Painting a brick house is a great way to give your house a fresh, clean look, and instant curb appeal. Before any paint is applied the first and most important step is prep work. We began by cleaning the brick to rid it of dust, dirt, cobwebs, mildew and efflorescence(white powdery substance found on the surface of the brick). The best and most efficient way to do this is with a high powered pressure washer.
After we power washed we waited 48 hours for the brick to dry(Any residual moisture retained in the brick will cause the paint to buckle and peel). Once the brick was completely dry, we assessed the brick for damage and found that the mortar was failing in many areas around the house. We repaired all of the cracks using QUIKRETE Mortar Repair. This product is amazing! QUIKRETE Mortar Repair is a sanded acrylic formula that adheres to brick, block, stone, and concrete surfaces. It is textured to give the the appearance of masonry mortar. It provides excellent adhesion, minimal shrinkage, and is non flammable. It's water resistant acrylic formula is flexible and tuff enough to stand up to the extreme weather here in Utah.
Once the repairs were finished, we sealed the brick. Brick is a porous surface so it requires a specific primer in order for the paint to properly adhere. On this house we used LOXON Masonry Primer by Shirwin Williams. LOXON is perfect for sealing and conditioning porous above-grade masonry surfaces. It tolerates the high pH common in new masonry and ensures a uniform look and long-lasting finish. After all of our prep work was completed we applied 2 coats of EMERALD by Shirwin Williams.
The home owner was thrilled with the transformation and mentioned that after we sealed the house there was less of a draft in the home. This allowed them to keep the house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter! The crew had a blast working on this house and absolutely loved the finished product!