How to paint an exterior brick house

🎨 How to Paint an Exterior Brick House

How do you paint an exterior brick house in Australia?

Painting exterior brick can modernise a dated Australian home while providing additional protection from UV, rain and coastal exposure. The result is effectively permanent, so careful colour selection, moisture diagnosis and surface preparation are essential before applying a breathable exterior masonry coating.

Expect DIY material costs of approximately $12–$25/m², increasing to $20–$35/m² where extensive repairs, sealing or access equipment are required. Professional application commonly costs around $35–$70/m², depending on access, brick condition and preparation.

What skill level and time are needed to paint exterior brick?

Intermediate — Estimated time: 4–7 days for a typical single-storey house, including preparation and drying time

What tools and equipment do you need to paint exterior brick?

🔧 Equipment Required

🔧 Brush, roller or spray decision matrix

| Method | Best for | Advantages | Limitations |

|---|---|---|---|

| Brush | Edges, mortar joints and detailed areas | Excellent control and penetration | Slow for large elevations |

| Roller | Most DIY brick projects | Affordable, manageable and good coverage | Requires a long nap and firm back-rolling |

| Airless spray plus back-roll | Large or heavily textured elevations | Fast and reaches deep profiles | More masking, overspray risk and respiratory controls |

| Spray only | Generally not recommended for porous brick | Fast application | Can bridge pores without properly working paint into the surface |

Materials Required

A practical quantity calculation is:

For example, 180 m² ÷ 8 m²/L × 2 coats = 45 L, plus wastage. Allow about 50 L in total.

Safety Requirements

⚠️ Safety

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: 1️⃣ Inspect the Brickwork and Confirm It Is Suitable

Walk around the entire building and identify:

Do not treat paint as a cure for dampness. Trapped moisture can cause blistering, salt movement and masonry deterioration.

New brickwork and mortar should generally cure for at least 28 days, or longer in cool or damp weather. Confirm the required curing period with the coating manufacturer.

If the brick is soft, historically significant, highly porous or affected by rising damp, obtain advice from a building specialist before painting. Painting heritage brick can reduce vapour movement and permanently alter its character.

Step 2: 2️⃣ Choose the Coating System and Colour

Select a premium, low-VOC, water-based exterior acrylic designed for masonry and harsh Australian UV exposure. Suitable options include Dulux Weathershield, Taubmans Sunproof and Wattyl Solagard.

Use a masonry primer or sealer where the brick is:

Choose exterior colours carefully. Light and mid-tone shades generally absorb less heat and can be more forgiving in strong Australian sun. Dark colours may increase surface temperature and highlight mortar texture or wall imperfections.

Apply test pots over at least 1 m² and inspect them in morning, midday and afternoon light. Popular modern schemes often combine warm white, soft grey or greige brickwork with darker trims, such as colours from the Dulux Natural White, Lexicon Quarter, Dieskau, Tranquil Retreat or Monument families.

Check colour suitability before using very dark shades on sealants, timber trims, PVC or other heat-sensitive materials.

Step 3: 3️⃣ Protect Adjacent Surfaces and Landscaping

Move vehicles, outdoor furniture and portable items well away from the work zone. Cover:

Use canvas drop sheets on hard surfaces. Plastic can become slippery when wet.

Remove house numbers, downpipe clips, light fittings and other fixtures where safe and practical. Isolate electrical fittings before removal and use a licensed electrician where required.

Step 4: 4️⃣ Clean the Brick Thoroughly

Remove dust, cobwebs and loose material with a stiff nylon brush. Apply masonry cleaner according to its label, working from the bottom upward to reduce streaking.

Treat mould separately with a suitable mould-removal product. Killing the spores is important; simply pressure washing the visible staining may spread contamination without treating it.

Pressure wash using a wide fan tip and moderate pressure. Keep the nozzle approximately 300–500 mm from the surface and test an inconspicuous area first. Avoid forcing water into:

Do not use maximum pressure on soft bricks or old mortar. Excessive cleaning pressure can permanently damage the masonry.

Allow the walls to dry for at least 48–72 hours in warm, dry conditions. Shaded, coastal or humid walls may need longer.

💡 Pro tip: Check the wall with a masonry moisture meter rather than judging by touch alone. Brick can appear dry at the surface while retaining moisture internally.

Step 5: 5️⃣ Remove Efflorescence and Unstable Coatings

Dry-brush efflorescence using a stiff nylon brush, then vacuum or sweep away the salts. If deposits return after cleaning, investigate the source of moisture before proceeding.

Use a proprietary efflorescence cleaner only where necessary and follow its neutralising and rinsing instructions. Avoid uncontrolled use of hydrochloric acid, which can damage mortar, stain brickwork and interfere with coating adhesion.

On previously painted brick, scrape all loose, flaking or blistered paint back to a firm edge. Feather sharp edges by sanding where safe to do so.

Perform an adhesion test on remaining paint by cutting a small cross-hatch pattern, applying strong tape and pulling it away sharply. Widespread coating removal indicates that professional stripping or specialist assessment may be required.

Step 6: 6️⃣ Repair Mortar, Cracks and Gaps

Rake out loose mortar to sound material and repoint with a compatible masonry mortar. Avoid using an excessively hard cement-rich mortar on soft or older bricks, as this can accelerate brick-face damage.

Replace badly damaged bricks where practical. Fill minor surface defects with an exterior masonry repair compound.

Use paintable exterior sealant around:

Do not seal functional weep holes, subfloor vents or designed drainage openings.

Allow cementitious repairs to cure as specified, commonly 3–7 days, before priming. Some repairs may require longer.

Step 7: 7️⃣ Prime or Seal the Masonry

Apply the selected masonry primer using a brush and long-nap roller. Work primer thoroughly into mortar joints, pits and textured brick faces.

For friable or powdery surfaces, use Dulux PRECISION Sealer Binder or another manufacturer-approved penetrating binder. For sound masonry, use the primer specified for the selected topcoat system.

Typical primer coverage is 6–10 m²/L on rough or porous brick, although highly absorbent brick may require considerably more. Follow the product data sheet rather than relying only on nominal coverage.

Allow approximately 2–4 hours recoat, or the period stated by the manufacturer. Cool temperatures, shade and high humidity will extend drying.

Do not leave missed pinholes or porous areas. These may show as dull patches in the final coating.

Step 8: 8️⃣ Apply the First Topcoat

Plan the work so each wall remains in shade where possible. Avoid painting:

Cut in around windows, doors, eaves and edges with a 50–75 mm synthetic brush.

For roller application, use a 20–25 mm nap and work in sections approximately 1–2 m wide. Roll vertically, then cross-roll and finish consistently in one direction. Apply enough pressure to work paint into mortar lines without producing heavy runs.

For airless spraying, use a suitable 517–521 tip, adjust pressure to achieve a clean fan and immediately back-roll while the paint is wet. Spraying without back-rolling can leave weak coverage over deep brick texture.

Typical topcoat coverage is 6–10 m²/L per coat on rough brick. Allow 2–4 hours recoat, subject to the product label and weather.

Maintain a wet edge and complete whole architectural sections or elevations without stopping midway.

Step 9: 9️⃣ Apply the Second Topcoat

Inspect the dry first coat in raking sunlight. Look for:

Correct defects before recoating. Apply the second coat using the same method and application direction.

Two full topcoats are normally required for colour uniformity, UV resistance and long-term durability. A heavily textured or contrasting substrate may need an additional coat.

Do not stretch the paint beyond its specified coverage. Over-spreading reduces film build and exterior service life.

Step 10: 🔟 Unmask, Inspect and Allow the Finish to Cure

Remove masking tape while the final coat is still slightly soft, pulling it back at approximately a 45-degree angle. Score the edge first if the paint has begun to bridge the tape.

Reinstall fixtures only after the coating is sufficiently dry. Keep ladders, furniture and hoses away from freshly painted walls.

Most premium acrylic coatings are touch dry in approximately 30–60 minutes and ready for 2–4 hours recoat, but full curing can take around 7 days or longer in cool or humid conditions.

Retain labelled leftover paint for maintenance. Record the brand, colour, sheen, batch details and application date.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pro Tips

💡 Pro tip: Surface preparation is 80% of the job. Cleaning, moisture correction, repairs and priming have more influence on durability than the speed of topcoat application.

💡 Pro tip: Work from the shaded side of the house and follow the sun. Cooler masonry gives better open time, penetration and lap-mark control.

💡 Pro tip: Box multiple paint cans together in a clean larger container. This blends minor batch variations and keeps the colour consistent across large elevations.

💡 Pro tip: Use a brush to stipple paint into deep mortar joints before rolling. This prevents visible pinholes and missed recesses.

💡 Pro tip: A low-sheen exterior finish is usually the most forgiving option for brick. Higher sheen levels can exaggerate uneven mortar, repairs and wall texture.

Recommended Tools

🔧 Recommended Tools