▪ I try to avoid painting brick whenever possible, during my home remodeling or home construction. I find that, in terms of resale value, painting brick does not add any value and can potentially detract from the value of the house. Furthermore, removing paint from brick can be extremely difficult as the paint often seeps deep in the the pores of the brick. So, once you've painted brick, you may not be able to go back.

▪ How do you clean brick? Use muriatic acid. Just be sure you have eye, skin, and respiratory protection as that stuff is dangerous! Read and follow manufacturer's warnings.

▪ There are stores that sell only brick. You should visit the showroom and study the samples. Often, the brick company will let you take the samples with you when you leave the store. This can be helpful for future projects and paint choices.

▪ Some old fashioned looking brick is very rough and has a porous exterior. This looks great on your house, but be very careful that the mason does not splatter or splash any mortar on this kind of brick. It will adhere to the surface of the brick and be very difficult to remove. Ask the brick supplier about this issue before you decide on your brick.

▪ I find the best way to choose brick is to find an existing house with a brick that you like. Knock on the door and tell the owner how much you admire the brick on their house. Ask them if you can take pictures and if they know the name of the brick. Like paint colors, brick colors often look different on a sample than they do when they are on a house in natural light. By the way, when you find a brick that you like on another house, be sure to note what color the mortar is also (the mortar is the "glue" that goes between the bricks to hold them together).

▪ Your mason will need to know several things: what pattern of brick do you want? what kind of mortar joints do you want? what materials will you have on site? is there a water source for mixing the mortar?

▪ It is useful to take photos of brick patterns that you like so that you can show the mason. It is the small details and the subtle changes in brick pattern that can really add a lot of charm to your home remodeling or new house construction project.

▪ My mason has asked that I have sand and water on the jobsite for mixing the mortar. Note that there are different colors of sand, so be sure you are getting what you want. A darker sand will give the mortar a darker color. Ask your sand supplier about the color. Where do you get sand? Call a local trucking company. They usually know where to go to get sand, gravel, rock, etc.

▪ To make bricks lighter and to save on materials costs, brick companies produce bricks with holes in them. Of course, during normal application, you will not see the holes since they are on the top and bottom of the brick. However, what if you are building a brick wall, and you will be seeing both the top and side of the corner bricks? You have two choices: find a brick of similar color that you can use or paint the mortar (that will fill the holes) a color that matches your other bricks. Note that this can be a problem with the bricks in the "row lock" under your windows. Be sure to address this early in your project. Ask your mason what he recommends.

Other Brick Issues:

Leaving Your Brick Outside for Long Periods of Time

When the Wrong Mortar is Delivered and Installed

Miscellaneous Brick and Mortar Tips

Brick Arch Mistake

Former builder and instructor of "Save Time and Money in Home Remodeling" cont. ed. course at Emory University