What product are you asking about?

See link for what the Brick Industry Association has to say about all coatings.

Don't coat exterior brick or stone and you'll need to repoint it a bit in 50-75 years. Paint it, and you've bought someone a lifetime of work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Painting Brick

Worthy, I have no knowledge of any particular product, I just see the bricks being coated a good bit. Some seem like they actually had something paint-like applied to them if not actually paint. Others seem to have a different sort of thicker coating on them, and I seem to see these on more upscale homes.

Here is a description from a manufacturer of mineral paints - Virginia Limeworks.

Mineral Paint:
Definitely in a class of its own, Mineral Paints, (also known as Waterglass or Potassium Silicate Paints) are in its
most basic form, a mixture of a binder (Potassium Silicate) and a solvent (often water). Developed in Europe in the
late 19th century, the potassium silicate achieves a chemical bond between the coating and the masonry, and the
paint actually becomes part of the masonry. A traditional potassium silicate coating should be extremely long
lasting (some examples of the lasting power of Mineral Paints are still incredibly vibrant, although over 100 years
old). Mineral Paints are breathable and work well with traditional historic masonry.

I have yet to find anything in writing that says Loxon lasts this long. My builder has been told by his SW supplier that it does and has used it several times, and it seems likely much better than regular latex or acrylic due to its elastometric nature, but I am not convinced it lasts as long as the foregoing.

Brick Industry Association: "Most paint authorities agree that, once painted, exterior masonry will require repainting every three to five years."

Mineral paint is not specifically mentioned in the article I linked to in previous post.

I'm afraid I'd need more than the say-so of the manufacturers and suppliers that Luxon paint or potassium silicate washes last a hundred years. Indeed, this expert says you can expect lime washes to last a few years, film forming paints 5-15 years and silicates 15 years and up.

We used limewash. It doesn't peel and chip like paint. We only used one coat b/c we wanted the partially washed off patina look.

Our previous home was painted brick. I'm sure it was something builder grade, but after 6 years it looked fine.

If you paint brick you are going to have to re-paint to maintain the appearance.

Even lime wash is going to wear away slowly and need another application if you want to maintain the look you had immediately after applying the paint.

Eventually even the mortar needs repair.

agree with you worthy about the Luxon. I am more inclined to believe the silicates since there are examples in Europe that are 100 years old with silicate paint that has never been redone. That being said, 15 plus years seems like plenty long for me to feel confident in using it. That would mean I would paint it now and then 15 years from now, worst case scenario. Not too bad, I don't think.

"I am more inclined to believe the silicates since there are examples in Europe that are 100 years old with silicate paint that has never been redone. "

And they look 100 years old.

The critical qualities of a coating on modern exterior cavity-wall veneer brick is that they be able to expand and contract with the veneer brick and that they be moisture permeable.

Sherwin Williams makes several products with the Loxon tradename. Luxon XP is a final elastomeric arcylic coating recommended for concrete, concrete block, and stucco. Since coating brick is missing from the product use recommendations I would do more research before using it although it might just be sloppy advertising.

100% acrylic Sherwin Williams clear Loxon Conditioner would be a good first coat followed by their acrylic masonry primer (optional) and Luxon XP or similar elastomeric acrylic coatings like Valspar's Duramax, etc.

macv - our builder recommended the Loxon Conditioner and then the Loxon XP. He has used it several times and said the same thing you did about the expansion and moisture permability.

We have since found out about the potassium silicate as an option.

Is the Loxon a better option? What about the no-maintenance thing? How long could we expect the Loxon to last compared to the potassium silicate?

Thanks as always for your input.

Why would one deliberately create a condition requiring regular maintenance?

Typically, exterior bricks are coated with washes to create an artificial look of aging Archictectural Digest-style or to create uniformity over endlessly repaired and filled commercial or century walls or to cover gang graffiti.

On the interior, "designers" love nothing better than painting masonry fireplaces--that is, when they're not sandblasting or otherwise destroying them.

"Luxon XP is a final elastomeric arcylic coating recommended for concrete, concrete block, and stucco."

The problem that often crops up with "recommended" prodcuts is the knowledge and source of the recomendation.

They are often self serving, and are more advertising claims than anything backed by actual research into the affects on the underlying material.

Paint that slows the movement of moisture out of bricks can cause spalling damage if freezing condions result in moisture insde the bricks freezing.

Old places rarely had enough insulation and the exterior walls often stayed above freezing all the way to the outside surface.

New standards and insulation can move the freeze point inside bricks, siding, and even insulation.

Worthy - all about looks. Hate stucco but building a frenchish house. Also not a fan of brick in any color other than red . . . many, many beautiful old homes in Atlanta are painted brick, and I love the look. We will paint or limewash, although some limewash ends up looking splotchy when applied to the level we need for the look we want. The below link is an example - beautiful in a picture but splotchy looking in real life. We will also have a limestone portico like this house. I actually don't mind the wearing off of the limewash (think it can look lovely over red brick) but not sure about the maintenance if we decide we want to keep the uniform color.

We don't have an issue with freezing around here. Rarely drops below 32 and almost never during the day. I do agree about the marketing speel though -

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1516964}}

This thread has been eye-opening. I must say that I lean in the direction Worthy mentioned...why would one deliberately create a surface that is gauranteed to need upkeep in the future ($$$) in order to stay looking the way you want? Because the choices are there and we find the coated finishes visually appealing, I guess. I do love the look of the coated bricks I have seen on houses in my area, a really distinctive look that you can't get with bare brick. But I think brick is a great product as is, a greener option than most others and almost no maintenance, both of which are big selling points in my book.

I too have always wondered why on earth someone would paint brick. It seems so pointless - pay extra for something beautiful and natural like brick and then paint over it anyway. But I do see the point that some of you have that you enjoy the look of the painted brick even more than the natural brick.

It's an interesting issue.

Such an interesting post...we have just begun building our home, and I have told our builder all along that I want painted brick. Like the others...it is completely a design thing. I think it is so beautiful and substantial looking! One of my friends built 6 years ago, and used the Pastelkote process. It is GORGEOUS! They have had absolutely 0 maintenance issues. I believe Pastelkote has been discontinued, but we don't want that thick coating, anyway. Actually, to me, as long as you keep your trim pristine...I think a painted brick home with some chipping and weathering is lovely. Has that "old house" look. I will post after we decide what brand of paint to we end up using, and I will look for a follow up to see what the OP decided. Thanks for the info!!

We looked at PastelCoate when we were building, but with the limited colors it was not for me. Several homes in my neighborhood do have it - the oldest is 8yo - and they have held up well. Doesn't surprise me they are no longer selling that line.

We also looked at Thorocoat. Our painters used it on a home near us, and it does look good. There were more colors than PastelCoate, and they can even do custom - which I was looking into. It's not commonly used on homes in our area - but is used on shopping centers, schools, libraries, etc.

We decided on a mortar wash when the brickmason's said they knew how to do it and we looked at two homes they had done. We've been in just over 5 years and have had no problems.

Here is a link that might be useful: mortar wash thread

I painted my brick white eight years ago with silicate paint I ordered from Eco-House in Canada. It was the absolute best choice for me. It looks as fresh as the day it was painted and I was told it will look this way for a lifetime. The paint seems to petrify and become part of the brick. I've tried to scratch and peel it off in inconspicious places from time to time and I just can't. It's pretty amazing. I'm about to paint a new house and definitely will use silicate paint again, but I'd rather get it in the states this time then pay the Canadian premium plus shipping again. If anyone knows a good US source, please share. Thanks!

We painted our brick b/c it was a HIDEOUS yellow. But there are cons. Under brutal TX sun, you have to repaint and freq. will depend on paint quality. Paint quality = $$$. So next time around, I will get a brick I like to cut down on maintenance costs.