If you’re wondering whether they can be painted, then the answer is yes! In fact, painting breeze blocks is a great way to freshen up your walls and add personality to your garage, boundary wall, or garden structure.

However, you can’t just use any old paint and call it a day. Without the right paint and prep, you’ll be left with a messy finish that won’t last long. To help you avoid that, we’ve created a simple guide to painting breeze blocks for beginners.

Why should you paint breeze blocks?

If you’re tired of looking at plain, old walls or you want to give your house a makeover, painting breeze blocks is a great way to uplift the space.

However, it’s not just about the cosmetic benefits; painting breeze blocks can extend their lifespan and lead to easier maintenance. Here’s how this home improvement can benefit you:

Protection from the elements: Unpainted breeze blocks are extremely porous, which can lead to damp, moss, and mildew. Applying a breathable masonry paint helps to seal it from water, improving its resistance to harsh weather conditions.
Easier to clean: Painted breeze blocks are smoother and, therefore, easier to clean. The painted surface is more resistant to dust and grime; all it takes is a quick wipe with a damp cloth, and you’re good to go.
Improves appearance: While breeze blocks are not visible from the outside when used for building foundations, they can be used as a visible stylistic choice for garden walls, partitions, and feature walls. Painting them produces a cleaner, sleeker appearance, uplifting your home.
Increases durability: Apart from weather resistance, paint helps protect breeze blocks from minor scuffs, scratches, and dust. This is particularly beneficial in high-traffic areas.

What is the best paint for breeze blocks?

When it comes to choosing a paint for your breeze blocks, you need to be careful; choosing the wrong one could result in a patchy mess and blocks that don’t hold up to their lifespan.

The key is to use paint that’s specifically designed for rough, absorbent masonry surfaces and to avoid anything that might trap moisture.

1. Exterior breeze blocks

If you’re installing breeze blocks in your garden, you’ll need a paint that provides resistance to wet weather and allows moisture to escape; that’s where masonry paint comes in.

Designed to last anywhere between 5 and 25 years, breathable masonry paint is designed to adhere well to concrete, stone, and brick. Resistant to rain, frost, and UV damage, it allows water vapour to pass through the paint film, preventing peeling and blistering.

Since it produces a strong smell and fumes, it’s only intended for external use. At Beesley and Fildes, we offer a wide selection of masonry paint from renowned brands, including Leyland.

2. Interior breeze blocks

If you're painting internal walls, like in a garage, workshop, or utility space, then you’ll need something that provides good coverage.

For this, a matt emulsion helps to hide imperfections and offers high coverage, requiring only one or two coats.

Contract matt is a general-use emulsion paint which provides a matt surface. It’s a great, cost-effective alternative to vinyl matt, and contains fewer resins and binders. Matt emulsion coats the surface quickly and dries quickly for a speedy process, perfect for large-scale, commercial projects.

It has a breathable base layer and applies smoothly to prevent patches. However, avoid using it in areas where a washable finish is required, such as kitchens or hallways.

Avoid these types of paint

Gloss and satin paints: They’re too slippery from breeze blocks and aren’t breathable enough.
Cheap emulsions: These often require several coats and struggle to achieve opacity on rough surfaces.
Interior paint outdoors: Will quickly peel and flake as a result of exposure to moisture.

A step-by-step guide to painting breeze blocks

Painting breeze blocks is more than just lathering on a bit of paint and calling it a day. Without the right prep, tools, and equipment, you’re waiting for a disaster to happen.

Our simple guide will help you achieve a clean finish, whether you’re painting a garden wall or the interior of your garage.

Tools and materials

Stiff wire brush
Dust brush
Filing knife and filler
Sandpaper
Paint brushes (3"–4")
Long-pile roller
Roller tray
Dust sheets
Masking tape
Primer trade-quality paint

1. Prepare the breeze blocks

First things first, address any issues, such as cracks or gaps in the wall, by using a filleting knife and filler to conceal them. Doing so will prevent issues like bubbling, unevenness, and paint failure later on.

Use a masonry filler to repair any cracks, removing any loose material from the hole or crack first. Then, add the filler with your knife, applying it generously and smoothing it out evenly. Let it dry fully before sanding flush with the wall.

Once it’s dry, use a stiff wire brush to remove any dirt, cobwebs, or dust from the breeze blocks. You can use a pressure washer to clean exterior walls more quickly. If you're dealing with green growth or mildew, treat the surface with a fungicidal wash before painting.

2. Apply a primer or mist coat

If you add paint to breeze blocks without applying a primer, expect the paint to soak straight into the surface. The result will be a blotchy mess.

A primer or mist coat helps the topcoat stick properly, creating a stable base. Mist coat is better for indoor applications, whereas masonry primer is best for outdoor walls

Mix the mist coat with a 70% paint, 30% clean water ratio. Then, apply it to the breeze blocks with a long-pile roller. If you’re using primer, select a product suitable for moisture-prone areas and apply it with a brush or roller.

3. Choose a paint and apply two or three coats

Once you’ve allowed the primer to dry completely, it’s time to add the paint.

Decide whether you’ll need a contract matt emulsion for indoor use or breathable masonry paint for outdoor applications.

Once you’ve chosen, stir your paint thoroughly and use a medium-sized brush to start working on the edges of the wall, sockets, corners, and along the floor or ceiling line. For the main surface, switch to a long-pile roller for a full coverage application; this will speed up the process.

Don’t overload the roller with paint, and move in vertical strokes for a uniform finish. Go over the surface twice to really work the paint into holes, crevices, and edges.

Apply the second coat in the opposite direction of the first (e.g., horizontally if your first coat was applied vertically) and let each coat dry before proceeding to the next.

4. Tidy up and inspect the wall

Once you’ve applied your second or third coat, inspect the surface for any small spots you’ve missed and smooth them out.

Look out for dips or runs where paint has built up too much, brush marks or roller lines, unfilled spots, and light patches.

Remove masking tape while the final coat is still slightly tacky to avoid pulling away any dried paint.

Purchase breeze blocks from Beesley and Fildes

With leading brands like Thomas Armstrong and H+H Celon, our breeze blocks are ideal for commercial, domestic, and leisure projects.

Durable and reliable, our collection includes a variety of breeze blocks in different shapes and sizes, from solid insulate blocks to cellular dense blocks.

Perfect for achieving aesthetically pleasing, energy-efficient, and fire-safe walls, browse our collection today to elevate your building project to the next level.