The front of a two-story home after brick staining, the brick an even mid grey under a dark roof
Residential Case File

A Buff Brick Colonial Taken to an Even Mid Grey

Four elevations of one house, each photographed before the work and again after it. The brick changed color. Nothing else on the house did.

Structure Two-story home
Original brick Buff yellow
Finish Even mid grey
Masonry stained Walls, chimney, piers
Left untouched Siding, trim, roof
Documented Four elevations

The front

  1. The front of a two-story buff brick home, an extension ladder against the wall and masking paper over the shutters and the entry Before View this photo larger
  2. The same front elevation after staining, the brick an even mid grey with the shutters and the trim back in place After View this photo larger

What changed

The brick went from buff yellow to an even mid grey. The siding, the trim, the gutters, the downspouts, the roof and the pergola are the same in both frames. That is what makes the pair worth showing: there is nothing else in it to credit.

The driveway side

  1. The side of the house from the driveway, buff brick with the chimney running the full height of the gable Before View this photo larger
  2. The same side after staining, the gable and the chimney an even grey against the white siding and trim After View this photo larger

The side yard

  1. A buff brick side wall at close range, masking paper taped over the meter, the disconnect box and the window heads Before View this photo larger
  2. The same wall after staining, an even grey with the meter and both utility boxes left clean After View this photo larger

The masking

The side yard frames are the ones to look at closely. Masking paper is taped over the meter, the disconnect box and the window heads in the first. In the second the paper is off and all of it is clean. Everything that was not masonry was covered before anything was applied.

What the brick kept

The mortar joints still read lighter than the units, and the courses still read one at a time. Stain goes into the brick rather than over it, so the wall keeps its own texture at arm's length. The chimney carries a shade more depth than the field wall in every after frame, so the stack still reads as its own mass.

The rear corner

  1. The rear corner of the house in buff brick, masking paper under the eaves and on the second-floor balcony Before View this photo larger
  2. The same rear corner after staining, every brick surface an even grey including the chimney and the pergola piers After View this photo larger
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