Painting Breeze Blocks - The Ultimate Guide

Can You Paint Breeze Blocks?

Breeze blocks are a type of aerated concrete building material that are used in a range of constructions. When it comes to painting breeze blocks, many people do this when the breeze blocks are left exposed on extensions, garden walls or garages. Due to this breeze blocks are often be painted both internally or externally.

When it comes to what paint you should use to paint breeze blocks, there are a number of options. On an exterior wall, you should use a good-quality masonry paint as this wall must withstand weather conditions like wind-driven rain that would remove any interior paint easily. When it comes to an interior breeze block wall you can use any interior paint, although contract matt is most suitable.

Contract Matt

Contract matt is a general use emulsion paint that is a cheaper alternative to a vinyl matt, containing less resins and binders. As the name would suggest, it comes in a matt finish, which is the paint finish with the least amount of sheen, otherwise known as the amount of light it reflects.

A key benefit of contract matt aside from its price point is its coverage. A contract matt is often used in commercial settings such as factories and other large-scale properties that require a paint that will coat quickly and effectively. After all, the time it takes to cover a large area would be costly. This coverage is why contract matt is ideal for breeze blocks, whether you are painting a large-scale unit or a garage.

Breeze blocks are highly porous. This means that the coverage and opacity of a paint will have a big impact on the ability for it to create a solid build of colour. A standard retail paint may require three or more coats of paint to fully coat breeze blocks, while a contract matt can do it in two coats. This saves money and means that the painting will not take you longer than it has to, which is especially important if you are painting anything larger than a garage. This can often be the case as breeze blocks are used in commercial settings such as industrial unit, schools and other large buildings.

Masonry Paint

Masonry paint is an exterior paint that has been designed to be applied to any exterior walled surface, including brick, concrete and stone. It is formulated to remain adhered to these surfaces even through harsh weathering, with lifespans of masonry paint ranging from 5 years to 25+ years in some cases.

The problem when it comes to masonry paint is that it is designed for exterior use, which makes issues such as smell less & fumes less of an issue as this is much less noticeable outside. When you paint an interior wall using a masonry paint, there is the possibility of this smell and any fumes being a problem.

Overall, we would recommend opting for a contract matt on interior breeze blocks and a masonry paint for exterior breeze blocks.

Should You Paint Breeze Blocks?

Now we have established that you can paint breeze blocks, the next question is whether this is a good idea or not. There are a number of reasons why you may decide to paint both interior and exterior breeze blocks:

Interior

• Interior breeze blocks can look plain and unfinished
• Unpainted surfaces can gather dirt and dust much easier than painted ones
• The rough surface can be difficult to clean

Exterior

• Exterior breeze blocks due to being porous will absorb moisture, which can lead to them looking discoloured and will allow moss and algae to thrive
• Painting is an easy and cheap way to brighten up any outdoor surface
• An outdoor space is a perfect way to add kerb appeal to your home which can add value to the property

Overall, painting any surface is something we would always recommend here at Painters World as the possibilities are endless!

What Is The Best Paint For Breeze Blocks?

A large part of achieving the best possible results and completing a project as efficiently as possible. Here are our experts picks for the best paints to use when painting exterior and interior breeze blocks.

The Best Paint For Interior Breeze Blocks

As we have mentioned, a contract matt is the best option when it comes to painting interior breeze blocks as it offers the best value for money and will best cover the highly porous concrete. When it comes to contract matt, we recommend using Dulux Trade Supermatt. This is a high-quality contract matt from the trade brand of Dulux that is widely cited by professional decorators as the best contract matt thanks to its opacity and the perfect finish it achieves in two coats. While it is one of the more expensive contract matts on the market, it offers value for money with its coverage of up to 18m² per litre.

It is especially good when used in white, which is a colour that is often difficult to achieve a flat finish with when it comes to other contract matts. Overall, you really do get what you pay for, which is an excellent contract matt that will cover perfectly in as few coats as possible, even on porous surfaces like breeze blocks.

The Best Paint For Exterior Breeze Blocks

For exterior breeze blocks such as the external wall of a garage conversion or even garden design features, our experts would highly recommend Emperor Masonry Paint. What is crucial for any exterior surface, but especially the highly porous breeze blocks, is that moisture is not allowed to absorb into the substrate, which will cause damage not only to the paint work but to the material itself. Emperor Masonry Paint creates a water repellent surface on exterior walls that prevents moisture from entering the material. Not only this, but it does this while remaining completely breathable, allowing moisture to escape from underneath the paint film. If this moisture is not able to escape, it will cause the paint film to peel, which is why you should always use a breathable masonry paint.

Thanks to this ability to keep surfaces dry, Emperor Masonry Paint comes with a proven 25+ year performance, although they are so confident it will exceed this that they offer a lifetime guarantee. Emperor Masonry Paint is available in 12 standard colours and can be mixed in any light or pastel shade, which covers the majority of popular exterior colours. This is an issue if you want a particular dark shade such as blacks and dark greys. While there is not another masonry paint that offers the same performance, paints like Armstead Masonry Paint can be mixed in almost any colour.

The masonry paint you go for completely depends on the longevity you want from the paint.

How To Paint Breeze Blocks

So, you now know what the best paints for breeze blocks are. Let's talk about what exactly you need to do when painting them.

Step 1: Preparation

The first stage of any painting project is to prepare the surface.

Start by checking that there are no cracks or holes in the surface, as these must be filled using a good quality interior filler or exterior filler. Start by removing anything in the crack or hole that is loose as this will prevent the filler from being effective. Using a filling knife, work the filler up and down in straight lines until the hole is slightly overfilled. This will allow for any shrinkage as the filler dries. Once left to completely dry you can sand this down using sandpaper to get a smooth surface that is ready to paint.

Once the surface is completely sound, it must then be cleaned. This will vary depending on whether it is an interior or exterior surface. If it is an exterior wall, use a stiff brush to first wipe off any large amounts of dirt. Then using the same brush, apply an anti-fungal masonry cleaner to the blocks and leave for two hours.

On an interior wall the chances are this will be less dirty and won't be suffering from fungus. You can wipe this down using a damp cloth to remove any dust that will cause the paint to fail.

The last job is to put protective covers down on anything you do not want to paint. This can be in the form of masking tape, masking paper, dust sheets or simply newspaper. This will make your life much easier and will ensure you get the neatest possible finish.

2. Priming

An exterior bare surface always requires priming before you paint. If a breeze block has been previously painted and the surface is sound, you do not have to do this.

If you are using Emperor Masonry Paint, you must use their Emperor Paint Exterior Primer as otherwise you will not get the full water repellent properties of the product. If you are using a standard masonry paint, you can prime the surface using a primer suitable for exterior surfaces such as Zinsser BIN Primer.

Apply one coat of the primer using a paint brush or roller, creating a thin but even layer. Leave to completely dry before painting.

3. Painting

Interior

The reason we have not suggested applying primer to interior breeze blocks is that we recommend using a mist coat. A mist coat is a diluted coat of emulsion that is useful for creating an initial layer of paint on surfaces that have not been painted before. Standard emulsion painted onto an untreated wall will not leave the desires finish you want. A mist coat will absorb into wall surface to act as a sealer and thus creates a base for subsequent coats of paint. This is why using a contract matt is best as it does not contain vinyl. A vinyl matt for example will create a film, rather than absorb into the substrate.

Dilute the first coat of paint in a separate container using 20% water. Importantly, contract matt is water-based which allows the paint to properly mix.

Beginning at the top of the wall, work around the edges using a synthetic paint brush. Do not use a natural bristle brush as these bristles can absorb moisture. Once you have painted around the edge of the wall, use a 9" long pile roller to paint the rest of the surface. A long-pile roller has long fibres that allow the roller to reach in all of the gaps on the rough concrete surface. It also gives you better paint pick-up, which is handy when painting larger areas.

Once the full area is painted, leave to completely dry, which will take slightly longer than the manufacturer recommends as you have added extra water to the paint.

Once dry, apply your first undiluted coat of contract matt to the wall, which should not absorb too much into the wall once dried, but this will depend on the paint you use. Leave this first coat to dry completely as per the manufacturers instructions before applying your second coat.

Most good-quality paints like Dulux Trade Supermatt will cover in two coats, however if it needs a third then apply this before finishing. Once this is done you should have a completely transformed breeze block wall!

Exterior

The process of painting exterior breeze block is the same as an interior wall, however you will not be applying a mist coat as you must prime an exterior wall. Ensure you leave yourself plenty of time to paint outside without it raining as this will ruin your project if it begins to rain while the paint is still wet.

It is recommended that you pick a day that has temperatures above 2°C but below 20°C. If the temperatures are below 5°C the paint will not dry, and if you paint in temperatures above 20°C the paint will dry too quickly, leaving you with a patchy finish.

What Colour To Paint Breeze Blocks

Sometimes we all need a bit of inspiration before we decide on what colour to choose. Here are some of our favourite projects that might give you an idea or two.

Our first piece of inspiration is with this beautiful Greek inspired courtyard. White and blue in combination brings such a warm, Mediterranean feel to any space, even a small box courtyard like this. White is a colour that works with any style of home, bringing a light that can lift a space enormously. One problem many people have with white is that it can get dirty when used externally, however with self-cleaning masonry paint that isn't an issue.

Breeze blocks do not have to used simply for buildings. They can become beautiful garden elements that can create structure to an outdoor space like nothing else. We love what Carla did with her garden, using breeze blocks to create levels to her garden, which she rendered and then painted using Emperor Masonry Paint to keep them looking like new. Such a simple but effective way to add a unique design feature to your garden!

While it may not be a colour, we couldn't help but share this project that shows how you can get creative with anything when it comes to painting. Patterns, colour blocks, you name it. There are no rules when it comes to painting, so be bold and express yourself!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What should I do if breeze blocks are showing through paint?

This has occurred due to the paint being absorbed through the breeze block, either because a mist coat or primer has not been applied before painting. The only way to resolve this is by continuing to paint the surface until a solid colour has been built up. It would also help to use a long-pile roller to ensure all parts of the breeze block have been coated fully.

Q. How can I disguise a breeze block wall?

The best way to disguise a breeze block wall is to paint it in a colour that will brighten it, after all, the standard grey breeze block is not attractive in the slightest. You could also render the wall if you did not want the block pattern, instead giving you a completely smooth wall that can look more modern.

Q. How can I waterproof breeze blocks?

Waterproofing will vary depending on whether it is external or internal. To waterproof an external wall, the only way to achieve this is to use a waterproof paint such as Emperor Masonry Paint. This will completely repel moisture and keep the surface dry.

Waterproofing an interior breeze block wall is more difficult as it depends what is meant by waterproofing. The only way to waterproof an interior wall is to prevent moisture from entering the interior wall by waterproofing the exterior wall, if that is the source of the moisture. Alternatively, moisture may be rising from the ground due to rising damp.

We hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding painting breeze blocks, whether in your garden, a garage or another setting. At Painters World we have a wide range of trade paint, decorating tools & supplies available, so no matter the job, we've got everything you need! Shop our huge range of products today & get FREE next working day delivery on all orders over £50.