Brick can be painted, but it is close to a permanent decision and the brick must be dry, clean and sound first. Paint makers specify masonry sealers or primers on alkaline masonry, and breathable finishes such as limewash are an option for brick that should still release moisture.
Unpainted brick in good condition needs little upkeep, so the decision is mostly about appearance against future maintenance.
Benjamin Moore lists Aura exterior for cured or previously painted masonry including unglazed brick, and its data sheet says new masonry must cure for 30 days and surfaces with a pH of 10 or more must be primed with its Ultra Spec Masonry Sealer or High Build Masonry Primer. Loose mortar is repointed, efflorescence and salts are removed, and the brick must be dry. Portola's lime wash sheet lists efflorescence and excessive salt among contaminants to remove from masonry.
Glazed brick sheds paint. Benjamin Moore's masonry listings refer to unglazed brick, and Portola says its lime wash is not suggested for glazed bricks and tiles or other non-porous surfaces. Glazed brick usually stays unpainted.
In historic districts, often yes. The City of Easton requires a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior alterations visible from a public way in its Local Historic District, and Bethlehem's historic review boards review exterior changes in its districts. Painting historic brick is the kind of change these boards look at closely.
Masonry primers and sealers are listed at a 50°F minimum, and Portola says its lime wash should not be applied below 55°F, in direct sun or extreme heat. In the Lehigh Valley, NOAA 1991-2020 normals show average lows reaching 50.6°F in May and falling to 55.2°F in September, so late spring through early fall works best.
Differently from paint. Portola's lime wash data sheet says it is brushed on with a stain brush rather than rolled, worked corner to corner in a cross-hatch pattern while keeping a wet edge, and typically applied in two coats. It dries about four shades lighter than it looks wet and keeps lightening with each coat. Portola lists two-coat coverage of roughly 150 to 200 square feet per gallon, depending on the porosity and texture of the surface.
Joseph Assise III Painting is based in Easton and serves towns across eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, centered on the Lehigh Valley. Town pages:
Allentown, PA | Asbury, NJ | Bangor, PA | Bath, PA | Belvidere, NJ | Bethlehem, PA | Blairstown, NJ | Bloomsbury, NJ | Breinigsville, PA | Brodheadsville, PA | Budd Lake, NJ | Califon, NJ | Catasauqua, PA | Center Valley, PA | Chester, NJ | Clinton, NJ | Columbia, NJ | Coopersburg, PA | Coplay, PA | Danielsville, PA | Delaware Water Gap, PA | Doylestown, PA | East Stroudsburg, PA | Easton, PA | Effort, PA | Emmaus, PA | Flanders, NJ | Flemington, NJ | Fogelsville, PA | Forks Township, PA | Fountain Hill, PA | Frenchtown, NJ | Germansville, PA | Glen Gardner, NJ | Great Meadows, NJ | Hackettstown, NJ | Hampton, NJ | Hatfield, PA | Hellertown, PA | High Bridge, NJ | Hope, NJ | Jim Thorpe, PA | Kresgeville, PA | Kutztown, PA | Lehighton, PA | Long Valley, NJ | Macungie, PA | Martins Creek, PA | Mendham, NJ | Milford, NJ | Mount Olive, NJ | Mount Pocono, PA | Nazareth, PA | Netcong, NJ | New Hope, PA | New Tripoli, PA | Northampton, PA | Oxford, NJ | Palmer Township, PA | Palmerton, PA | Pen Argyl, PA | Perkasie, PA | Phillipsburg, NJ | Portland, PA | Quakertown, PA | Raubsville, PA | Riegelsville, PA | Roseto, PA | Saylorsburg, PA | Sellersville, PA | Slatedale, PA | Slatington, PA | Souderton, PA | Springtown, PA | Stanhope, NJ | Stewartsville, NJ | Stockertown, PA | Stroudsburg, PA | Tatamy, PA | Topton, PA | Trexlertown, PA | Upper Black Eddy, PA | Upper Mount Bethel, PA | Walnutport, PA | Washington, NJ | Wescosville, PA | Whitehall, PA | Williams Township, PA | Wind Gap, PA
Local guides with housing-age and climate data: Lafayette College, Easton | St. Luke's Easton Campus | Lehigh University, Bethlehem | SteelStacks, Bethlehem | Wind Creek, Bethlehem | Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest | Dorney Park, South Whitehall.
It can be, if the brick is sound and dry and you accept ongoing upkeep. Paint unifies color and covers stains, but it is very hard to remove later and needs periodic repainting. Breathable finishes such as limewash are an alternative. Brick that gets wet from below or inside should have its moisture problem solved first.
A masonry sealer or masonry primer. Benjamin Moore's Aura exterior data sheet says masonry with a pH of 10 or more must be primed with its Ultra Spec Masonry Sealer or High Build Masonry Primer, and new masonry must cure 30 days. Rough or pitted masonry may need a block filler. All are applied at 50°F or warmer.
Rarely without damage or major cost. Removing paint from brick takes chemical strippers or careful mechanical methods, and old brick faces can be damaged. On pre-1978 homes, old paint may contain lead, which brings EPA lead-safe rules into play. Treat painting brick as a long-term decision.
It depends on the goal. Portola describes its lime wash as breathable, matte and mineral, developing a weathered patina that softens with age, and suited to historic and masonry surfaces. It is not wipeable and is not for glazed brick. Acrylic paint gives uniform, durable color but forms a film. Limewash suits an aged look; paint suits a crisp one.
Sources: Benjamin Moore Aura Waterborne Exterior Soft Gloss (N632) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec Masonry 100% Acrylic Sealer (608) technical data sheet; Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec High Build Masonry Primer (N609) technical data sheet; Portola Paints Lime Wash technical data sheet (rev. 02.28.25); City of Easton, Local Historic District; City of Bethlehem, Historic and Conservation Districts; NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Lehigh Valley International Airport (USW00014737); EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart E; Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec Hi-Build Masonry Block Filler (571) technical data sheet. Figures checked October 2026.
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