Painting Red Bricks Using Dulux Weathershield Red Brick Masonry Paint

Over the years I have painted the outside of many houses, and there is, without doubt, a great deal of satisfaction when you have finished and look back at the end result. This is because the end result can look spectacular!

The secret to getting that spectacular look is attention to detail. This is particularly important when you are painting older houses.

Houses that are over a certain age (for example, around 50 or 60 years old) often have elements of the property that have been built with red bricks. This could be on the windowsills or at the base of the walls. Unfortunately, over the years the red bricks start to lose their colour and begin to look worn and tired.

People are often worried that they can’t paint brick… I’ve been asked countless times, “surely you can’t paint bricks?” My answer every time is that “Of course you can paint red bricks, and they will look fantastic!”

This is where the attention to detail comes in. When painting the exterior of a house, it’s the finishing touches that make a fresh coat of paint look totally awesome.

I will guide you through this step-by-step tutorial on how to paint red bricks. Before we start though, I wanted to mention that I always choose metal packaging when buying Masonry Paint. This is because metal recycles forever and has a high recycling rate. Therefore, I know that I am doing my bit to reduce my waste. I also find cans easy to use and store. Plus their strength and barrier properties keep the paint fresh for a long time.

So, now it’s time for my step-by-step tutorial to paint red bricks using Dulux Masonry Paint…

Products and tools required for painting red bricks are as follows:

One 2.5litre Tin of Dulux Weathershield Masonry paint*

Masking tape

Dust sheets

Wire brush

Hard bristle brush

Tube of Chalk

2 inch and 1.5 inch paintbrushes

Please note: I have added a link to the Retail version of the paint as the Trade version you can see in the pictures is only available to tradespeople.

Tip 1

It cannot be emphasised enough the importance of preparation. The reason it’s important is to give you a perfect finish, so I highly recommend that you take your time to prepare the surfaces. Don’t, under any circumstances, cut corners. You will regret it, and the finish will not be perfect.

Step 1

The first part of the job is to wire brush all the bricks that are going to be painted. It’s important to use a wire brush because there may be moss growing in the joints. The wire brush will remove the moss easily, including the roots to stop them growing again.

Step 2

Once you have wire brushed the entire area you’re planning to paint, use your hard bristle brush to brush away any excess dirt and dust.

Step 3

The next phase is to mask up the area to protect paint from falling on areas you don’t want splattered with paint. For example, the white UPVC pictured in the image below. You can also use a dust sheet to cover the concrete path.

Tip 2

The reason you mask the area is simply because you don’t want any drips of paint on UPVC. You can remove paint from surfaces, but it is often very difficult to remove masonry paint, and, in all honesty, it is never completely removed. As I always say, prevention is better than cure!

Step 4

You will find that some of the mortar has worn away or fallen out over the years. Don’t worry, there is a simple solution.

I have always used a flexible chalk such as Polycell, which is packaged in a silicone gun. Using this makes it very easy to fill the gaps, and the chalk is paintable once dried.

Step 5

We are now ready to start painting to give the old bricks a new lease of life and get that spectacular look.

Using the 1.5 inch paintbrush, work the paint into the bricks. This will take a bit longer, but it will give a fantastic finish. Therefore, take your time to make sure every brick is totally covered and that you have painted all the joints to give a complete finish.

When painting any sort of masonry, such as brickwork, I would always give it two coats of paint. This will make sure the colour is at its best and you have covered the entire area.