How do you paint your brick house?

• <div><p>The premise for painting a brick building is fairly simple: Prime the bricks to <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/ask-angie-painting-chimney-good-idea.htm">seal the surface</a> and apply the top coat to protect your brick home. However, it’s easy to miss a few important steps if you’re starting from a raw brick surface and don’t know the basics of <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/how-paint-brick-home-exteriors.htm">how to paint brick</a>. So be sure to reach out to a local professional painter if you have any reservations about correctly painting your brick house. </p></div>

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Q: What is the difference between mortar and thinset?

• <div><p>Mortar and thinset both serve the same purpose&mdash;<a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/types-of-tile-adhesive.htm">tile adhesion</a>&mdash;but have different compositions and use-cases. Thinset is heatproof and presents a wide range of possibilities due to the added polymers. Mortar is typically used for bonding stones and brick. Thinset is rarely used outside, while mortar is rarely used inside. </p></div>

Q: What is the downside of painting brick?

• <div><p>While painting can certainly change the look of a chimney, you should think twice about giving your brick chimney the old landlord special.</p><p>Painting brick is porous, meaning it&rsquo;s full of tiny holes that can soak up moisture. Those holes also allow it to dry, though. So, when you paint it, you trap any moisture inside, providing an opportunity for mold, mildew, and water damage.</p><p>Paint also shows wear faster than naked brick. This means that once you paint a brick surface, you&rsquo;ll have to keep painting it to maintain a clean look. A paint job is also harder to undo on brick because of its porous nature. Once you paint it, it&rsquo;s hard to go back without some serious power washing&mdash;another added cost.</p></div>

Q: Do I need to prime my brick fireplace before painting?

• <div><p>Yes, it&rsquo;s a good idea to use <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/quick-primer-interior-painting.htm">paint primer</a> on your brick fireplace before painting it. Brick is highly absorbent, so your first few coats of paint will likely seep into the surface of your fireplace, allowing the natural color of the brick to seep through. To avoid this, you&rsquo;ll want to use one or two coats of primer, followed by the topcoat. </p></div>

Q: Do I need to soak the brick before cutting it?

• <div><p>No, you don&rsquo;t need to soak the brick before cutting it by hand. In fact, cutting a wet brick can make it harder to see your score lines and may cause the chisel to slip. Soaking is sometimes used with power tools to reduce dust, but for hand-cutting, it&rsquo;s best to work with dry bricks for better control and visibility.</p></div>

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*The Angi rating for Stone And Gravel Service companies in Blue Jay, CA is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Stone And Gravel Service needs.

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Last update on December 01, 2025

Reviewed in June 2024
Worked with Jeremiah to replace some stone surfaces throughout my place, namely in the kitchen and bath. While I had a decent idea of what I wanted done at a high level, I was thankful that at every point Jeremiah was able to help me understand the best path forward, from choice in stone design...
Bridgestone Construction Inc.
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Reviewed in March 2019
Carlos did an excellent job on my fireplace! He was responsive for an estimate, flexible for my schedule and made my project effortless! I visited his stone and tile store and Patricia was very helpful in the selection of stone. The installers were prompt every day and cleaned up each day prior...
C-Bek Tile & Stone Design Inc
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Reviewed in May 2017
Stone Restoration Company never called and missed both appointments. I called them and they told me the 1st available appointment was 1 month away after missing the 1st two appointments. I'm stunned at the lack of professionalism. Also, the refund that I requested has still not been returned.
Stone Restoration
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Reviewed in January 2017
Santiago Mendoza of The Art of Tile had previously done tile work for me for a bathroom remodel in my old condo 6 or 7 years ago, and had done an incredible job with the natural stone tile that I had chosen for the bathroom. The stone had a lot of variation, which I liked, and Santiago spent a...
The Art of Tile
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Reviewed in November 2016
pressured washed our house and exterior stone walls to prepare for spring. They did a very good job and we have actually referred them since they did our work last year to a few friends of ours and happy to report they hired them and were happy with the service as well. Great company.
Go Green Gardeners
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Reviewed in September 2016
The hardscape around the pool was great. Basically, they cemented the existing flagstones instead of having patches of grass and dirt around the pool. If the work stopped there, I would give them an A. Then they removed the brown lawn on the side of the house, created a drip system for the...
Prime Gardens Inc
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Reviewed in February 2016
This is the third project I've completed with BG--they also did a closet/bathroom conversion and a kitchen remodel on our house. For years, we had a poorly constructed (one-inch thick flagstone) walkway in our front yard. We decided to replace it with two-inch thick stone of a more attractive...
BG Construction & Remodeling Inc
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Reviewed in July 2013
Initially, we planned to have them do only the bathroom stone countertops. They came to do an inspection and there was an obvious need to have the floors done as well. Very fair price .They spent several days cleaning and sealing. We could not be happier and have recommended them to others...
Stone Restoration Los Angeles
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Reviewed in August 2012
The quality of their products, I think is very good. Their service is excellent. The prices are good for the quality of the jewelry that they produce. In other words there are cheaper places but then the cheaper places have cheaper stones or the quality of the stones are not that good. So...
FRANK VERNON
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Reviewed in April 2009
The old wall was removed and a new, L-shape stone wall was built all along the driveway and across the front of the house. Old stairs leading from street level to the front lawn were removed and replaced with stone stairs. Within weeks of completion, the wall began to fail and the stones...
Stonetown Construction
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Get matched with top stone and gravel pros in Blue Jay, CA

There are 6 highly-rated local stone and gravel pros.

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Landscape Soil, Sand, Mulch and Rock Delivery

Gravel or Loose Fill Paving Install, Spread or Scrape

Asphalt Paving Installation

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Fargo Contracting Services LLC

Fargo Contracting Services LLC

Full House Renovations

Full House Renovations

Sorccia Stone

Sorccia Stone

Delaco Inc

Delaco Inc

Certified Uniques Tile Company

Certified Uniques Tile Company

ITS Remodeling & Construction

ITS Remodeling & Construction

GJB Construction

GJB Construction

Lopez Landscape

Lopez Landscape

Prudence Investments Contractors, Inc

Prudence Investments Contractors, Inc

RainguardPro

RainguardPro

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