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When choosing colors for the exterior of your brick or stone home, you probably don’t look beyond the colors of the trim and the brick or stone itself. But look a little closer. Unlike home exteriors made from wood, siding or stucco, brick and stone homes have an extra built-in design element—the mortar that binds the materials together. Using color variations of the sturdy mixture of masonry cement, sand and water is becoming a more common way to add to the overall look of a home.
MAKING THE MATCH
Since most people think of mortar only as a necessary bonding agent, it’s often overlooked as a design element. “Mortar can make up about 20 percent of a brick wall’s surface, so the color of the mortar can really influence the look of the house,” says Bob McKay of Essroc, a cement manufacturing company. The majority of classic red brick homes are cemented with basic gray masonry cement, but a rainbow of other color options are available. “Mortar colors range from whites and beiges to rich reds and browns to darker colors, like deep blue-grays and blacks,” McKay says.
Unless you’re having your home custom built, the decisions about brick, mortar and other exterior elements usually lie in the hands of the builder, who has the tricky job of trying to create a combination that will please every buyer. “We can get any color through the manufacturers, and the manufacturers take a lot into account when creating colors,” says Gary Cohoon of Cherokee Home Exteriors. Manufacturers create colors based on current trends. Just as with interior design or clothing design, exterior fashions come and go—the challenge for the manufacturers is creating current looks that are classic enough to last for decades.
With all the choices available, this can definitely be a daunting task. Essroc manufactures flamingo-BRIXMENT masonry cement in hundreds of colors, which makes finding the perfect brick-and-mortar match an artistic challenge. To make choosing brick and mortar colors for new homes and neighborhoods easier, builders will drive around or even fly over certain areas to get a feel for local trends. “Before I buy, I always ask the manufacturer what the hottest colors are for the area and try to pick things that will appeal to everyone,” says Mary Battle of Exovations.
Colors and styles vary from region to region, and according to McKay, there are classics in each area that never go out of style. For example, the use of deep red brick with dark red or brown mortar creates a strong, rich look that’s hugely popular here in the South. At the opposite end of the spectrum, light gray and cream-colored brick mixed with light, pastel shades of mortar is less traditional and is more common in urban areas of the north, like New York. Tumbled red brick with cream-colored mortar is popular in historic areas like Washington D.C., and Virginia, because it is reminiscent of colonial America. All over the country, you may notice that many people are sticking with classic shades. “Most people today are leaning toward earth tones and using darker shutters and trim to set things off,” Cohoon says.
SEE FOR YOURSELF
If you are helping to design your own custom-built house, you’ll have the freedom to choose the colors you like for your brick and mortar. If this seems overwhelming, try using an interactive Web site to help you choose a color scheme. On each site, you can pick a style of house and experiment with different color combinations. Try a classic red brick with a white mortar, then try the same brick with dark brown mortar, and you’ll be able to see the difference immediately.
You can also play with roof and trim styles, along with even subtler details. “Choosing a different color of brick or mortar for the quoins, or the areas where brick projects out at the corner of a home, is a good way to accent the color of the rest of house,” McKay says.
On Essroc’s site, you can even turn your visualization into reality. After entering your zip code, you’ll be able to choose from actual colors that are available from brick and mortar manufacturers in your area. Once you’ve planned out the color scheme for your dream house, print out the page to give to your builder—it will include a list of local manufacturers for the exact brick and mortar styles you have chosen.
STONE SELECTION
Stone is another accent that is often used on brick homes. “We have over 55 different kinds of stone that can be used on houses,” says Darlene Poynter of Fieldstone Center Inc. Most of the time, instead of an entire home being built of stone, the stone is used as a veneer, built as a decorative layer over the main material of the structure. “Fieldstone is the most popular type of stone used on homes in this area, because it has such a classic look,” Poynter says.
Because stone usually is more expensive than brick, mixing the two is a common trend right now. “Stone is great for outlining vents and windows on a brick house,” Battle says. Finding the perfect shade of stone to complement your brick may seem tough, but it’s not as difficult as it appears. Like brick, stone comes in a wide variety of colors, but since most of them are natural, neutral shades of gray or beige, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding the perfect stone to complement your home. Don’t hesitate to ask for help, either. “Most of the time, we’ll ask a customer to come in with photos of their home, paint chips and trim samples so we can help them find a perfect match,” Poynter says. “We have a display wall where people can compare their samples to the different stone choices.”
Just as with brick, color decisions don’t stop with the stone itself—mortar is also a factor. However, while the combinations of brick and mortar colors may seem endless, the decision is usually less complicated when it comes to stone. “You can’t really get too crazy with mortar and stone,” Poynter says. “There are a just a few basic neutral shades that work without looking funny.” Stone is a highly decorative material, and using a contrasting mortar color would take away from the natural beauty of the stone. Mortar colors are usually chosen to match the shade of the stone exactly or to be only one or two shades different.
The main thing to remember when choosing a combination of brick, stone and mortar is to stick with colors you are willing to live with for many years. The possibilities may seem endless, but don’t be overwhelmed. “Everyone has different tastes and needs, and that’s why there are so many different color choices available,” Battle says. “There’s definitely something out there for everyone.
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