Limewash on a brick exterior softens the red or orange of the brick into a muted, chalky color and keeps the texture and mortar lines visible. It goes on in two or three thin brushed coats, and the finished wall looks like aged brick, not a painted surface.
What does the brick look like before limewash?
Most brick exteriors we get asked about fall into two groups. The first is natural red or orange brick that was never painted and no longer suits the rest of the house. The second is brick that was painted years ago and is now chalking, fading or peeling in patches.
Unpainted brick is the easier of the two. It is porous and mineral, which is what limewash bonds to. Painted brick needs a closer look. Sound paint can usually be primed with a mineral primer before limewash. Paint that is flaking has to be removed where it has failed.
The mortar joints deserve a look too. Limewash softens the brick color, so crumbling or unevenly repointed mortar stands out more afterward, not less. If the mortar needs repair, do that first.
What changes during the job?
Limewash is brushed on in thin coats. After the first coat the brick still reads as brick, only calmer. By the second or third coat the color moves further toward the limewash tone, and the texture of the brick and the joints stays readable underneath.
Limewash is a mineral finish that cures by reacting with carbon dioxide in the air, which is why it behaves differently from paint (see the sources below). The wall looks chalky and uneven when wet and settles into its final color as it cures.
What does it look like afterward?
Expect a matte surface with soft variation in tone from one brick to the next and from morning light to afternoon light. It will not look like sprayed paint. If you want a flat, uniform color across the whole house, paint is the better choice and there is nothing wrong with picking it.
Color needs testing on brick because the red or orange underneath shows through lighter limewash. A cream or soft white often reads warmer on the wall than the swatch does on its own. A test patch on your own brick is the reliable way to preview it.
What affects the price of a brick limewash job?
We do not publish dollar ranges for limewash because the quote depends on the wall in front of us. These are the factors that move it:
- Whether the brick was painted before, since painted brick needs primer and extra prep
- The number of coats, two or three
- The size of the house and how many stories it has
- How many windows, doors and details need cutting in
- Access, since second-story brick needs ladders or a lift
For a number on your house, request a free estimate and we will look at the brick in person.
When should you limewash brick in Phoenix?
Brick holds heat, and a south or west wall in a Phoenix summer can get hot enough that limewash dries too fast to cure evenly. Cooler parts of the year give more room to work through the day. Early-morning scheduling helps on the hot walls.
How do you care for limewashed brick?
Limewash weathers into a soft patina over the first year or two, and many owners like the change. Small areas can often be freshened with a brushed coat that blends into the existing finish without a hard line.
Water is the main enemy. Sprinkler overspray and hose runoff hitting the base of a wall repeatedly will fade limewash faster than ordinary rain. Aim the heads away from the brick before the job starts.
Is limewash right for your brick?
If you like the idea of brick that still looks like brick in a softer color, limewash fits. If you want the brick to disappear under a solid color, choose paint. See how limewash compares with Roman clay and Venetian plaster if you are still weighing finishes.
Call or text (602) 835-0140, or see our exterior limewash page for finished exteriors around Phoenix.
Sources
- Whitewash (limewash), Wikipedia: limewash cures through a reaction with carbon dioxide in the air, forming calcium carbonate.