bonus points if it's around your windows, where water already collects. Now you've got damaged brick, failing caulk and maybe water getting into the wall. See our guide on window leaks and hidden water damage.

Okay, Seriously: How Should You Paint Brick?

Painted brick looks fantastic. White brick with a dark roof and dark windows is a great look, and it can add a lot of curb appeal. You just have to use the right product.

What we recommend is a mineral paint made for masonry. Mineral paints bond with the brick and let it breathe, so moisture can escape instead of getting trapped. Limewash is another breathable option some homeowners like. Use the right product so that years from now, when you go to sell your house or maintain it, you don't find out the hard way that your brick is damaged.

What Prep Does Brick Need?

1. Inspect it. Look for cracks, loose mortar and damaged brick. Fix those first.
2. Clean it. Dirt, mildew and efflorescence (the white chalky stuff) should be cleaned off properly.
3. Let it dry. Brick holds water. Give it time.
4. Keep weep holes open. Don't paint them shut.
5. Check around windows and doors. Make sure caulk and flashing are in good shape before you paint.
6. Use the right product and follow the manufacturer's directions.

What If My Brick Is Already Painted With Latex?

Don't panic, but don't ignore it either. Look for peeling, bubbling and flaking, especially near the ground, around windows and on the sides that get the most weather. Removing latex from brick is a job for professionals, because the wrong method can damage the brick further. Then the brick can be repaired as needed and refinished with a breathable product.

On Mosswood, this was part of a much bigger exterior story: vinyl shutters, dented gutters and water runoff marks. See the full project on our remodel page and our windows and exteriors page.

Frequently Asked Questions

G3 Knows. Now you know. Call (945) 300-9018 or use the button below to get a window quote.

Keep learning: see our Windows & Exteriors page, read Patio Door Replacement in North Texas | G3 Knows.