Choosing the right color to stain brick will be tough. Remember, you're adding that color to what is already thaere. Stain some test bricks to determine the outcome. You can paint brick with a latex (alkyd) paint. It's breathable. A stain is a very thin paint. Meaning more solvent and less solids. To paint brick you want to use a thin paint - think cheaper contractor grade or you'll need to add water. Make sure it's an exterior grade. You'll need to clean the surface to remove all dirt and mildew. Issues with the brick, air expcaping or moisture problems will only be amplified once you paint over the brick. Think of repainting over peeling over wood. The problem will just return. My advice would be to spray it and then back brush it. I'd have a reputable contractor recommended by a SW store do the cleaning and painting. It'll be worth it. SW has a help line you can call or you can ask in a sote or they can call the helpline for you. The guys on that help line have forgotten more about coatings than most of us will every know. Also, don't listen to anyone in Home Depot or Lowe's. They don't know anything about paint.

let the painters use standard exterior paint. Paint creates a non-breathable plastic film over the brick. Moisture naturally gets trapped behind that film, and when the sun bakes it, the moisture expands, causing the paint to blister, peel, and eventually pop the face off the brick itself. Stain is a breathable dye that chemically bonds inside the brick pores, allowing moisture to escape while changing the color. If you want to save the natural brick look, you have two good options that can match the richer, darker red of your neighbors' houses: Semi-Transparent Brick Stain: This acts like a wood stain. It will not give you a solid, flat block of color. Instead, it will deepen the faded red and bring back the natural variations, highs, and lows of the original masonry, making it look brand new. A second option is a "Wet-Look" Masonry Sealer: If the brick is just dry and sun-bleached, a premium silane/siloxane sealer with an "enhanced" or "wet-look" finish can deepen the natural color by a shade or two without changing the color pigment at all. This is similar to how a rock looks darker and more vibrant when wet. If your wife wins out, insist on a solid color grey brick or concrete stain. Preparation is 90% of the job. If you skip these steps, the stain will fail to bond. Step 1: Inspect the Mortar (Tuckpointing): Look closely at the joints. Any crumbling or missing mortar must be scraped out and repaired with fresh mortar. You must let the new mortar cure for at least 28 days before applying any stain, or the high alkalinity will destroy the finish. Step 2: Deep Cleaning: Power wash the brick thoroughly. For stubborn white salts or deep grime, use a specialized masonry cleaner (like Prosoco Diedrich or a mild muriatic acid solution). Step 3: The Absorption Test (Critical): Once the brick is completely dry (wait at least 48 hours after washing), splash a cup of water onto it. If the water beads up and rolls off, the brick has an old sealer on it. You cannot stain it until that sealer is chemically stripped. If the water quickly soaks in and darkens the brick, it is porous and perfectly ready to accept the stain. Step 4: Bone Dry Application: Check the weather forecast. You need at least 2 to 3 days of completely dry weather before applying the stain. Applying it over a damp brick will trap moisture inside. ** Edited by VTVOICE at 5/18/2026, 1:27:39 PM

he has here is a brick veneer on a frame house. In that situation there is about a 1/2 gap on the backside of the bricks, between the sheathing (covered by a vapor barrier - likely 30lb roofing felt) and the bricks. That space, along with weep holes at the bottom, allow vapor - even water - to escape. ** Edited by Coach McGuirk at 5/18/2026, 2:42:19 PM

system drain. My thinking was to minimize any risk of peeling or future maintenance down the road. Since a solid masonry stain costs about the same as premium exterior paint but completely eliminates the risk of vapor trapping on the surface, it seems like the safest bet for a highly porous, absorbent front wall that gets full sun all day, thus avoiding any paint blistering and spalling issues.

homes in the South where the original wash has faded away. Its quite a nice look. Plus you won't need to paint the brick as often

Windows, shutters and other trim in dark brown. Improved the curb appeal enormously. Sold the house 10 years ago and in a recent wtf drive-by, it still looked super. *had it painted ** Edited by PhotoHokieNC at 5/18/2026, 11:56:34 AM

improved drastically. We've only been gone 3 years, but it still looks really good.

popular. Looked grate in most cases but may require painting shutters and doors a different color as well.

I hate the look of painted bricks. Have you looked at brick colored dyes to "refresh the look" of your bricks? Such as:

Staining Vs. Painting Brick: Staining brick is better than painting since bricks are very porous and need to breathe, which is essential for exterior brick. To paint brick, you need a specific formula, but brick stain offers color and breathability. Whether you're looking to stain exterior brick or brick inside your home, your transparency options will be similar to those offered for concrete. However, because brick and masonry surfaces are much more porous than concrete, staining may require additional coats to achieve your desired color.

I supposed I'd have to buy the materials, but it should save me some money on paint? From pics, this is applied by hand rather than with a roller, so probably an increase in time. Or I could do myself - I need to try to figure out how long it would take me. And of course I have to convince the rest of the house that this is better than painting.

...making it look like you have newer bricks instead of just painting the bricks.