If you are a person who judges a book by its cover, then you would agree that a home’s exterior does indeed set a stage for what awaits inside. And let’s admit it, we all do it sometimes. If the outside of your home makes a good first impression, there isn’t a person who won’t wish to get a sneak peek of its interior. You don’t need to spend a lot of time analyzing to figure out what makes a great exterior, though. The key is in a nice front door, an eye-pleasing color scheme, and carefully chosen plants, along with a welcoming walkway. However, if you are an owner of a brick home, you are probably aware that even the prettiest of flowers and groomed greenery wouldn’t be able to cover damaged architectural elements or neglected brickwork.
Devoting some time and energy to your home’s exterior is always a smart investment. Whether you are looking for potential homebuyers or simply want to improve it for your own pleasure, know that adding curb appeal to your charming brick house will do the trick. It is a simple and budget-friendly way to boost the value of your house and make it look nicer. If you want to find out what will help your home leave a better first impression, make sure you read on.
4 Tips to Make Your House Exterior Look Perfect
Many people think that once the bricks are laid, it’s impossible to restore or change a brick home. However, this isn’t the case. In fact, you shouldn’t worry about being stuck with the builder’s design choices at all. Here are some useful tips, which when backed by professionals, will show you that doing the repairs on your own is possible if you use the right techniques.
Mend loose mortar and damaged bricks
It’s no surprise that durable bricks offer significant house protection even in the most severe weather conditions. This durability also means that the bricks aren’t immune to damage and require maintenance just as any other feature in and outside of your home. The inflexibility of bricks means that due to extreme temperatures and the water that’s absorbed from rain and snow, it can result in distressed bricks and cause mortar to crumble.
The good news is that you can fix a loose mortar by using a technique called repointing. This means that you won’t have to tear out the whole wall in order to repair a few crumbling spots. It’s also possible to replace damaged bricks, even in old, well-preserved brick homes. It might sound simple, but the process of repointing and replacing bricks is quite challenging. If you are handy, a little bit of research can help you handle these repairs yourself, although they can be very risky and require a lot of time.
The thing is, if they aren’t done in the right way, the bricks and the structural foundation of your house might be damaged and sometimes even severely destroyed. This is why many homeowners opt for a professional brickwork repair. Don’t worry, even though mending stuff around the house isn’t exactly ‘your thing’, the cost of repointing a house may be less damaging to your pocket than you think. A professional mason will know which mortar to use and which bricks to repair, making sure to color-match it with the existing bricks.
Opt for a power wash
If the beauty of your house lays in its history, then your agent will probably recommend keeping the outside in its original condition. So, what you can do is give it a good power wash, which is also known as pressure washing. This way you can remove years of grime from your bricks and restore their original color. If you go with this type of maintenance, you can power wash the pathway and the rest of the brick or concrete areas of your home. Has your outdoor furniture seen better days? Make sure you power wash it as well.
Paint or stain the bricks
Another affordable way to transform the outside of your home is to paint the exposed bricks. It’s a great and effective way to refresh and provide an extreme makeover to any room inside the house or in its exterior. However, you should bear in mind that painting the brickwork might not always be advisable. If you live in an area that has a lot of moisture, skip the painting and go for a simple power wash, because bricks are porous and will absorb moisture from the ground. This moisture won’t be able to evaporate if the bricks are painted.
You can also choose the staining technique as another finishing option. It’s much quicker and certainly easier than painting. Besides, this process will make the bricks’ unique texture stand out, while painting does the opposite.
Repair and maintain
As soon as you deal with the brickwork and do all the necessary repairs, invest some more time in adding a fine finishing touch to your house’s exterior. Straighten the shutters, replace any cracked windows, and give your door a fresh coat of paint. This will give your brick home additional charm and a warm, fairytale-like appearance.
Waste no time and give your house the look it deserves!
You don’t have to be a perfectionist to agree that nothing looks worse than a neglected house facade. Peeling paint or missing bricks from the front part of the exterior can make even the prettiest home look disregarded and badly maintained. Adding a few finishing touches is an easy and effective way to help you transform and accentuate the beauty of your brick home. So wait no more, your home will thank you for it!