Limewashed Brick: Everything You Need to Know

Limewashed brick is distinctive and instantly recognizable for its textured patina that lets brick look like brick, instead of like painted brick. Limewash's semi-transparent consistency can improve brick that has a monotonous appearance by giving it a rich look akin to historical buildings.

Limewashing brick is an alternative to painting brick with latex paint, which negates much of brick's rich feel and is often viewed as an irreversible step. When limewash is made from raw ingredients, it's also a cost-saver over paint.

What Is Limewashed Brick?

Limewash is a type of whitewash made from crushed limestone and water. Color pigments are often added to limewash. Limewash is painted on the brick with brushes and, like paint, is capable of slowing the deterioration of the brick.

Latex house paint forms a cohesive skin that protects the surface but can also trap moisture inside. Limewash is considered to be breathable, as it allows the pores of brick to remain open to the air. Trapped moisture is one reason why paint peels, so limewash avoids this entirely.

Appearance

With a flat and chalky finish, limewash is semi-transparent with one coat and becomes more opaque with added coats or thicker batches. 

Much of the color of brick will show through one coat of limewash. Two or more coats of limewash produce a color closer to that of exterior house paint, though some brick color will show through in places. 

With multi-colored brick, the darker bricks will show through the limewash for a variegated appearance.

Buying Limewash Paint

Purchasing pre-mixed limewash, sometimes called limewash paint, is a convenient way to limewash brick without mixing raw ingredients. 

The limewash paint may also include pigments, available in a small range of mostly neutral or earthen colors like gray, beige, or white.

Colors tend to remain uniform from bucket to bucket, as long as the same amount of water is added. Most limewash paint still requires the user to add some water. The bucket may be under-filled with limewash, and dilution brings it up to its correct consistency. 

Limewash paint costs about $50 to $60 per gallon, a good option when only small areas of brick need to be limewashed.

How to Make Limewash

Mixing your own limewash saves money and gives you greater freedom to change the consistency of the limewash.

To make your own limewash, start with pure hydrated lime from a home center or nursery. Mix the lime with water to a consistency of whole milk. This is done by adding 15- to 20-percent lime with 80- to 85-percent water. 

One benefit of DIY limewash is its flexibility, so you can step the lime quantity up or down based on how opaque you'd like the limewash to be. Make thinner limewash that shows more of the brick with a 15:85 ratio of lime to water, or 50 pounds of lime to 40-1/2 gallons of water.

Do-it-yourself limewash costs $1 to $2 per gallon. Mixing your own limewash is far less expensive than buying pre-mixed limewash. If you have large areas of brick that you want to limewash, like house exteriors or brick walls, making your own limewash will significantly reduce your expenses.

Limewash vs. Whitewash

Limewash is a type of whitewash. Whitewash is a broad category that can include any number of materials that produce a transparent, textured appearance on masonry or wood. 

Whitewash can be made with highly diluted latex house paint, but only limewash is made specifically from limestone and other minerals. Whitewash made from latex paint tends to sit on the surface of the brick more than limewash, which more easily soaks into the brick's pores. 

Paint-based whitewash may be a better choice, though, if you want more color choices since paint's palette of colors runs into the thousands.

Pros and Cons

Applications Methods for Applying Limewash to Brick

Limewash is most commonly applied with a brush, but sometimes a paint sprayer or a paint roller are used. The mode of application plays a large part in the final appearance of the limewashed brick.

• Brush: Masonry brushes or four or six inch paint brushes help you force the limewash into the pores, especially into the highly porous brick mortar. Brushing lets you distress the limewash more easily than with a sprayer or roller.
• Spray: Spray on limewash with a paint sprayer for a uniform appearance. A paint sprayer saves time but it's more difficult to force the limewash into the pores of the brick or to create distressed effects.
• Roller: Some forms of pre-mixed limewash can be applied with a paint roller to create a thick, uniform coating.

How to Limewash Brick

1. Cover Protected Areas

   On the exterior, cover plants with plastic sheeting. On the interior, cover the floors with plastic sheeting and tape up to the brick.

2. Clean the Brick

   Clean off the brick with a clean, dry broom. If necessary, clean the brick with a mild detergent, water, and a brush. Avoid harsh chemicals or abrasives.

3. Prepare the Limewash

   Add water to the limewash product and thoroughly stir to an even consistency. 

4. Dampen the Brick

   Dampen the brick with clean water to allow the limewash to absorb at a measured rate. On the exterior, spray the brick with water from a hose and a garden spray nozzle. On the interior, use water from a spray bottle. Dampen the brick but do not oversaturate it.

5. Apply the First Coat of Limewash

   Brush on one coat of limewash with a masonry brush. 

6. Let the Limewash Dry

   Let the limewash dry until it is no longer wet but not so long that it cannot be washed down. Usually, you will need to wait ten minutes to an hour.

7. Apply Additional Coats of Limewash

   Add more coats of limewash to the brick if you want a more even, consistent appearance.

Tips for Limewashing Brick

• Test the limewash on a spare brick or on a less visible part of the brickwork to gauge the color.
• Avoid applying limewash to brick in direct sunlight, as this can cause the limewash to dry too quickly.
• Apply thin coats of limewash, not thick coats. Thickly coated limewash may crack or craze (the layers may separate).
• Wash off the limewash so that part of the product is removed, leaving behind enough for an antique effect. On the exterior, use a fine spray with the garden sprayer. On the interior, use the spray bottle.