to update exterior brick or not..

8 years ago

After a year of owning our home, we still dislike pulling up to the brick exterior of the home. Maybe because the brick is very uneven and faded. I personally want to cover it with a modern stone veneer. My fiancé would rather paint/stain it another shade or have it sandblasted to restore the look. We redid the siding on the front of the house above the bow window and just had the bow window replaced so we are trying to make the house have a more modern look. We are in the process of ripping out the wooden railings and installing white vinyl railings as well. Any thoughts and opinions with what to do with this old red brick? I included before and after pictures.

Restore brick

cover brick with stone veneer

paint/stain brick

Featured Answer

PRO

OTM Designs & Remodeling Inc.

8 years ago

you can use a very light gray color, water it down and paint overthe bricks i think it will look great.

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Comments (7)

jck910
8 years ago
What about cover it with matching siding?
Bev
8 years ago
The improvements you have already done make the house look so much better! I live in a Cape Cod that was built in 1945 and the chimney on my fireplace and the fireplace surround are that old red brick, which I personally hate. Since we just have it on the chimney outside, we have decided to let it go. I will be painting the bricks that surround the FP in the living room because I really can't stand them. Before you do anything with the bricks, I suggest you do a lot of research (I certainly have) and make sure you are using the correct steps to paint them properly or you will have lots of chipped paint and you could have a more unsightly mess than you do now.
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mkclancy
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Check out YoungHouseLove. They have a podcast and blog and are delving into having their big brick house painted. It might give you some good insight into material and longevity of the product they are choosing. I think all white would look nice with the black door!

https://www.younghouselove.com/podcast-101/
David
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Went to Sherman Williams today and they have a water based paint that shouldn’t fad for 5+ years and won’t peel at all. Thinking about just doing the paint in “porpoise” gray which has brown tones. Has anyone had success with water based paints for exterior brick or stone?
David
Original Author
8 years ago
Here is an updated “after” picture with the new window and no hardware in the way.
User
8 years ago
It’s looking great !!!