Brick

Brick Staining: How to Change Your Brick Color

Dec 29, 2022 Justin Richardson

Brick can be limewashed, painted or stained, and staining is the one that changes the color without changing the brick. It is semi-transparent, so the existing brick color comes through and shapes the result — which is why the test patch is not optional. Once sealed, the color is permanent.

Brick stained with concrete stains.

Shop Portico™ Stain →

The vertical rule: Work top to bottom so drips get absorbed into what you have not done yet
Drips are the enemy: Thin coats, small sections, and expect to come back rather than load it on
Two people helps: One applies, one chases drips — it dries fast on a wall
Shake constantly: Pigment settles; an unshaken pour is a different color
Buy more than the calculator says: Vertical work and multiple layers drink stain

Step 1 — will it even take stain?

Spray water on a section you intend to stain. If it soaks in, the brick can almost certainly be stained. If it beads and sits there, the brick is sealed or too dense and you have a different job on your hands.

Step 2 — clean it, top down

Dust, dirt and debris change how stain lands. Use a light concrete cleaner and degreaser solution and work from the top down; a power washer speeds it up considerably.

Step 3 — test the color

Stains are semi-transparent, so the final color depends on the base color of your brick. A stain trial kit lets you try several until one is right. Do this on the actual wall, not on a spare brick from a different batch.

Select brick stain color — Selecting a brick stain color.

Brick Facade Before During Staining — Staining in progress on a facade.

Step 4 — apply, top to bottom

Shake well: Before you start, and again every time you pour more
Decant: A plastic cup and sponge brushes work well
Top down: Always, so drips are absorbed by unstained brick below
Expect to use more: Especially with multiple layers or thirsty brick
Mortar as well as brick: A lighter base color on the mortar joints is what pulls the whole wall together

Before photo of a bilevel home with brick facade — Before — the original brick facade.

Stained brick house — After — stained and sealed.

Step 5 — seal

Wait at least six hours for the stain to dry, then apply a solvent-based satin acrylic sealer in thin layers with a standard stain brush — again top down to avoid drips. Once sealed, the color is permanent.

A brick home in Charcoal

Four weekends, 150 sq. ft., Charcoal Portico™ layered on the brick with Light Charcoal as the mortar base. The full account is in the walls gallery, but the two lessons are worth repeating: stain top to bottom on a vertical wall, and order considerably more than you expect to need.