Brick tinting

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Brick tinting is the process of physically tinting bricks to either change the color or blend-in offending areas of brickwork with the surrounding masonry.

The solutions are of low viscosity and stain the masonry instead of producing a film-forming coat, this produces a durable finish that looks natural and requires no maintenance.

The term 'brick tinting' is believed to have been first coined by a UK based materials engineer in 1976 who developed the first commercial brick tinting solutions and methods for application on behalf of W Hawley & Son Ltd the former parent company of Construction Cosmetics, who are reputed to be the first company to carry out this 'brick tinting' process. The term was formed from the words: 'tint' or 'tinters' that were commonly used within the paint industry. Prior to this date masonry was treated with general film-forming paints or thicker masonry paints based on latex etc. Before this, colorwashes were often used, these generally contained organic materials, e.g. colored limewashes, sootwashes to produce aging effects and diluted manure or horse urine.

PermaTint is one of the first companies to adopt the brick tinting technique in North America. PermaTint uses a silicate-based masonry stain to lighten, darken or completely change the colour of brick, stone and mortar joints. The technique was developed in Europe and has been successfully used for over fifty years. European Heritage Boards have approved this technique for use on heritage sites and have recognized its superior chemical formulation in the creation of seamless masonry repairs.^{[citation needed]}