Painting trim or adding a window can enhance the curbside appeal of a brick home.
Brick homes may tend to look outdated in approximately 10 years. Unless the home is a classic brick colonial, for example, the brick color or design may start to look out of place in the neighborhood. By freshening the color, adding new materials or changing the design somewhat, you can make the house look newly built. Research materials currently used in upscale neighborhoods and color schemes that work well in today's market. It's easier to plan a new design by driving around to see various homes up close as opposed to researching in books.
Instructions
1. Paint the bricks to provide a new color scheme. Use high-quality paint made especially for this type of project. Cover the bricks with a good coat of primer before applying paint. Change bright red bricks to white painted bricks with pale green shutters, for example. Clean and pressure wash the surfaces of the bricks and shutters before painting to prepare for a smooth finish. Allow all surfaces to dry for 48 hours before applying primer or paint.
2. Install additional stone and brick veneer for added appeal. Use cut stone on the front of the house only, or lay brick veneer over old brick on the bottom half only. Incorporate stacked stone around porch columns, as another choice. Add materials and textures to break up the monotony of all brown brick, for example.
3. Cover the brick with siding. Use siding made of cement fiber for its fire-retardant qualities. Install a pale taupe siding over brick and paint all trim dark copper, for example. Purchase siding in a pale neutral color, so the exterior will harmonize with other homes nearby. Design the siding for certain sections of the house only after creating a design on paper. Use siding on lower areas, as one choice, and leave upper eaves with brick exposed.
4. Convert the house exterior with a new roof, porch and shutters for a different look. Change a roof to copper metal, for example, to go with brown brick. Build a new porch or sun room on the front of the house to give the house a different curbside look. Add new shutters in solid wood, as opposed to louvered shutters from the past. Paint the shutters chocolate brown to work with the copper roof and brown bricks.
5. Combine real wood siding with brick and a timber-frame front porch. Install tongue-and-groove cedar boards on each end of the house and on the lower half of the front. Build an impressive open timber-frame porch that will be the focal point of the house front. Stain the cedar siding and timber on the porch in medium brown to match. Leave old bricks on the remainder of the house exposed for contrast.
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