Painting and Staining of Brick and Masonry

Painting of Brick and Masonry

Painting of Brick and Masonry
Painting of brick and masonry can be done with most commercial paint products. Our products of choice are Dulux Weatherguard, Dulux Diamond and Sherwin Williams A-100 or Resilience. Any high-quality exterior paint product can be used for brick and masonry applications.

Staining of Brick and Masonry

There are a wide range of staining products for brick and masonry in both solid and semitransparent coatings. There are products available from the major paint manufacturers as well as many smaller boutique type producers. The products can be two component products with a primer coat and topcoat or single component products that require two coats. 

There are several products of choice for brick and masonry staining. PermaCrete from Dulux is a masonry stain with a solid finish and a slight sheen that has several great qualities including breathability, water repellency and hot tire resistance (applicable to floors).

We have had great experience with Permatint products which is produced by a smaller manufacturer. This is a two-component product that has a primer coat and a topcoat. Permatint comes in a solid finish, has excellent adhesion, and looks great.

Process for Painting and Staining Brick

The general process for painting and staining brick is to clean the brick surfaces by removing dirt, mould mildew and contaminants from the surface. For bare brick, two coats are generally needed while a repaint or restain usually requires a single coat refresh.

Products with two components will specify that two coats are needed and single components will require a second coat to achieve the appearance desired. It is important to carefully follow the instructions provided for application for all products.

How Brick Stains and Paints are Applied

Depending on the brick and the install configuration, the application method can be brush, roller or a spray application. Many of the stain products are thinner in viscosity and require protection for areas not being coated to avoid overspray.

Full Coverage or Individual Bricks

A full coat on the brick and mortar is the most common application for brick staining and painting. These products can also be used for the labor intensive application to individual bricks leaving the mortar untouched.

Colour Selection

For most products there is a full range of colours available although some boutique products may have a limited range of colours available. It is important to remember that colour selection can affect coverage which means that more than two coats may be necessary for achieving the look desired for some colour choices. 

The other factor for colour selection is resistance to fading. The fact is that these products rarely fail by peeling, however the choice of colour can diminish the longevity and decrease the timeframe for the need to re-coat. Colours such as reds, yellows and bright colours will have lower resistance to fade.