When you want to have your exterior bricks painted in a more professional manner, the most recommended move is to hire the best exterior painting near East Bay companies. They have the skills, experience, and the right tools to make your brick exteriors look as good as new.
It should be noted that all methods of exterior painting may not be the same. It depends on the surface, and some surfaces are trickier to paint than the others. For instance, not everyone knows how to paint an exterior brick. While most traditional paints are ideal for painting wooden walls, they may not be ideal for painting brick. Pre-painting preparation on brick surfaces may also be different than preparation on wooden walls and other surfaces.
Cleaning the brick:
You may clean a certain area of a brick surface that needs to be painted or clean the entire brick wall. A pressure washer is the most ideal way to clean a brick exterior wall. But if power washing still cannot remove the more stubborn dirt and grime, you may have to get rid of them by using a wire brush. Rinse the surface afterwards.
Efflorescence is a common problem when dealing with a brick surface. Brick, as well as mortar, contain salts that are soluble in water. As the water evaporates, it leaves the loose salts behind on the surface. When the brick is not properly cleaned, the leftover efflorescence may remain – and this can lead to paint adhesion problems. That is why it is important to clean the surface completely and properly to remove all traces of loose efflorescence.
After the cleaning and washing part is done, make sure to let the brick surface dry completely first before you move on to the proceeding steps. If the brick still has any moisture left, the paint will not adhere and spread on the surface properly and evenly.
Sealing the mortar:
If you see some cracks and chipping on the mortar between the bricks, fill them in with an acrylic caulk. If you choose not to seal the mortar be aware that it can lead to leaks.
Priming:
In most cases, priming a surface is recommended before you go to the painting part. A primer helps the topcoat to adhere better to the surface. Apply a latex primer first and then let it dry before you proceed to paint.
Painting:
There is a proper way to apply paint on a brick exterior. Use a smaller brush to cover smaller areas, then use a bigger brush, a paint roller, or a paint sprayer to cover the rest of the wall. Before you paint though, first make sure that you cover areas in the work site that should not be painted, like flower beds and driveways.
Latex paint is the most common paint to use for painting brick. If the surface has been affected by efflorescence and/or mildew, you may need to apply more than one or two coats of latex paint.
An elastomeric paint is possibly the best option when painting an exterior brick surface. Unlike a regular latex paint, an elastomeric paint has special “stretching” properties. These properties allow the elastomeric paint to be flexible and able to adapt to the brick surface’s structural changes (mostly due to weather).
There is not much cleaning-up needed after painting brick walls aside from removing the drop cloths. You only must check the newly painted surface to see if there are any cracks or if there are any areas that require touch-ups.
The best exterior painting near East Bay can make great demands on your time, skill and attention. Thus, if you do not have the skills needed, it is recommended that you hire the best licensed professional painters in your area.
