Painting our red brick house,terracotta roof. Can't decide roof colour

4 years ago

Hi Guys! Would love some advice on roof colours. We are painting the brickwork on our house Dulux whitesunday island, window frames in vivid white and front door and balustrade in Night Sky but undecided on what colour to paint roof. We are choosing from Dulux Acratex so either Basalt (if we do roof basalt we would do the gutters and fascia in Charcoal), Monument, Charcoal or Mid Grey. I'm concerned basalt will throw off a lot of blue in sunlight? Has anyone painted terracotta tiles this colour? I love monument and Charcoal but worried the darkness will take over the house as we have quite a top heavy roof. Then we have mid grey - is this too light? Any advice on roof colours would be amazing as need to decide very soon!! Thanks, Jess :)

Featured Answer

Margaret Barkley

4 years ago

You have a very beautiful home. It would be terrible to paint it. It would lose all its charm and character ! All your property needs is some landscaping and attention to the garden. Gardens can add at least 10% to the property’s value for not very much money. Yours is a much sought after high value home. Painted brick and tile is just an expensive burden that needs to be redone again and again and looks tacky and fake. Painting the roof a dark colour, while trendy at the minute for modern contemporary built homes, will absorb the heat in summer and magnify the heat. Please don’t destroy this beautiful house by painting !

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Comments (17)

Michelle Murphy
4 years ago
We've painted our fences and verandah floor in Basalt, (not roof) and it definitely throws a lot of blue in the sun. Almost to the point where I'd call it a grey-blue, rather than a grey. It's far more blue than I would have expected from the swatch. (Luckily I kind of like it).

I know this is a matter of personal taste, but I think your bricks and roof are beautiful as is. I'd consider putting the money into some amazing landscaping. But, to each their own. And.
Jess Chisari thanked Michelle Murphy
me me
4 years ago
This is a beautiful classic home. I think painting the bricks will devalue it.
Jess Chisari thanked me me
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Hi Ingagriffin, There are a couple of tips I want to put forward for you to have a think about. Firstly are you painting the exterior of your house? If not get a sample of the roof colour you are thinking and check it against the other colours on the outside of your house. A green may clash with the red brick. Firstly are you painting the exterior of your house? I would get a sample of the roof colour you are thinking and check it against the other colours on the outside of your house. Try and get as big of a sample you can, maybe paint it onto a large sheet of ply and place it against a wall and stand back to where you took the photo's. A green may clash with the red brick if it is staying. Secondly think about choosing a colour that will help you control the temperatures inside your home. If you are in a cooler climate choose a darker colour as it will absorb the heat, but if you are in a warmer colour choose something lighter as it will reflect it. Hope that helps!
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You have a smart, crisp home with a traditional style. It looks like your windows are maybe a powder-coated aluminium in white. It is quite a big exercise to paint these as the frames are so narrow. A smooth powder coated finish needs a bit of preparation (without damaging the glass) to prepare it for new paint. Had you considered where your black paint stops? At the moment the frames look like they are the same colour on the outside as the inside as they are powder-coated aluminium. If you paint them black on the outside, then it will look messy if you leave them white on the inside. I would be maintaining the white window frames and spending the money saved on a better finish for your concrete slab verandah. Possibly a deep blue/grey slab finish similar to Ironstone, and pick up the tiled window sills in the same colour. I would also consider painting gutters, fascias, arched beams and posts all in a crisp white, possibly even Dulux Vivid White, to match the window frames. This scheme will be timeless, understated and elegant, and will complement the red terracotta brick and ironstone roof beautifully. You don't need to introduce another colour when you already have two strong colours to compete with. Best of luck Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits
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Kate
4 years ago
Charcoal with mid grey fascia
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Jess Chisari thanked Kate
julie herbert
4 years ago
Your house is beautiful, if you have your heart set on painting the bricks I would go dark like this award winning home, you cold then leave roof same colour, landscaping will make a huge difference.
Jess Chisari thanked julie herbert
oklouise
4 years ago
please don't paint the bricks and roof tiles..you have a beautiful classic home that just needs freshening ..the terra cotta roof may need repointing and roof and bricks can be cleaned, and drive and verandah floor repainted and some fabulous new planting and a watering system for the lawn or new insulation and/or double glazed windows to improve thermal comfort
Jess Chisari thanked oklouise
robandlyn
4 years ago
Please leave the beautiful brick alone. If you ever sell, painting the bricks could make your house worth less to buyers because of the cost of the constant upkeep.

I think your house is beautiful - it's the landscaping that needs serious attention. Transfer your painting budget to landscaping budget and you'll have a winner;)
Jess Chisari thanked robandlyn
PRO
Dr Retro House Calls
4 years ago
it looks like you have beautiful glazed terracotta roof tiles, which are one of the most expensive roofing materials. Why would you paint those tiles to make them look like a cheap project builders home? Celebrate the charm of what you have, rather than follow the fickle fads of fashion. Save your money on painting the roof tiles and brickwork (and future repainting and maintenance of your new paint) and put it into landscaping. Remember that the greys of today are the mission browns of tomorrow.

Best of luck
Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits
Jess Chisari thanked Dr Retro House Calls
rocksfam
4 years ago
I feel I need to add to the chorus of people pleading with you not to paint the brickwork. Get a landscape architect in to work magic around your beautiful house and it will charm the pants off any visitor or buyer.
Jess Chisari thanked rocksfam
PRO
Paul Di Stefano Design
4 years ago
(echoing others here) No, no, no NO! ............The issue isn't the brickwork nor the roof tiles.....rather it's the currently multicoloured trim of say your guttering, garage and windows etc...

I'd also argue that the idea of the "award winning" example posted above, will most likely date in time.......although I like the landscaping aspect of that one - but otherwise it's too heavy tonally for my eye and the rear extension is a harsh juxtaposition formally........anyway,I digress....

On your home here I reckon you best to work within the inherent style rather than try and force it into something that it is not. Other things, some not that expensive, will go a long way here, for example, bring the trim colours into consistency, consider relocating the downpipe on the far left brick column, and focus on a proper front landscaping design (including removing the concrete aspect) and de-cluttering the verandah will also make a world of difference.

Looks like you have a beautiful established (jacaranda) tree in your front yard - perhaps make that that the "hero" of your frontage / streetscape

That's what I did on this project, whilst completely different style the point is it was more about the garden - the house and structure becomes supporting and complimentary to the external landscaped spaces

Good luck! PD

www.pauldistefanodesign.com
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julie herbert
4 years ago
Agree with everyone, once you paint your bricks there is no turning back, plus regardless of how good the painting is it still looks painted landscaping is the key to your beautiful house, cherish what you have, a beautiful home.
Jess Chisari thanked julie herbert
User
4 years ago
The worst sin here IMO is the blue gutters and trim . That dark purply blue doesn't go with the bricks , but thats not a reason to change the brick colour . Ironically though , it does suit the garage door .

Either do the gutters in a mid grey to lighten the look , or charcoal if you want to be more 'on trend' , and do the btrim below it in crisp white . It will look lighter , whilst still having that visual break so that the red tones aren't overdone .

For a bit of class , I'd change the garage door to a natural timber one , but as above , the existing one is livable . And again a personal thing -- that light grey on the terrace looks too 1960's to me -- either go darker with a paint , or tile in a nice mid grey through to charcoal -- personally , I'd go with an Italian style with light grey and even cream streaks .

That would give the whole house such a boost you'll be glad you didn't paint the brick !
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KK1000
4 years ago
Don’t touch the brick. If you want some grey in there replace or repaint trim and garage doors in light grey, paint windows same colour this changes are not as permanent as ruining the brick. declutter veranda. Buy new outdoor seating and nice large pot plants.
Jess Chisari thanked KK1000
C P
4 years ago
I agree with everyone else, the best thing about the facade is the brick and roof (and I often hate tiled rooves). I'd do charcoal trims but look at updating windows frames instead.
Redbrick and terracotta tiles with charcoal trims, cedar windows and good landscaping is a classic, timeless combination.
Jess Chisari thanked C P
C P
4 years ago
Actually ignore my comment about windows, I hadn't looked at photo properly. I think painting yours white would be great.
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Ruth BT
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Agree with everyone regarding not paining the bricks but painting the roof would be a mortal sin in my book. Real terracotta tiles are ridiculously expensive now. I have painted ones that after 15yrs painted dark are looking disgusting. I would do anything to go back in time and slap the previous owners for what they have done. As the experts have said, you will devalue your house by painting but increase the value if you landscape. Good luck!
Jess Chisari thanked Ruth BT
Kay Bodman
4 years ago
Wherever you live please have a walk around the suburbs with houses like yours eg Subiaco in Perth, or Hawthorn in Melbourne and see the gracious houses celebrating red brick and terracotta, trimmed in white. Painting the bricks devalues so much. For me at present what is wrong is garage door and all the concrete. You could investigate with the Heritage officer in your local Shire what are the colours for the period of your house. Embrace the graciousness of its architecture. The lady looks as though she has a great structure, and just needs to be dressed appropriate to her age. Best of luck.
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