Painting brick involves coating the entire brick wall, including mortar, using an acrylic or latex-based paint. Brick staining involves applying a finish to the brick that consists of mineral-based pigments that soak into the porous material, staining it. Kulikowski says the advantage of a stain is that it won’t peel or flake. “They're just a bit chalky,” he says. “When it’s time to recoat, you can do a simple power wash and recoat.” Paint, on the other hand, will peel as it ages and hence requires extensive scraping before repainting. The downside to a stain is that it isn’t washable like paint is, meaning any stains from dirt are permanent.