I recently purchased a house from the 1940s that underwent renovations in the 2000s. Now, I'm looking to fix some rotted eaves and give the house a fresh coat of paint. The home has a mix of painted brick and what I believe is Hardie siding. I've received conflicting advice from painters about what paint to use for the brick. One mentioned needing special paint, another said that was irrelevant since it's already painted, and a third even questioned whether it was painted or stained (which it definitely is). I'm looking for clarity on how to repaint the brick, especially since we're in Zone 7. A suggestion was made to check if the existing paint is oil or latex with denatured alcohol, but I wasn't told how to proceed based on that. Are there specific products for masonry, and do I need to prime the brick before painting if it's already painted?
2 Answers
The ideal scenario would be to remove the paint to avoid accelerating any deterioration of the brick. However, considering you have 1940s brick, paint removal might be tough. It's best to leave it unless there's significant damage.
To know what's currently on there, you need to check if the paint is latex or oil-based. Stains are more transparent and won't fill small brick holes, while thicker topcoats cover it better. Since the masonry is painted, you won’t need the special alkali-resistant primer, but if you have exposed areas, use something like Sherwin Williams Loxon to spot prime. For the painted surfaces, go with Sherwin Williams Bonding primer to ensure it adheres well, then finish with a regular latex topcoat.
Got it! So as long as the surface is painted, I should just focus on priming for adhesive. Sounds straightforward.
Yeah, I think attempt at removal could do more harm than good, but might be worth checking what’s underneath first.