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Painting Exterior Brick Paint Job

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Painting Exterior Brick Paint Job

Painting Exterior Brick Paint Job- The Preparation

Painting on brick is not a decision one takes very lightly. Therefore, once you decide on it, all possible preparation should be made in order to make your painting exterior brick paint job a success.

Prepping the bricks for painting should be the number one priority. During preparation, there are four important steps that should be conducted before the painting starts, cleaning the brick, removing loose paint and repair mortar, priming, then caulking and sealing.

Number 1- Cleaning the brick

To effectively clean the brick you’ll need a pressure washer that’s set about 1500-2000 psi. You only need enough pressure to remove all dust and dirt, and possibly some loose paint. Anything less than required would be useless, and more than the recommended could damage the mortar.

Another great way to remove any difficult stains is to dissolve laundry detergent in water and scrub it down with a brush. Revealing a very clean surface is what’s important. The remaining residues will mess up the primer and your painting exterior brick paint job is a failure before it has even begun.

Number 2- Remove the loose paint

If the bricks have already been painted before, and you only wish to change the color, then all the loose paint must be removed. You can use a hand scraper or putty knife to remove it. If there are any damages done to the mortar, you can repair it with premixed acrylic mortar patch that comes in small tubs. After the application, it needs to be dried for a few days before the priming can be done.

Number 3- Priming

It is important that all brick or mortar that is exposed by primed with an acrylic masonry. If you choose to use a thick primer, you can add a bit of water to improve the penetration into the materials. If the entire brick surface is in good shape and compatible with your finish paint, there is no need to prime the entire surface. For painting exterior brick paint jobpriming, there is one rule, oil base paint over water base paint, but never water over oil without any priming.

Number 4- Caulking and Sealing

Any cracks and holes should be caulked. Caulking will ensure that water won’t enter the brick or mortar that happens to get under the paint. Other areas that also require caulking are any wood trim to the brick or any gap that needs some sealing.

Once you finish these four steps, your painting exterior brick paint job can start. You could follow these four steps or consult with someone who has already done the job. However, if you are not very sure about the process, especially the details, it’s best to rely on the professionals. Any damage to the bricks will be very visible, and is going to be irreparable.