Brick Painting - The Dos and Don'ts Every Homeowner Should Know

If you have a brick home and you're thinking about freshening up the exterior, you've probably wondered whether painting it is a good idea. It seems straightforward enough... brick is just another surface to be painted, right?

Not quite. Brick behaves very differently from wood siding or stucco, and the wrong approach can cause damage that's expensive, difficult, and in some cases impossible to reverse. Before you pick up a brush or call a contractor, here's what you need to know.

Not sure if your brick even needs attention yet? Check out our post on 8 signs your home exterior needs repainting before committing to any treatment.

Why Painting Brick is Risky

Brick is a naturally porous material, which means it breathes—moisture from inside your home passes through the wall and escapes to the outside. This is by design, and it's part of what keeps older masonry structures sound.

When you paint brick with a standard exterior paint, you seal those pores. Moisture that would normally escape gets trapped inside the wall instead. Over time, this can lead to:

• Spalling — where the surface of the brick begins to flake and break away

• Efflorescence — white salt deposits that appear on the surface as trapped moisture pushes through

• Mold and mildew growth inside the wall cavity

• Mortar deterioration — moisture freeze-thaw cycles accelerate the breakdown of mortar joints

The other problem with painting brick is permanence. Unlike staining or limewash, paint sits on top of the surface rather than absorbing into it. Once brick is painted, removing it is an intensive process involving chemical strippers, pressure washing, and significant labor—and even then, full removal isn't always possible. You're essentially committing to repainting it every 5-10 years for the life of the home.

Timing your exterior project correctly also matters—if you're not sure when to schedule, our post on the best time to exterior paint in Kitchener-Waterloo covers the ideal conditions in detail.

When Painting Brick Actually Makes Sense

We're not completely against painting brick — there are situations where it's a reasonable choice.

If the brick has already been painted, the breathability argument largely no longer applies. The pores are already sealed. At that point, repainting with a quality masonry paint is often the most practical path forward.

If you need a color that staining can't achieve, paint may be your only option. Brick stains work by penetrating the surface and tinting it, which means they're limited to colors in a similar tonal range to the brick underneath—you can go darker, but you can't go white or dramatically lighter. If you have a specific color in mind that staining can't deliver, paint with the right product is a reasonable solution.

The key is using the right paint. If you do paint brick, it must be a breathable masonry paint—sometimes called an elastomeric or vapour-permeable masonry coating. These are specifically formulated to allow moisture to pass through while still providing a painted finish. Standard exterior latex paint is not appropriate for brick, regardless of what the tin says.

What is Brick Staining?

Brick staining is probably the most underused option for homeowners who want to change the color of their brick. Instead of sitting on top of the surface like paint, a brick stain penetrates into the masonry and permanently tints it from within.

The result looks and feels like brick—because it still is. The texture, variation, and character of the original brick come through, just in a different color. And because the pores remain open, the wall continues to breathe the way it was designed to.

Brick stain is also effectively permanent. It won't peel, chip, or need repainting. The color does fade slightly over many years, but it fades naturally and evenly rather than peeling away in patches.

The main limitation, as mentioned above, is color range. Stains work best for going darker or shifting tone—brick can be stained from red to brown, grey, charcoal, or similar earthy tones. Dramatic color changes or very light colors are generally not achievable with stain alone.

What is Limewash?

Limewash is one of the oldest exterior finishes in the world, and it's having a well-deserved resurgence in popularity. Made from slaked lime and water, it's applied in thin layers that absorb into the brick surface and create a soft, mottled, aged appearance that paint simply can't replicate.

Unlike paint, limewash is fully breathable—it actually has a higher vapor permeability than bare brick in some applications. It's also naturally antimicrobial, which makes it particularly well suited to older masonry that may have been exposed to moisture over the years.

Visually, limewash creates a look that feels organic and characterful. The finish varies across the surface, revealing the texture of the brick underneath, and it softens over time in a way that looks intentional rather than worn out. It's particularly popular for achieving that warm, European farmhouse aesthetic that has become common in home design.

Limewash can be removed more easily than paint if you change your mind, though full removal still requires some effort. It's also more affordable than most people expect, making it an accessible option for homeowners who want a dramatic exterior transformation without the long-term commitment of paint.

Brick Homes in Kitchener and Cambridge — What You Need to Know

Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo have a significant concentration of older brick homes, particularly in heritage neighborhoods like Galt, Preston, and Blair in Cambridge, and older residential areas throughout Kitchener. Many of these homes were built between the late 1800s and mid-1900s using traditional clay brick and lime mortar—materials that were specifically designed to work together as a breathable system.

This matters because heritage brick is often more vulnerable to moisture damage than modern brick. The clay and mortar used in older construction can be softer and more porous, meaning that sealing the surface with paint carries a higher risk of trapped moisture, spalling, and mortar deterioration than it would on a newer home. If you own an older home in Galt, Preston, or a heritage neighborhood in KW, staining or limewash is almost always the better choice—not just aesthetically, but structurally.

There's also another consideration for homes built before 1978: lead paint. If your brick home has been previously painted, there's a possibility that older layers contain lead-based paint, which requires specific handling during any repainting or removal work. We've covered this in detail in our post on lead paint risks in heritage homes—worth a read before starting any exterior project on an older property.

The Dos and Don'ts — Quick Reference

DO:

• Use brick stain if you want a permanent color change that preserves breathability

• Consider limewash for a characterful, traditional finish with full breathability

• Use a breathable masonry paint if paint is your only option or the brick has already been painted—but do a water test first!

• Properly clean and prep the surface before any treatment

• Check for lead paint on older homes before beginning work

• Hire a professional for surface preparation, product selection, and application on ladders and elevated surfaces

DON'T:

• Use standard exterior latex paint on natural unpainted brick

• Paint brick purely for aesthetic reasons without considering the long-term moisture implications

• Assume all masonry paints are breathable—read the product data sheet

• Skip surface preparation—dirty, efflorescent, or damaged brick will cause any finish to fail prematurely

• DIY on a two-storey or heritage home without the proper equipment and experience

Should You DIY or Hire a Professional?

Brick staining, limewash, and masonry painting are all achievable as DIY projects on single-storey surfaces if you're comfortable with the prep work and product selection. That said, there are a few reasons why hiring a professional makes the job easier and the result better:

Surface preparation is the most critical step and the most commonly skipped. Brick needs to be thoroughly cleaned, any efflorescence treated, damaged mortar repaired, and the surface assessed for moisture issues before any product goes on. Skipping or rushing this step is the most common reason brick finishes fail early.

Product selection matters more with brick than almost any other exterior surface. The wrong paint or the wrong application method can cause damage that outlasts the finish itself. A professional who works with masonry regularly will know which products are appropriate for your specific brick type and condition.

Safety is a real consideration for anything above ground level. Working on ladders or scaffolding with buckets of stain or limewash is a different proposition from rolling a bedroom wall. Professionals have the equipment and experience to work safely at height.

Older and heritage homes in particular benefit from a professional assessment before any exterior treatment. If there's existing moisture damage, compromised mortar, or previous layers of paint that need to be dealt with, it's worth having someone experienced look at it first.

And above all else, expertise matters most! Your home is one of the most valuable assets you have. As professional painters, we work on projects like these everyday and have a wealth of knowledge available on what the best course of action is to take.

Thinking About Staining, Limewashing, or Painting Your Brick?

If you have a brick home in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, or the surrounding area and you're considering your options, we're happy to take a look and give you an honest recommendation based on what your specific brick needs.

We offer brick staining, limewash application, and masonry painting services across KW, Cambridge, and Guelph.

Get a free, no-obligation consultation today!

You can also browse our exterior painting portfolio to see examples of our work on local homes, or learn more about our exterior painting services.