White Brick by General Shale
NEW White Brick Video!
Get the best of both color and all the benefits brick provides for your home with WHITE BRICK! General Shale’s latest “Designing Your Brick Dream Home: White Brick Edition” video aims to help answer some of the most common questions by homeowners looking to achieve a white brick finish in their home design.
WATCH NOW and learn how you can achieve your white brick dream home!
White Brick – A Timeless Design Element
hether you are buying a home or starting a new project, white brick combines the best of both worlds when it comes to interior or exterior design: a durable, long lasting building material and a color that has been sought after for centuries. No matter the design style, whether it be a more chic and modern finish, a country or craftsman home, commercial property or residential renovation, white offers the same benefits: a fresh and clean look.
See below our selections from General Shale’s range of white brick offerings.
Winterhaven
Whitefield Select
Old Edisto
Logan Canyon
What’s the Better Option: Traditional White Brick or Painting Brick White
Whether you are whitewashing your brick with a German Smear or painted brick technique, the two will offer different final appearances. Where a traditional white brick beats paint is in the durability and long term costs associated with paint.
Saving a few dollars upfront may be tempting but this process will result in deferred maintenance costs overtime. Not to mention, using the wrong paint can also seal your bricks which are naturally porous helping wick away moisture from walls. Sealing those pores may trap in moisture creating issues, especially in cooler regions that experience freeze and thaw cycles.
With a traditional white brick, the color is baked into the face during the production process, maintaining both a brick’s natural texture and permanence of color requiring little to no maintenance for decades to come.
Achieving the White Brick Look
For those looking to achieve the whitest finish possible, considerations should be taken for both mortar and sand. Mortar makes up roughly 20% of a brick wall space, so the mortar and sand combination will make a big difference. To achieve the whitest finish possible, we recommend starting with a brick option that offers the most coverage on the face of the brick paired with a white mortar and white sand. Perhaps you are looking for a more rustic cozy cottage look? The “German Smear” technique will lend the flexibility to add more or less white to your brick veneer without sacrificing the textured look.
For designers and DIY pros looking to makeover existing brick projects with a white look, we recommend applying either a German Smear technique or using Romabio Paints. Their products are easy to use for any DIY homeowner or commercial applicator.
White Brick Maintenance
During the build process, keep an eye on your brick and where it is stored. New construction sites are exposed to all sorts of chemicals, dirt and other substances that you don’t want to stain or have to worry about cleaning off your home’s new brick.
PRO TIP: Place straw around the areas your brick is stored and installed. This will help prevent dirt and debris from splattering on your brick after rain or when watering in these areas. The same strategy applies for after the build. Consider brick chips, crushed rock, landscape stone or other mulching materials in your landscaping to create a protective base near your brick. Taking care of your brick from the beginning will save time and maintenance down the road.
