Painting your house makes it look presentable, but it may not last for an extended period. In addition, it will be more costly regarding maintenance hence a considerable risk to your asset. Here are some reasons why you should not paint your brick house.
Painting can cause serious damages to the structure
If you paint the exterior brick and moisture is trapped in, the bricks will begin to degrade. The moisture inside will freeze during the freeze-and-thaw-cycle. As the outlying bricks erode, the mortar between the bricks also erodes. Eroding puts the structure of your house at risk. The blocks will crumble within a short time. This degradation is hidden under the paint and you may not notice it during the first stages.
Bricks destruction
Bricks destruction will occur if moisture is trapped in between the paint and bricks. Bricks need to breathe. A cover on the bricks will suffocate them hence no breathing. The bricks will lack space to adjust during times of rain, heat or snow. Therefore, painting them is like putting them in a plastic casing. If it is a must for you to paint, look for a vapor permeable paint that does not trap moisture hence minimal chances of depolarization.
The appearance of the house will be bad within a short time
The paint will start to peel and flake away as the bricks degrade. Peeling and flaking make your house look abandoned and nasty. Therefore to prevent this damage, don’t paint your brick house. The unpainted brick is more durable, easy to maintain and resistant too harsh weather conditions. The painted house will mean you regularly repaint it. Such houses may not be appealing to the buyer in case of sale because of maintenance costs.
Not easy to go back to unpainted
Removing the paint from the bricks is very challenging. You will require more finances and the integrity of the bricks will be at risk. Power-washing or sandblasting can as well damage the blocks. You can use chemicals to strip the paint painstakingly. This is more technical and costly. You need to hire a preservation architect. Preservation experts like Point Brik can help in restoring the damage and the integrity of the house.
You might destroy some history
Painting a brick house will destroy the history especially if your bricks have stayed for long. If your home is older and has decorative features like dog-toothing, it is good to preserve the blocks in their natural state. Old bricks were handmade in a kiln and have a hard surface. They whither better and are mostly used on the face of the buildings because they are more impervious. Such bricks can’t be compared to today’s bricks which are machine- made. Painting the hand-made bricks will, therefore, destroy their value. This could even lead to structural damage of your house if done incorrectly.
Painting your brick house should not be an option. If it is, then look for vapor permeable paint. This will allow moisture in and out of the bricks.