Should you paint brick or vinyl siding?

Brick and vinyl are the two sidings people most often ask us whether they should paint. Both can look great painted. Both can go wrong if you skip the questions below.

Here’s an honest rundown of each, with how we price it at the end.

Painting brick

People usually want to paint brick for one of three reasons: the brick color has aged badly next to newer finishes, an addition doesn’t match the original brick, or they just want the clean look of a painted house.

Painting brick is close to permanent

This is the first thing to know. Once brick is painted, getting it back to bare brick is slow, messy and expensive, and it rarely looks like the original again. Be sure you won’t miss the brick before you paint it.

Brick has to breathe

Brick and mortar soak up moisture and let it back out. A coating that traps that moisture can lead to peeling paint and damaged brick over time. So before brick gets painted:

• Fix the water sources. Overflowing gutters, downspouts that dump against the wall, and soil sloping toward the house all keep brick wet.
• Check the mortar. Loose or crumbling mortar should be repaired by a mason first. Paint won’t hold it together.
• Clean off efflorescence. That white, chalky haze is salt that water carried out of the brick. It has to come off, and the moisture behind it should be found, or it can push the paint off.
• Use masonry products. Brick gets a primer and paint made for masonry, not whatever is left over from the trim.
• Give new brick time. Fresh masonry needs to cure before it’s painted. Brick industry guidance calls for at least 30 days, and many painters wait longer.

Prep and coverage

Brick is rough and porous. It drinks paint and has a lot of surface in the mortar joints, so it takes more material and more time to cover evenly than smooth siding. That’s why brick costs more to paint than vinyl. We pressure wash first (with care around the mortar), let the brick dry out fully, then prime and paint.

Limewash vs paint on brick

Limewash is the other option for brick, and it’s a very different look.

Limewash is a lime-based coating that soaks into the brick instead of sitting on top. It dries to a flat, chalky finish. It can be worked so some of the brick color shows through, and it softens and wears over the years, which is part of the look. Because it soaks in, it stays breathable.

Paint forms a film over the brick. You get a solid, even color in almost any shade you want, and a cleaner, more uniform look.

	Limewash	Paint
Look	Soft, uneven, brick shows through	Solid, even color
Color choices	Soft, limited range	Nearly any color
Breathability	Very breathable	Less breathable
Over time	Wears and softens	Holds its color, eventually needs a repaint
Works over painted brick	No	Yes

One important point: limewash only works on bare, unsealed brick. It has to soak in. If your brick is already painted, limewash is off the table.

Limewash is quoted on site, since how it’s applied and how much brick should show through changes from house to house. More on both options is on our brick and limewash page.

Painting vinyl siding

Vinyl that’s faded or chalky, or a color you’ve never liked, can be painted. It isn’t the same as painting wood, though.

The color rule

Vinyl expands and contracts with heat. A color darker than the original soaks up more heat from the sun, and that can make the panels warp or buckle. Once vinyl warps that far, it doesn’t go back. It has to be replaced.

The old rule was simple: the same color or lighter. Sherwin-Williams now has a palette called VinylSafe, about 100 colors that includes a limited set of darker shades formulated to resist warping on sound, stable vinyl. VinylSafe colors can be mixed in SuperPaint, Duration and Emerald exterior paints, so they work with all three of our paint levels.

So you have more choices than you used to, but not every color. If you have your heart set on a very dark shade that isn’t in the VinylSafe palette, vinyl isn’t the right siding to paint that color. Our free color consult can help you pick from the palette. South and west walls take the most sun here, so this matters.

What goes wrong on vinyl

• Painting over chalk or dirt. Old vinyl gets a powdery film, and paint over it won’t hold. A thorough wash is the most important step, and our prices include it.
• Painting warped or cracked panels. Paint won’t flatten a warped panel or close a cracked one. Damaged panels should be replaced by a siding contractor before we paint.
• Going too dark. Covered above. It’s the most expensive mistake on vinyl.
• Painting in the heat of the day. Hot vinyl in full sun dries paint too fast. We follow the shade. Our guide to the best time to paint outside in the Upstate covers timing.

If your siding is still under a manufacturer warranty, read its terms before you paint.

Red clay and mildew

Two Upstate problems hit both brick and vinyl.

Red clay splash. Rain hits bare clay next to the foundation and splashes it up onto the bottom of the wall, leaving an orange band. It has to be cleaned off before painting. Afterward, a light color will show new splash fast. Mulch or gravel in the beds along the house, and gutters that carry water away from the wall, help a lot.

Mildew and green growth. Our humidity grows mildew and algae on shady walls, especially the north side. That gets washed and treated before paint goes on, or it can come through the new coat.

What goes into the price

Our exterior prices include a pressure wash and two coats. From there, the price depends on:

• How much siding there is. More wall means more paint and more time.
• Brick or vinyl. Brick costs more to paint, for the reasons above.
• The paint level. Essential, Performance or Showcase.
• Tall walls. Two-story sides add to it.
• Trim, fascia and corner boards. These are figured by how much of them there is.

Limewash is quoted on site. We look at the house in person at the free estimate, and you get a written price before we start. See how we price.

So should you?

Paint your brick if you really don’t like the brick, the mortar is sound, the moisture problems are fixed, and you’re fine with it being a long-term decision. Consider limewash if the brick is bare and you’d like a softer look that keeps some of the brick’s character.

Paint your vinyl if the panels are flat and sound, it’s faded or chalky, and you’re happy with a color the same or lighter, or one from the VinylSafe palette. Don’t paint it if it’s warped, cracked, or you want a dark color outside that palette.

Brick ranches and vinyl-sided houses are all over the Upstate, from Taylors to Boiling Springs, and we’ll tell you straight whether yours is a good candidate. See our brick and limewash and vinyl siding pages, or the main exterior painting page, and call or text 864-800-8275 to set up a free estimate.