BRICK HOUSE PAINTING MELBOURNE

Painting brick can completely change the look of a house. Tired orange 70s brick, done in a soft white or charcoal, looks like a different place. But before you commit, know this: once brick is painted, there’s no easy way back. It’s worth getting it right the first time.

Brick is thirsty

Brick soaks up water and soaks up paint. If it’s damp when it’s painted, the paint blisters. White, powdery staining on the surface (efflorescence) means salts are coming through, and that has to be cleaned off and the cause looked at first. Otherwise it pushes the new paint straight off.

How we prep it

Power wash, let it dry properly, repair cracked mortar and chipped bricks, then prime. The drying part is the bit people want to rush, and it’s the bit you can’t. We use masonry paint made for brick, because ordinary exterior paint doesn’t breathe the way brick needs it to.

Colour

Mortar lines show through more than people expect, especially with lighter colours, so look at a painted sample on the actual wall before deciding. The exterior colour guide has ideas, and your free colour consult will help.

We paint the gutters, fascia, frames and trims at the same time so the whole thing ties together. Mixed brick and weatherboard? See weatherboard painting.

Cost

Size, height and how much repair the brickwork needs set the price. The exterior cost guide explains more.

Recent brick jobs

Here the bay window was painted in a light grey with crisp white trims, while the rest of the wall stayed original face brick. Painting just one section like this is a good way to modernise a house without committing the whole facade.

On these townhouses the brick was painted white to sit against black cladding. On a clean modern design, any patchiness in the brick shows up instantly, so the prep and priming have to be spot on.

“As Chair of the Body Corporate for a medium-sized, older apartment block, I’m happy to share our great experience having engaged Classico Painting. They were brought on for a major painting project along with a few medium-sized jobs, and from start to finish, they were fantastic. The quoting process was smooth, and the team professional, approachable, and easy to work with. They kept the project on track and delivered on time. We are absolutely thrilled with the quality of the finish and highly recommend them.”

Sharron Peck, Google review

Where we work

Mostly Melbourne’s inner and eastern suburbs, plus the north-west and down the Peninsula: Balwyn, Brighton, Camberwell, Essendon, Hawthorn, Kew, Malvern, Moonee Ponds, Northcote, Prahran, St Kilda, Toorak, Williamstown and the Mornington Peninsula. Property managers and body corporates too.

Thinking about painting your brick? Get a free quote and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s a good idea for your house.