Bagging Your Brick House: The Permanent Mistake You Might Not Need to Make

The Dilemma

A homeowner recently asked:

I'm debating whether to bag my 2012 brick house to update the look, but I'm unsure if it's the right move—yay or nay?

The GardenOwl Diagnosis

The Assessment

You are looking at your solid, 2012 red brick home and feeling like it’s stuck in the past. The instinct is to grab a trowel and “bag” it (apply a mortar wash) to update the curb appeal and get that modern, farmhouse, or European cottage look. You want a change, and the biggest surface area is that red brick. Before committing to a permanent change, it's crucial to understand the risks of Masonry Asphyxiation. But you are hesitating because once that mortar dries, there is no going back.

The Trap

Here is the hard truth: The brick isn't your biggest problem. The “Bowling Alley” path is.

Your eye is drawn to the house, but the landscape is actively fighting against it. Currently, you have a straight shot of loose gravel held back by flimsy timber edging. This creates a visual runway that rushes the eye straight to the door without offering any “pause” or architectural weight.

Furthermore, painting or bagging the house often highlights bad landscaping. If you turn that house white or light grey, it becomes a bright canvas. Suddenly, that messy gravel path and those isolated “lollipop” trees will stand out even more. You can’t fix a lack of structure with a bucket of mortar.

The Solution (Deep Dive)

Before you touch the brick, you need to fix the bones of the garden. Here is how we balance the visual gravity.

1. Fix the Edging (Structure First)

Timber edging is for vegetable patches, not front entrances. It warps, rots, and lacks the visual weight to contain a gravel path. You need to upgrade to Corten steel or a stone border (like Belgium block).

This relates to the concept of avoiding the “Drunk Snake” effect. You need crisp, intentional lines. Steel edging provides a razor-sharp separation between the lawn and the gravel, preventing that messy migration of stones into the grass. If you want to see why precision matters here, read about how we fix wobbly edging on driveways. The same logic applies to your front walk.

2. Drifts, Not Dots

Right now, your planting consists of standard trees (likely roses or grafted ornamentals) standing alone in mulch. In the trade, we call this “visual noise.” It looks like polka dots.

To anchor a house—especially if you plan to lighten the color—you need drifts. This means planting low, dense shrubs (like Boxwood, Pittosporum, or native equivalents) in masses of 5, 7, or 9. These drifts should hug the foundation. This satisfies the Rule of Gravity: heavy materials (the house) need a visual base to sit on, or they look like they are floating.

3. The Bagging Strategy (If You Must)

If you fix the path and plants and still want to change the brick, do not paint it solid. Solid paint turns brick into a plastic-looking block and traps moisture.

Instead, opt for a German Smear or a light Sack Finish. This technique wipes mortar over the face but leaves some brick exposed. It creates patina instantly. It catches the light and adds depth, whereas flat paint flattens the architecture.

Warning: When you modify the facade, you must ensure you aren't burying your weep holes or piling mulch against the new finish. Rising damp is a house-killer. Check out our guide on why high gravel against brick is a disaster before you start layering materials.

Visualizing the Result

Bagging a house costs thousands of dollars and is permanent. Don't guess. You need to see if a “warm white” wash clashes with your grey roof, or if a “cool grey” wash makes your house look like a prison block.

Use GardenDream to act as your safety net. You can digitally apply different mortar washes to the brick and swap out that timber edging for steel in the same render. It helps you verify if the “bones” of the path fix the problem without needing to touch the brick at all.

If you want to spot hidden opportunities in your own yard, upload a photo to get an instant diagnosis and visualize the transformation using our Exterior Design App.