Painting exposed brick?
Got four very large exposed brick walls in my living room and kitchen, seperated by (closed) chimneys. 11 feet tall, 4-6 feet wide. Any thoughts on whether it’s a bad idea to paint them as far as resale goes? On one hand, the brick adds some warmth to the rather detail-less rooms but on the…
Got four very large exposed brick walls in my living room and kitchen, seperated by (closed) chimneys. 11 feet tall, 4-6 feet wide. Any thoughts on whether it’s a bad idea to paint them as far as resale goes?
On one hand, the brick adds some warmth to the rather detail-less rooms but on the other, because they make up roughly 3/4 of the wall in total, adding color would spruce things up a tad. But once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Exposed brick walls are not a “detail” to be preserved unless you live in an industrial loft. Otherwise it looks like some dated 1970s attempt at design. If in a row house, either have it replastered the way it was originally, or paint it with a breathable masonry paint so it does not look like a Partridge Family living room. There are several masonry paints that are breathable if that is a concern for the particular wall.
i totally disagree that painted brick is ugly. i think that exposed brick interiors are so awful and outdated…paint it!!!
Once you paint brick, it’s very very difficult to remove the paint without damaging the surface of the brick.
I agree that in some cases, painted brick may look better that unpainted exposed brick. In your case, I would definitely NOT paint the brick since you have no idea what your potential buyer prefers.
For the record, I’ve had problems with painted brick not breathing properly and small sections turning to dust, but this has only happened on high floor that are more affected by rain and snow.
oh, come on. re: painting brick leading to moisture and deterioration. i lived in a very old loft building for 30 years. it had painted masonry when i moved in, and i repainted it several times and didn’t have any moisture problems. if it’s an old building, believe me, the bricks are totally dried out and the only moisture problem you could possibly have is if outside bricks need repointing. if it’s a new building, odds are good there’s a moisture barrier installed.
btw, i hate exposed brick, and would bet that for every potential buyer who loves it, there’s another that would paint it. do what you want. you’re the one living there now.
5:05. It depends on where the dew point is within your wall system and where the vapor barrier (if any) is installed. I wouldn’t risk it.
Painted brick is the UGLIEST and tackiest thing in the world to look at. It’s right up there with painted electrical sockets.
Will INTERIOR brick trap moisture?
Brick needs to breath. Painting it is very, very bad. Moisture will get trapped and the brick will deteriorate.
I disagree. Painted brick, if a very light color, is elegant.