Paint blistering off brick
Bubbles and flakes on painted masonry mean moisture is trying to escape through a film that won't let it pass. More of the same paint will fail the same way.
Exterior Painting in Quincy
Brick and masonry painting in Quincy with breathable mineral coatings
Painted brick that blisters, flakes or sheds white powder is usually trapping water inside the wall. Recoating it with the wrong product makes the spalling and staining worse every winter.
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- Exterior Painting
$3.55 to $8.15Typical per sq ft of wall in Quincy. The walk-through sets your number.
Brands we work with: Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, California Paints, Farrow & Ball, PPG, Fine Paints of Europe, Cabot, Zinsser, York Wallcoverings, Thibaut, Schumacher, Phillip Jeffries, Graham & Brown, Roman.
Quick answer
Brick painting in Quincy starts with a moisture and coating test, cleaning, efflorescence treatment and any repointing, then two coats of a breathable product such as a silicate mineral paint, limewash or a vapor-permeable masonry acrylic. Typical ranges run $3.55 to $8.15 per square foot of wall. The walk-through sets the real number after we test the masonry.
What brick & masonry painting covers with us
Brick looks permanent, but it is a sponge. Rain soaks into the face of each brick and the mortar joints, then has to dry back out through the same surface. When a film-forming paint seals that face, water vapor pushes against the coating from behind, and the result is blistering, peeling and, in freezing weather, brick faces that pop off in flakes. Most of the failing painted masonry we see around Quincy was coated with ordinary house paint or an elastomeric that couldn't breathe.
We paint brick chimneys, foundations, garden walls, brick Colonials and Tudors, the brick ground floors of commercial blocks and the mill-era brick found in Waltham, Watertown and Framingham. Each job begins with figuring out what is already on the wall and where the water is coming from. Sometimes the right answer is a mineral coating. Sometimes it's limewash. Occasionally it's leaving the masonry bare after cleaning, and we'll say so when that's the better call.
Why breathable masonry coatings outlast ordinary paint on brick
Silicate mineral paints react chemically with the brick and mortar, bonding into the surface instead of sitting on top as a skin. They let water vapor pass freely, resist ultraviolet fading and don't peel the way acrylic films do. They need a mineral surface, so they work best on bare or lime-washed brick and less well over old latex.
Limewash is the traditional choice for soft older brick. It is thin, breathable and ages to a soft, chalky patina that many owners like on old houses. It wears gradually and is renewed by another coat. Where the wall already carries sound acrylic paint, a vapor-permeable masonry acrylic over a masonry primer is the practical option. We avoid elastomeric coatings on solid brick walls because their low permeability traps moisture.
- Silicate mineral paint for bare, sound brick
- Limewash for soft older brick and a matte patina
- Vapor-permeable masonry acrylic over sound existing paint
- Alkali-resistant masonry primer on new mortar or patches
Treating efflorescence and moisture before any masonry paint goes on
Efflorescence is the white, powdery bloom that forms when water dissolves salts inside the brick or mortar and carries them to the surface. Painting over it doesn't stop it. The salts keep migrating and push the coating off from behind. We brush off loose salts dry, wash the surface, and look for the source: a failed gutter, a cracked chimney crown, splashback from a downspout, a leaking window sill or soil piled against the foundation.
Fixing the water path comes first. Then we let the wall dry and watch whether the bloom returns. Heavy efflorescence on a basement wall may mean groundwater, and we'll tell you if paint won't solve it. On walls ready for coating, we use a masonry cleaner suited to the brick and never acid-wash soft older brick, because muriatic acid etches the face and dissolves lime mortar.
Repointing and patching brick so the coating has something sound to grip
Coatings can't hold together a wall with open joints. We rake out cracked or sandy mortar and repoint with a mix that is softer than the brick. On older houses that usually means a lime-rich mortar, because hard Portland cement mortar forces moisture through the brick face and causes spalling. Spalled brick faces get patched with a compatible masonry repair mortar tinted close to the brick.
Loose paint comes off with hand scraping and stiff brushes, and on stubborn layers we use a masonry paint stripper with a poultice that we rinse at low pressure. We don't sandblast brick. Blasting removes the hard fired skin on each brick and leaves it porous and quick to absorb water. Fresh mortar and patches cure before we prime, usually a few weeks for lime work.
What to do with Quincy granite foundations and stone trim
Many Quincy houses sit on foundations of local granite, and granite steps and sills turn up all over the South Shore. Granite is dense and doesn't need paint to survive. When someone has painted it, the paint usually peels in patches because the stone sheds it. Our advice is often to strip the loose paint, clean the stone gently and leave it bare, or, if the owner wants a uniform color, use a mineral coating that lets the mortar joints keep drying. Brick chimneys and parged foundation walls above the granite get the same breathable approach.
How a brick painting project moves from testing to the final coat
Test the wall
We identify existing coatings, check adhesion with a tape test, read moisture levels, look at mortar hardness and trace any efflorescence back to its water source.
Fix the water path
We point out gutter, downspout, crown and grade issues. Small items like sealing a sill joint are handled with the job, and the wall then dries.
Clean and strip
Loose paint is scraped and brushed, stubborn layers come off with a poultice stripper, and the masonry is washed with a cleaner matched to the brick.
Repoint and patch
Failed joints are raked and refilled with a compatible mortar, and spalled faces are rebuilt with tinted repair mortar, then left to cure before coating.
Prime and coat
We apply the chosen system, mineral paint, limewash or masonry acrylic, by brush and roller so the product reaches into joints and textured brick faces.
Final walk-through
We review the wall with you in daylight, touch up missed joints, clean windows and walks of splatter, and remove staging and protection.
What brick and masonry painting costs in Quincy
Typical range in Quincy$3.55 to $8.15per sq ft of wall
The range covers cleaning, light prep and two coats of a breathable masonry coating on brick in fair condition. Heavy paint removal, extensive repointing and tall staging push a job above it. The walk-through and testing set the real number.
What moves the number
- How many layers of old paint must come off and how tightly they still grip the brick
- Linear feet of mortar joints that need raking and repointing
- Choice of coating, with silicate mineral paint and limewash priced differently
- Wall height and staging, from a garden wall to a three-story facade
- Detail work around arched windows, corbels, chimneys and granite sills
- Lead-safe containment where pre-1978 paint is being disturbed
Compare every service side by side in our painting and wallpaper cost guide, or call (617) 576-8235 to set a walk-through.
When does painted brick or masonry need professional attention?
White powder on the wall
Efflorescence signals water moving through the masonry. It points to a gutter, crown, sill or grade problem that should be fixed before any coating goes on.
Brick faces flaking away
Spalling happens when trapped water freezes inside the brick. It often follows hard cement repointing or a sealer that stopped the wall from drying.
Mortar joints crumbling
Sandy, recessed or cracked joints let water straight into the wall and give a coating nothing to bond to, so repointing comes before paint.
Green staining low on walls
Algae and moss along a foundation or garden wall mean persistent dampness, usually from splashback, shade or soil and mulch piled against the masonry.
Patchy old paint colors
Several mismatched paint layers on a facade often hide failed repairs. Testing tells us whether to strip, overcoat or switch to a mineral system.
Painting masonry through Massachusetts freeze-thaw and salt air
Quincy is better known for granite than brick, but brick is everywhere once you look: chimneys on nearly every older house, brick commercial blocks along Hancock Street in Quincy Center and Wollaston, brick Colonials and Tudors in Milton, Wellesley and Needham, and the old mill buildings along the Charles in Waltham and Watertown. Much of the older brick is soft and was laid in lime mortar. Freeze-thaw cycles from December through March punish any wall that can't dry, and nor'easter rain soaks the windward side for days.
Near Quincy Bay, salt carried on the wind adds to the efflorescence problem on chimneys and foundations in Squantum, Houghs Neck and along Quincy Shore Drive. Painted masonry on houses built before 1978 is presumed to contain lead paint, so removal is done with misting, ground sheeting, containment of chips and HEPA vacuuming. If your building sits in a local historic district, painting previously unpainted brick may need review, so check with the city before we schedule.
Where we do brick & masonry painting
Quincy neighborhoods and nearby towns we cover most often, with ZIP codes:
- Quincy02169
- Wollaston02170
- North Quincy02171
- Squantum02171
- Montclair02171
- Merrymount02169
- Houghs Neck02169
- Adams Shore02169
- West Quincy02169
- South Quincy02169
- Quincy Point02169
- Braintree02184
- Milton02186
- Dedham02026
- Needham02492
- Wellesley02482
- Norwood02062
- Canton02021
- Stoughton02072
- Newton02458
- Natick01760
- Framingham01702
- Waltham02451
- Watertown02472
- Weston02493
Brick & Masonry Painting questions from Quincy homeowners
Should brick painting be done on unpainted brick on a Milton or Quincy house?
Often the answer is no. Bare brick in sound condition sheds water and dries well on its own, and paint commits you to recoating for life. If you want color, limewash or a silicate mineral paint changes the look while still letting the wall breathe. We check the brick's hardness and absorption first. On historic buildings, review may be needed before painting bare masonry.
Can paint be removed from a Quincy Center brick storefront instead of brick painting again?
In many cases, yes. We use a masonry paint stripper applied as a poultice, let it dwell, then peel and rinse it at low pressure. Several applications may be needed on thick buildups. Results depend on how porous the brick is, and some ghosting of old paint can remain. We test a small area first so you can see the result.
Why does efflorescence keep returning on painted brick chimneys near Quincy Bay?
Because water is still moving through the masonry and carrying salts out. Common sources are cracked chimney crowns, failed flashing, overflowing gutters and downspouts dumping against the foundation, and wind-driven salt spray adds to it near the water. Once the water path is fixed, the bloom usually fades over a season or two. Painting before that just pushes salts behind the new film.
Is limewash a good brick painting choice for an older Wollaston house?
For soft older brick it is one of the best choices. Limewash is breathable, compatible with lime mortar and wears away slowly rather than peeling. It gives a matte, slightly mottled finish that suits older houses. It does need a fresh coat every several years, and it won't bond well over existing acrylic paint, which would have to come off first.
Should a Quincy granite foundation get masonry painting?
Usually not. Granite is dense, sheds water and lasts without paint, and coatings tend to peel off it in patches. If your granite foundation was painted in the past, we often recommend removing the loose paint and leaving the stone bare. Where a parged or brick section sits above the granite, we coat that with a breathable masonry product and leave the stone alone.
Related work we often pair with it
Historic Home Painting
A Victorian on Wollaston Hill or a Federal-era house near Adams Street carries generations of paint, original wood you can't buy off the shelf, and a.
How we do itExterior House Painting
Peeling clapboard, chalky trim and bare gray wood on the weather side of a Quincy house mean the old paint film has stopped protecting the siding,.
How we do itPressure Washing
Green streaks on the north wall, black mildew on porch ceilings and a gray salt film off Quincy Bay make a house look neglected, and they keep new.
How we do itLead-Safe Painting
Most Quincy houses were painted long before 1978, so scraping a porch, sanding a window sash or stripping wallpaper can turn old lead paint into dust.
How we do itTalk to us about brick & masonry painting
Our phone is answered around the clock. Tell us about the rooms or the house and we will set a walk-through and a written estimate.