8 October 2020
 Categories: , Blog

Some brick on a home may look absolutely beautiful, but there are other brick colors that appear dated and unsightly. If you have unsightly brick on your home that you want to get rid of, you can paint it to cover it and blend it with the rest of your home. However, if you want a bit of the brick to show, you can whitewash the brick. Whitewashing is a technique where you wipe the paint onto the brick to give it a worn or distressed look, but still retain the look of a brick wall. Read on for instructions on how to whitewash your brick.

Tools And Materials Needed:

• Paintbrushes
• Old rags
• Paint pail/bucket
• Paint
• Water
• Drop cloth

Instructions:

1. To start, you're going to need to clean the brick thoroughly. There's most likely a lot of debris and dirt on the brick, especially exterior brick, and your exterior can catch a lot of debris in the mortar in between the bricks. Clean the area thoroughly and remove as much of the dirt from the face of the brick as well.
2. Once the brick is clean, you need to be sure it is completely dry before you begin. You want the paint to adhere properly to the brick, so give it at least 24 hours before you start painting it.
3. After the brick is dry, you can start whitewashing the brick. To do this, you're going to need to take your paint, which should be paint for exterior and for brick surfaces, then add water to it to thin it out. The amount of water depends on the transparency you want for your bricks. The more water you add, the more transparent it will be.
4. Mix the paint and water thoroughly, and begin painting. Use a paintbrush, or you can use rags to apply the paint to the bricks. Using a roller may give you too much coverage that you want, and a paintbrush or rag will help prevent too much of a uniform look.
5. Whitewash the bricks until finished, making sure to get in between the mortar as well, then allow the first coating to dry. Once dry, you can see where you want more coverage. Add a second coating if the first one wasn't enough for your liking.

Brick is long-lasting and beautiful, but if yours is unsightly, cover it with a coating of paint to give it some new life. Hire a professional painter to do this or other exterior painting for you. For more information about what an exterior painter can do for your home, contact a local painting company.