Before-and-after photos are what convince most people that brick tinting is worth a look. A glaring orange extension becomes part of the house. A bricked-up doorway disappears. A tired 1970s frontage suddenly looks like it belongs on a smarter street.
But photos can also set the wrong expectations. Lighting, camera angles and the odd bit of editing can make any job look perfect. So this guide is about what brick tinting can really achieve on your house: the results you can expect, the jobs where it works best, what it can’t do and how to judge the before-and-after photos you’re shown.
What a Good Brick Tinting Result Looks Like
The aim of brick tinting is simple: nobody should be able to tell it’s been done.
A good result has a few clear qualities:
- The texture of the brick is still visible. You should see the grain, the pits and the surface character of the brick. If it looks smooth and flat, it’s been painted, not tinted.
- There’s natural variation. Real brickwork is never one flat colour. Each brick is slightly different. A skilled tinter recreates that variation rather than covering everything in one shade.
- The match holds from every distance. It should blend from across the road and when you’re standing right next to it.
- The mortar works with the bricks. Sometimes perfectly tinted bricks still look wrong because the mortar joints are too bright or too grey. A complete result often includes mortar tinting.
- It looks right in different light. Brick looks different in bright sun, overcast light and after rain. A good match works in all of them.
Common Brick Tinting Before & After Scenarios
Every job is different, but most fall into a handful of familiar situations. Here’s what each one typically looks like before and after.
The extension that stands out
Before: A new single- or two-storey extension in bricks that are close to the original but noticeably brighter, cleaner or a different tone. Sometimes the builder simply couldn’t source the original brick. Sometimes the original brick is no longer made.
After: The extension blends into the house so well that visitors assume it was part of the original build. The new bricks take on the weathered tone of the older ones, and the variation across the wall matches.
This is the most common job we do, and usually the most satisfying for the homeowner.
The bricked-up door or window
Before: A clear rectangle of newer brick where a door or window used to be. Even with a close brick match, the outline is obvious, partly because the mortar is fresher.
After: The opening disappears. With the bricks and mortar both tinted, it’s usually impossible to tell where it was.
Patch repairs
Before: A scatter of new bricks from crack stitching, lintel replacements, removed pipework, new air bricks or underpinning. Each patch draws the eye.
After: The repairs fade into the wall. This is particularly worthwhile before selling a house, because visible repair patches can make buyers and surveyors ask questions.
Patchy or faded walls
Before: Brickwork that’s weathered unevenly. A south-facing wall bleached by decades of sun, sitting next to a darker, more sheltered side. Or one section that was cleaned years ago and never matched again.
After: An even, consistent colour across the house, with natural variation kept.
The full colour change
Before: A house the owners simply don’t like the look of. Bright orange or yellow 1960s–70s brick is the classic example, but we see all sorts.
After: A warmer red, a softer brown or a more muted tone that suits the street and the owners’ taste. It can transform the look of a house without rendering it or losing the brick finish.
Soot, smoke and staining
Before: Brickwork marked by fire damage, chimney soot or long-term pollution.
After: Once the brick has been properly cleaned (see our graffiti, algae and carbon removal service), tinting can even out any staining that cleaning alone can’t shift.
Mortar that’s too bright
Before: Freshly repointed brickwork where the new mortar is a stark grey or bright cream, making the whole wall look busy.
After: Mortar tinted to a softer tone that lets the bricks take centre stage again.
What to Expect by House Type
The age and style of your house affects both the problem you’re likely to have and the result you can expect.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces
These houses often have soft, handmade or early machine-made bricks with lots of variation, and they’ve had over a century to weather. The usual problems are patch repairs, bricked-up openings and modern rear extensions that look far too new. Matching them takes patience and several tint mixes, but when it’s done well, the result is lovely. Breathable products are essential here.
1930s semis
Many 1930s houses mix brick with render or pebbledash, and side or rear extensions are extremely common. The typical before is a two-storey side extension in a brick that’s a shade too red or too orange. The typical after is a house that looks symmetrical with its neighbour again.
1960s and 1970s houses
This is where full colour changes come in. Bright orange, yellow and pale buff bricks were popular in this era and can look dated now. Tinting them warmer or more muted can modernise a house without rendering it.
Modern and new-build homes
Here the issues are usually mismatched batches, snagging repairs and developer extensions. The bricks are uniform, which makes matching more straightforward, but any difference shows clearly because there’s so little natural variation to hide it.
Commercial and period buildings
Shop fronts, pubs, churches and listed buildings can all be tinted, though heritage work often involves conservation officers and needs the right breathable products.
Taking Your Own Before Photos
If you’re thinking about tinting, take your own “before” photos now. Shoot from the same spots you’d naturally view the house, such as from the pavement, the drive and the garden, and do it on a dry, overcast day for true colours. Having them means you can judge the result fairly afterwards, and the same photos are exactly what we need to give you a quote.
A Real Example: Front and Back, Sutton Coldfield
One job our team wrote up shows what a larger project involves. It was a private home on the corner of a main road in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. The owners had moved in four years earlier, and the tired appearance of the outside of the house had bothered them ever since.
They wanted the bricks and the mortar tinted on both the front and back of the house, roughly 40 square metres on each side. Because the house sat on a corner plot by a main road, it was seen by a lot of people, and the owners wanted it to look its best. A job like this is a good example of where tinting brings a whole house together rather than just fixing one problem area.
What Brick Tinting Can’t Do
Being honest about the limits matters, because unrealistic expectations are the main reason people end up disappointed.
It won’t fix damaged brick
Tinting changes colour, not condition. Bricks that are crumbling, spalling or badly cracked need repairing or replacing first. Tinting over them only hides the problem for a while.
It won’t cure damp
If a wall is damp, water moving through it pushes salts to the surface as white efflorescence. That needs fixing at the source. We can treat efflorescence, but the cause has to be sorted first.
Dramatic lightening is limited
Making bricks darker or warmer is very achievable. Making a dark brick much lighter is a lot harder. Some lightening is possible, but asking for a red brick to become pale buff, for example, usually isn’t realistic without the result looking unnatural. A good tinter will tell you this upfront.
It won’t turn brick into render
If you want a smooth, modern, white finish, tinting isn’t the answer. It keeps the look of brick, which is exactly why most people choose it.
It needs suitable bricks
Glazed bricks don’t absorb tint, and painted bricks need stripping before tinting can work.
How to Judge Before-and-After Photos
When you’re comparing tinting companies, their photos are often the main evidence you have. Here’s how to look at them with a critical eye.
- Check the angle and lighting match. A “before” taken on a dull, wet day and an “after” taken in golden afternoon sun can make any job look dramatic. Fair comparisons are taken from the same spot in similar light.
- Look for close-ups. Wide shots hide a lot. A close-up shows whether the texture is still there and whether the brick looks tinted or painted.
- Watch out for wet brick. Brick looks darker and richer when it’s wet. An “after” photo taken straight after tinting may not show the final dried colour.
- Look for variation. If every brick in the “after” is exactly the same shade, it probably won’t look natural in person.
- Ask about older jobs. Photos taken on the day are useful, but photos of a job two or five years on tell you much more about how the work holds up.
- Ask for similar jobs. A company that’s great at garden walls may not have much experience matching a Victorian frontage. Ask for examples like yours.
For more on vetting a tinter properly, see our guide to the questions to ask before paying a deposit.
What Affects How Good Your Result Will Be?
The skill of the tinter
This is the single biggest factor. Colour matching brick is part science, part craft, and it takes years to get consistently right. With over 20 years in brick tinting, it’s what we’ve built our reputation on.
The quality of the tint
Breathable, mineral-based tints soak into the brick and keep its character. Cheap stains often sit on the surface and look flat.
Preparation
Tint applied to dirty brick won’t look right and won’t last. Cleaning first makes a real difference to the finish.
The sample stage
A proper sample, judged once it’s dry, avoids surprises. If your tinter skips this, the risk of a mismatch goes up.
The weather
Tinting in good conditions gives the tint time to soak in and fix evenly.
How Your Results Develop After Tinting
Right after tinting, the brick may look slightly different from the final colour, mainly because it’s still damp. Over the following days, the tint dries and fixes, and the colour settles. This is why experienced tinters judge samples once they’re dry, not while they’re wet.
After that, the result should stay stable for many years, ageing naturally with the rest of the house. We explain this in more detail in How Long Does Brick Tinting Last?.
Getting the Best Possible Result
A few things help make sure your before and after is one you’re proud of:
- Be clear about what bothers you. Is it the colour, the patchiness or one specific area? This helps us focus on what matters.
- Tell us about any damp or damage. It’s better to deal with problems before tinting than after.
- Look at the sample in different light. Check it in the morning and afternoon if you can.
- Think about the mortar. It often makes more difference than people expect.
- Look after it afterwards. Our aftercare guide covers the simple things that keep it looking good.
Brick Tinting Before & After FAQs
Will people be able to tell my bricks have been tinted?
Not if it’s done well. The aim is for the tinted brick to look as though it was always that colour.
Will tinted bricks look painted?
No. Tint soaks into the brick rather than sitting on top, so the texture and character stay visible.
Can you match very old brick?
Yes. Weathered and heritage brick can be matched, though it needs experience and the right breathable products. See our heritage restoration page.
Can I see the colour before the whole job is done?
Yes. A sample area is tinted first so you can approve the colour before the full job goes ahead.
How quickly will I see the result?
Straight away, although the colour settles over the following days as the tint dries and fixes.
What if I’m not happy with the sample?
The sample is mixed without the fixing agent so it can be washed off and adjusted. That’s the point of doing one.
Will my tinted bricks look different when it rains?
All brick darkens when it’s wet, tinted or not. Because the tint is absorbed into the brick, the tinted and untinted areas darken together and dry together, so the match holds in wet weather too.
Can you tint bricks to match my neighbour’s house?
Often, yes. On semis and terraces where one half has been extended or altered, matching the attached house is a common request.
How much does it cost to get results like these?
It depends on the job. Our brick tinting cost guide breaks down typical prices, and our complete guide for homeowners explains the whole process.
See What Brick Tinting Could Do for Your Home
The best way to find out what your own before and after could look like is to show us the “before”. Send us a few clear photos of your brickwork, and we’ll tell you honestly what’s achievable, put together a plan and give you a transparent quote with no hidden extras.
Call 0808 3040260, email info@brickmakeover.co.uk or contact us online for a free, same-day quote. We cover areas across the UK.